Swedish

This course gives an overview of modern Swedish literature, with a focus on the period from the 1880s to the present. Specific examples of Swedish literature are studied and discussed in relation to their social and historical context and to literary traditions and tendencies in and outside of Sweden. This course is a module within the SWEDISH CULTURE course.

Upon completing the course, students with foreign education backgrounds and native languages other than the Scandinavian languages and Finnish have acquired basic skills in the Swedish language and some knowledge about Swedish society. The course includes systematic reading and practicing of basic grammatical structures and principles of pronunciation, reading of textbooks as well as easy authentic texts, exercises in pronunciation, exercises in listening comprehension, and short exercises in oral and written communication. The course includes an introduction to Swedish society and culture. After completing the reading and writing portion of the course, students are able to: demonstrate knowledge of and apply to some extent the rules of Swedish language structure; have a vocabulary of everyday words and phrases be able to read and comprehend textbooks, short news items, and articles of various types as well as easy fiction; explain in a simple manner their own opinions and experiences in writing. After completing the listening and oral portion of the course, students are able to: recount their own experiences and events; hold short presentations about known factual topics; follow and participate in simple conversations and discussions about familiar topics and events; gain a general understanding of what is said in some TV programs that do not make excessive demands of the student regarding context and previous knowledge.

Upon completing the course, students with foreign education backgrounds and native languages other than the Scandinavian languages and Finnish have acquired basic skills in the Swedish language and some knowledge about Swedish society. The course includes systematic reading and practicing of basic grammatical structures and principles of pronunciation, reading of textbooks as well as easy authentic texts, exercises in pronunciation, exercises in listening comprehension, and short exercises in oral and written communication. After completing the reading and writing portion of the course, students are able to: demonstrate knowledge of, and apply fairly accurately the rules of, Swedish language structure; have a developed vocabulary that they can deal with situations beyond everyday life; read and comprehend newspaper articles and other authentic Swedish texts; respond in writing and comment on various facts/opinions. After completing the listening comprehension and oral proficiency portion of the course, students are able to: hold presentations about and explain factual topics, and in doing so, use more developed language; participate in conversations and discussions about both familiar and unfamiliar topics and events; understand what is said on the radio and the TV, such as news or entertainment programs, but also some factual programs that don't make excessive demands of the student's prior knowledge.

This course teaches communicative skills in spoken Swedish, such as pronunciation, fluency, grammatical correctness, rhetoric, and presentation techniques. Students analyze spoken Swedish, use the language in communicative situations, and receive individual feedback. Student's practice speaking Swedish to create conditions for well-functioning oral communication.
 

 

The course provides a survey of Swedish literary tradition, from the Middle Ages until today. It is centered on canonized and internationally well-known authors such as Carl Michael Bellman, Carl von Linné, Selma Lagerlöf, August Strindberg, and Gunnar Ekelöf. Additionally, more popular fiction, for example Astrid Lindgren's children's books and Henning Mankell's crime novels, are examined. The course also addresses the unique Swedish tradition of proletarian literature, and special attention is devoted to women's literature and literary tradition. All texts are read in English translation. The focus is on literary history as well as on analysis and interpretation of literary texts, but also fundamental concepts of literary theory are presented.