Going to Denmark? Then this course is tailored to you!
Meeting time:
Tu/Th 3:30 - 4:50 pm: course meets in DEN 258
Instructor:
Morten Bøje Stensgaard Larsen, Visiting Lecturer of Danish: mbsl@uw.edu
(Office: 305 V Raitt Hall; office hours by appointment)
This course is geared towards students who are either preparing for a study abroad in Denmark during the summer quarter, a semester exchange in the Fall quarter, or an internship in a Danish office.
The course combines entry level Danish language teaching with a substantive introduction to Danish culture and society. Students will be introduced to Danish literature, cinema, and pop culture with special attention to cultural norms and traditions.
The course focuses on communicative language teaching with in-class activities and homework practicing speaking, reading, writing skills. The learning goal is to achieve some basic language skills equivalent to the CEFR A1 level along with cultural awareness.
The course strives for a welcoming atmosphere with regular and lively interaction in the classroom that challenges the students in a supportive way.
Students who are curious about Denmark, its language, and culture are also more than welcome. Sharing a rich history and culture with Sweden and Norway, learning about Danish language and culture may also be beneficial for students who have enrolled in other summer programs in Scandinavia.
Textbook: Beginner's Danish (Nete Schmidt, 2022). Can be purchased here:
https://www.hippocrenebooks.com/store/p485/BeginnersDanishwithOnlineAudio.html
Audio files can be accessed here:
https://www.hippocrenebooks.com/beginners-danish.html
Student Learning Goals for DAN 411:
- Gain knowledge about Danish culture and society.
- Language:
- Listening comprehension: understand simple phrases regarding everyday matters such being asked about personal information, family, ordinary activities etc.
- Reading comprehension: understand simple information from texts regarding everyday life.
- Speech: talk about yourself, family, living accommodations, and university studies/work using simple phrases and opinions; describe everyday situations and subjects with simple language.
- Communication: participate in simple and everyday conversations with slow and clear speech; ask and answer simple questions within everyday subject areas.
- Writing: Reply to simple questions and write short sentences about personal information, family, ordinary activities etc.
Evaluation criteria: Participation, Assignments, Assessments
20% Weekly Journals. The weekly journal is your personal learning tracker. Here, you have the opportunity to reflect upon the lessons and practice new vocabulary and phrases.
- Journals are labor-based graded.
40% In-class Participation. Regularly participation in conversations and class room exercises is key to further your language acquisition.
10% quizzes. During the quarter 2 quizzes will be assigned to you. These are meant as a self-assessment of your learning trajectory and an option for reviewing covered material.
30% Cultural Understanding and Awareness. Each week, we'll talk about certain cultural or societal traits of Denmark, which require you to engage with the material at home and in class. This can be either watching a movie/an episode of a show, reading small portions of translated, contemporary literature, reading some news etc.
Grading Scale:
| 97-100%=4.0 | 86%=3.3 | 80%=2.7 | 73%=2.0 | 65%=1.4 |
| 93-96%=3.9 | 85%=3.2 | 79%=2.6 | 72%=1.9 | 64%=1.3 |
| 91-93%=3.8 | 84%=3.1 | 78%=2.5 | 71%=1.8 | 63%=1.2 |
| 90%=3.7 | 83%=3.0 | 77%=2.4 | 70%=1.7 | 62%=1.1 |
| 89%=3.6 | 82%=2.9 | 76%=2.3 | 68-69%=1.6 | 61%=1 |
| 88%=3.5 | 81%=2.8 | 75%=2.2 | 66-67%=1.5 | 60%=0 |
| 87%=3.4 | 74%=2.1 |
Use of Generative AI
Any use of generative AI without instructor's approval is considered cheating and, consequently, academic misconduct as pr. university standards:
https://www.washington.edu/cssc/for-students/academic-misconduct/
All academic misconduct will be reported to the office of Community Standards and Student Conduct.
https://www.washington.edu/cssc/
Diversity and equity
The Department of Scandinavian Studies builds cultural awareness and understanding through research, teaching, service and community outreach. The students in this class engage curricula and field experiences structured to foster knowledge of others and their cultures. Awareness of and respect for difference is essential to preparing students for citizenship. The Department of Scandinavian Studies views each student as an individual and supports the equal treatment of all those who enroll in this class in particular. This class is an inclusive space where all religions, ethnicities, genders, sexualities are welcomed, valued and appreciated. If you have personal requests or requirements in this regard, please come talk to me about it.
Land acknowlegdement
The University of Washington acknowledges the Coast Salish peoples of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations” including the Duwamish, on whose traditional lands the University of Washington-Seattle stands in violation of the Treaty of Point Elliott.
Religious Accommodation Policy: 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/).
This course adheres to the University of Washington Religious Accommodations Policy.