About this course
The Danish Language & Culture course at DIS is your ideal entry point for living and studying abroad in Denmark. This focused section explores Danish culture, history, and language through the lens of childhood values and education. We examine how Danish values, traditions, and educational approaches are embedded within the language and also reflect broader cultural narratives and ideals of play, equality, collectivity, and personal development.
With a focus on the Danish Welfare State, we will also study children’s literature and television, and even pack a traditional Danish lunchbox, to understand local perspectives on childhood and education. Through the concept of playful learning, a cornerstone of Danish child development, we visit innovative playgrounds, observe how play is integrated into schools and kindergartens, and build with LEGO to discover how Danish society promotes creativity, collaboration, and curiosity in children.
Language learning focuses on spoken, everyday Danish, reading and listening comprehension, as well as basic grammar, allowing you to interact in simple and practical ways in your local surroundings. This functional approach is reflected in classroom interactions, hands-on exercises, and experiential learning through field studies in Copenhagen and surrounding areas.
If you are also enrolled in the Child Development and Education in Scandinavia Practicum, this course will support your ability to communicate effectively with children and staff in educational settings.
Syllabus
Course note
As an alternative to this specialized section of Danish Language and Culture, DIS also offers a general Danish Language & Culture Level I course. The general course provides multiple perspectives on Danish society, history, and culture. Topics range from the Viking Age to the recent New Nordic Wave, Denmark under German occupation during World War II, Greenland and Denmark’s colonial past, the modern Danish welfare state, and concepts such as hygge, happiness, equality, and trust. Read more about Danish Language & Culture Level I course here.
