DANISH 101 A: First Year Danish 1

DAN 101, Fall Quarter 2017

First Year Danish

Meeting times: M – F, 9.30-10.20, LOW 113

Instructor: Maxine Savage

Email: savay@uw.edu

Office: Raitt Hall 108B

Office hours: Wednesday 11.00-12.00 and by appointment

Course goal:

The goal of this course is to introduce Danish as it is used in everyday contexts, such as talking about yourself, finding your way around, and describing your immediate surroundings. The course will be taught in a communicative way i.e. in-class activities and homework will focus on speaking, reading, writing, and listening skills. To succeed in this course, you must actively participate. Class will be conducted primarily, but not exclusively in Danish. You will be expected to attend class regularly, to prepare for class daily, and speak as much Danish as possible.

Outcomes:

This course adopts the learning outcomes outlined at the A1 (and A2) level by Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, teaching, assessment (CEFR). On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

Listening comprehension

• understand simple phrases and conversations about everyday situations/subjects in slow and clear speech (A1).

Reading comprehension

• understand information from different everyday texts (A1-A2)
• identify facts from simple everyday authentic texts (A1 - A2)

Speech

• talk about themselves, family, accommodation and studies using simple phrases and opinions (A1-A2)
• describe everyday situations/subjects with simple language (A1-A2)

Talk and oral interaction

• participate in simple and everyday conversations with slow and clear speech (A1)
• ask and answer simple questions within everyday subject areas (A1)

Writing

• use language in everyday situations such as short, personal letters and texts (A1-A2)

Other

• research and share knowledge of Danish society and culture

Textbook and other materials:

Textbook:

     Puls 1 (Required. Available at UW Bookstore.)

Literature:

     Dorthe Nors: Minna mangler et øvelokale

     Halfdan Rasmussen: ABC

     Knud Romer: ABC

     Bikstok Røgsystem: “Fabrik”

     Peter A.G.: “Danmark”

     Medina: “Kun for mig”

     Adam Oehlenschläger: “Der er et yndligt land”

     B.S. Ingemann: “Dejlig er Jorden”

     Emmy Köhler: “Nu tændes tusind julelys”.

     (All distributed by the instructor)

“Watch-at-home” films:

     Babettes gæstebud / Babette's Feast - Gabriel Axel

     Festen / The Celebration – Thomas Vinterberg

     Rita (Episode 1)

     (All distributed by the instructor).

Online Resources:

Dictionaries:

A good online Danish dictionary is available at: ordnet.dk/ddo (click on “English” in the upper-right corner for English settings) in addition to bab.la and da.glosbe.com/en/da/

Textbook supplement:

Certain portions of the Puls 1 textbook have audio components available online. These files can be accessed at: ny.alfabetadigital.dk/index.php/portal/puls-1 if you scroll to the section “Lyd til Puls 1” (Listen to Puls 1) and select the appropriate chapter.

Note on electronic translators:

Excessive use of electronic translators for more than single-word translations will result in a score of zero for any assignment on which they are used. Google translate is not your friend.

Class website:

The daily homework assignments, and the “watch-at-home” films and other class material will be posted on the class website on Canvas, and there will also be other useful information on Danish language and studying the culture. Assignment Log here.

Evaluation:

• 25% Class Participation & Homework: Daily attendance and active participation are crucial to your progress. Coming on time, being prepared, doing activities, answering questions and speaking Danish as much as possible are all part of participation. Please do not come to class if you are sick. E-mail me for this and other excused absences. Homework will be assigned and graded regularly and is due the following class, unless otherwise specified. Homework will not be accepted late without prior arrangement!
• In addition to daily homework intended to give you practice with grammar and reading, you will be asked to keep a Reading Glossary [Min lille ordbog] of new vocabulary that you encounter in class and while doing other assignments. Please take a couple of minutes after each class to review your notes and enter at least five new vocabulary words or expressions from that day. Enter new vocabulary you encounter in homework assignments as well. Include a bit of context (i.e. write down the entire sentence in which you have encountered it, include relevant articles [en/et] and prepositions as well). You may want to use an exam book for this. Feel free to make flashcards if you prefer. Use color and pictures if that works better for you. These glossary books will be collected periodically and graded as homework assignments. I expect 25-30 new words or phrases per week.

• 15% Film Assignments: You will watch three movies and write a short English reflection and a comment in Danish about each one. Half of these grades will be based on the content and the other half on the language.

• 5% Translation Assignment: This will be a translation of Danish poetry, discussed during week 6 of class.

• 30% Quizzes (3): You will be tested approximately every three weeks at the end of each book chapter. No make-up tests will be given without prior arrangements. There will be no final exam for this course.

• 25% Final Project: You will complete a final project, to be turned in and presented during the 10^th week of class. The project will have an oral component.

Access & accommodations

Your experience in this class is important to me, and it is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law.

• Disability Resources for Students (DRS) offers resources and coordinates reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities and/or temporary health conditions. Reasonable accommodations are established through an interactive process between you, your instructor(s), and DRS. If you have not established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (this can include but not limited to: mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), you are welcome to contact DRS at 206-543-8924 or uwdrs@uw.edu or disability.uw.edu.
• Other UW Resources
  • CLUE Writing Center and Counseling Services at Hall Health can also be very helpful.
  • The Access Technology Center (ATC) serves users with disabilities, allowing full use of campus computing resources. ATC staff provides accessibility consultations and instructs users in accessible hardware and software basics.
  • DO-IT (Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology) promotes the use of computer and networking technologies to increase independence, productivity, and participation in education and employment.
  • TITLE IX/ADA Coordinator Office: Program promotes University-wide compliance support to facilitate equal opportunity and ensure compliance with relevant University policies and local, state, and federal laws.
  • Leadership Without Borders: this center works to serve and empower undocumented students at UW.

Academic Integrity

Students at the University of Washington are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic conduct, professional honesty, and personal integrity. Plagiarism, cheating, and other misconduct are serious violations of the University of Washington Student Conduct Code (WAC 478-120). Consequences of academic dishonesty range from receipt of a failing grade on the assignment to an F in the course. All violations will be taken seriously. For further information, refer to the University of Washington Community Standards and Student Conduct website.

Classroom Climate

Diverse backgrounds, embodiments, and experiences are essential to the critical thinking endeavor at the heart of university education. Therefore, I expect you to follow the UW Student Conduct Code in your interactions with your colleagues and me in this course by respecting the many social and cultural differences among us, which may include, but are not limited to: age, cultural background, disability, ethnicity, family status, gender identity and presentation, citizenship and immigration status, national origin, race, religious and political beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and veteran status. Please talk with me right away if you experience disrespect in this class, and I will work to address it in an educational manner. Use of racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, classist, or generally offensive language in class or submission of such material will not be tolerated. DCinfo@uw.edu is a resource for students with classroom climate concerns.

Course Schedule and Readings