SWEDISH 301* “HISTORIEN OM SVERIGE” / “THE HISTORY OF SWEDEN”
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Instructor: Amanda Doxtater
doxtater@uw.edu
Raitt Hall 305 N
Office Hour: Th 11:30-12:30 or by appt.
OBS! The elevator in Raitt Hall is broken for the foreseeable future. In other words, my office is only accessible by taking the stairs. If you would like to meet somewhere accessible, please let me know.
SWED 301 Meets: T, TH 1:30-3:20
Location: RAITT 108 B
*SWEDISH 301 (TOPICS) is an upper-division Swedish culture course taught in Swedish that can be taken multiple times for credit. This course is conducted in Swedish and is appropriate for students who have completed SWED 203, or who have equivalent proficiencies. If you have learned Swedish somewhere else but would like to participate, please contact the instructor to see about placing into the course. Also, if you are interested in taking this course, but have a time conflict, please also feel free to email the instructor. Depending on the number of students enrolled, it may be possible to find a time that works for everyone.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: HISTORIEN OM SVERIGE
In this course, we’ll work our way through one of Sweden’s most expensive and intriguing television productions,Historien om Sverige (The History of Sweden) from 2023. Each week we’ll watch one episode of this epic show that strives to present 10,000 years of “Swedish” history in 10 hours. Together we’ll consider questions of historical representation; nationalism and Swedish self-understanding; dramatization and reenactment; and source critique. We’ll explore extra materials related to the series, such as discussions of the science behind it and criticism levelled against it. Course assignments will allow students to delve more deeply into topics that they see depicted as well as histories that remain absent.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS FOR ADVANCED LANGUAGE STUDY:
- I expect that students will come to advanced Swedish with a range of backgrounds and a variety of different strengths and weaknesses. Often students feel more comfortable speaking than writing. Often students feel comfortable speaking about their life, but need practice using more “official” Swedish such as the language used in newspapers. I can work with all of this. I will meet you where you are in your Swedish abilities. Rather than assigning a textbook, I bring in grammar exercises, for instance, when I see that it would benefit the group. Välkomna allihopa!
- I expect that students will spend 8-10 hours a week on homework, preparation, practice, and self-study for this course. According to Undergraduate Advising, “College courses require much more study time than high school courses. In general, courses require two hours of homework for every hour of class.” If the assigned homework takes you less than this budgeted time, then I expect students to practice vocabulary, make flashcards, listen to Swedish media, review assignments etc. Track how you’re spending your time in your weekly Swedish journal. This will also let me know if you’re spending too much time on a particular assignment, for instance if it is too difficult.
- I expect students to listen to at least 10 minutes of Swedish news or radio on SR.SE daily. Just let it flow over you. Don’t worry about understanding anything. Simply let yourself get used to the rhythms of the language. This counts toward your Swedish time tracking.
- I expect that most of your language learning will happen outside of the classroom. Also, learning a language in a course is as much about learning how you learn as it is learning to read, write, and speak another language. Over the course of the quarter, we’ll reflect on what techniques work best for us as individuals.
- I expect students to take notes during class. This may be on your computer or tablet, but I’d encourage you to consider paper and pencil. If I write something on the board, I expect you to write it down. This is an important aspect of learning a language by embodying it.
- I expect students to be mindful of how they use technology such as google translate or AI. Please write in Swedish rather than writing in any other language that you speak and then translating it. Online dictionaries are crucial tools that we can use to improve our ability to communicate without them. We’ll also practice writing in class, without using technology. If you are using AI in class, please talk to me about it. I’m also curious how it might be incorporated into the language classroom in a productive way.
- I expect students to speak pretty much exclusively in Swedish. This includes explaining what a word means if another student doesn’t understand. You can do it! (There might also be a few moments when I clarify something in English.)
- I expect each of my students to challenge themselves and improve in ways that are unique to them.
- I expect students to show grace, respect, and professionalism toward each other in the classroom. Learning a language involves making lots of mistakes, some of which might make us feel embarrassed or shy. Mistakes can also be hilarious. I will do everything I can to ensure that our classroom is an environment in which we all feel comfortable taking risks and laughing together at our mistakes. I encourage you to reach out to me if there are measures that I can take to accomplish this goal.
WORKLOAD:
10% Weekly Swedish journal (time tracking)
30% Homework: discussion preparation, vocabulary lists, discussion posts, question writing
15% Discussion facilitation during the quarter
[create a study sheet, vocabulary list, and discussion questions for the group, facilitate group discussion]
20% Quizzes on vocabulary and grammar topics (2)
25% Short essays dig deeper (micro analysis/sketches) (2)
(There is no final exam for this course)
TEXTS:
Will be made available as PDFs on Canvas.
OBS! Please bring assigned texts to class every day.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE:
- Please practice professionalism, care, and respect for yourself and those around you. The classroom is a community in which we learn from one another, so showing up and caring for each other matter.
- Please stay home if you feel sick at all. If I fall ill, or if I need to switch the modality of the class (to go online) I will notify you via Canvas Announcements and by the UW-email list for the course.
- You may use laptops in class, but if I see your technology distracting other students, I will talk to you about it. If you have some obligation outside of class that will require a lot of time on your phone, please just step outside the classroom. You are more than welcome not to use technology in the classroom as well. In some cases, it may detract from your own learning. See, for example, “Better Learning through Handwriting” (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110119095458.htm) or “A Learning Secret: Don’t take notes with a laptop” (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-learning-secret-don-t-take-notes-with-a-laptop/)
- You are more than welcome to email me with well-considered questions. I will generally respond to emails within 48 hours. You are also welcome to visit me during office hours. My office is an LGBTQ friendly place.
USING AI IN THIS COURSE:
In this course, students are permitted to use AI-based tools (such as ChatGPT) on some assignments. The instructions for each assignment will include information about whether and how you may use AI-based tools to complete the assignment. All sources, including AI tools, must be properly cited.
Use of AI in ways that are inconsistent with the parameters above will be considered academic misconduct and subject to investigation.
Please note that AI results can be biased and inaccurate. It is your responsibility to ensure that the information you use from AI is accurate. Additionally, pay attention to the privacy of your data.
Many AI tools will incorporate and use any content you share, so be careful not to unintentionally share copyrighted materials, original work, or personal information.
Learning how to thoughtfully and strategically use AI-based tools may help you develop your skills, refine your work, and prepare you for your future career. If you have any questions about citation or about what constitutes academic integrity in this course or at the University of Washington, please feel free to contact me to discuss your concerns.
Grade scale
100-97%=4.0 ; 96%=3.9 ; 95-94%=3.8 ; 93-90%=3.7 ; 89%=3.6 ; 88%=3.5 ; 87%=3.4 ; 86%=3.3 ; 85%=3.2 ; 84%=3.1 ; 83%=3.0 ; 82%=2.9 ; 81%=2.8 ; 80%=2.7 ; 79%=2.6 ; 78%=2.5 ; 77%=2.4 ; 76%=2.3 ; and so on and so forth (0-59%=0.0)
ACCESS AND ACCOMMODATIONS:
Your experience in this class is important to me. It is the policy and practice of the University of Washington to create inclusive and accessible learning environments consistent with federal and state law. If you have already established accommodations with Disability Resources for Students (DRS), please activate your accommodations via myDRS so we can discuss how they will be implemented in this course.
If you have not yet established services through DRS, but have a temporary health condition or permanent disability that requires accommodations (conditions include but not limited to; mental health, attention-related, learning, vision, hearing, physical or health impacts), contact DRS directly to set up an Access Plan. DRS facilitates the interactive process that establishes reasonable accommodations. Contact DRS at disability.uw.edu.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY:
The University of Washington is a community dedicated to learning. Ethical expectations of students belonging to the community are defined in the student conduct code (http://www.washington.edu/students/handbook/conduct.html). Plagiarism, cheating, and disruptive behavior in class violate the code, and harm your own and others’ learning. Any violations of the code in connection with the course will result in referral to the university administration for appropriate action. If you want to learn more about how to avoid plagiarism, please consult the following resource page on academic honesty, (http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm), or speak to me directly.
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy (https://registrar.washington.edu/staffandfaculty/religious-accommodations-policy/).
Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form (https://registrar.washington.edu/students/religious-accommodations-request/).