Danish Language and Culture through Food and Sustainability

About this course

This course is an integrated language and culture course with a major focus on learning Danish through the exploration of food, taste, and sustainability in Denmark. Local food and traditions are a rich source of information about cultural values, beliefs, and relations, often permeated by national narratives and symbols. By exploring practices around food in Denmark, we will make observations on Danish society while using our senses and curiosity.

An important component of the course is also to discuss various aspects of food sustainability:

How does sustainability manifest itself in the Danish food scene and even in the Danish language? How is Danish society addressing food waste? What are sustainable, innovative ways that Denmark deals with food consumption and production? When studying the Danish language, we employ a communicative and functional approach, emphasizing everyday spoken Danish, reading comprehension, and basic grammar. Learning Danish in this course will allow you to interact in basic ways with your local surroundings, strengthening your sense of belonging while studying abroad.

With Denmark and Danish food cultures as your case study, you will develop your general ability to understand and study other cultures from an intercultural perspective.

Recommended experience

Most classes will be spent visiting sites via bicycle, so confidence in cycling is mandatory.

Faculty

Catharina S. Rosendal

Faculty

M.A. (Language and Communication, Copenhagen Business School). Studied in French at the Université de Paris, Sorbonne, France. Master’s program in Teaching Language for Adults, Aarhus University. Teacher of Danish language and culture since 2009. Background in international marketing with Carlsberg, the pharmaceutical industry, and international advertising agencies. With DIS since 2015.

Neringa Bigailaite Vendelbo

Faculty; Program Director

MA (Scandinavian Philology, 2005). BA (Lithuanian and Danish Philology, U. of Vilnius, 1996). Program Director of Environment, Politics, and Society programs at DIS. Faculty for Danish Language and Culture and Rebel Nations at DIS. International student advisor, Copenhagen University (2004-2005). Lithuanian language instructor, Baltisk Oplysnings Forbund (2002-2006). Employment at DFDS Transport A/S (1997-2004). With DIS since 2005.