Spotlight on Scandinavian

Two students standing in front of their respective whiteboards, enthusiastically gesturing toward them.

Students take to the whiteboards to practice their new vocabulary for parts of the body. Pictured to the left is Fia Lundqvist.

Four students writing on whiteboards with backs to the camera.

If you're looking for an intimate department to be part of on campus that connects you to exciting research and study programs abroad and readily combines with other majors, the Department of Scandinavian might just be it. It offers an impressive professor to student ratio, an active student club to plug into—follow Nordic Kafé to learn more—and a window into the life and culture of  countries that consistently rank top among the World Happiness Report rankings.

In this Spotlight, the Berkeley Language Center talks to Dr. Lotta Weckström, a lecturer in Finnish and the department's language coordinator, to talk all things Scandinavian at UC Berkeley. She can be reached at lotta.weckstrom@berkeley.edu.

What can students expect when they take Scandinavian language courses at Berkeley?

They can expect small classes that are run in a very communicative and collaborative way, and instructors who are passionate and excited about the languages they teach.

What do you think might surprise students about Scandinavian languages?

It surprises students every fall how quickly they are able to start communicating in a new language—like playing "Never Have I Ever" in Swedish around Halloween when you knew next to nothing in August! 

Are there study abroad programs associated with studying a Scandinavian language? 

We work closely together with UCEAP and students can study in Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Denmark. We are affiliated with the Nordic Center and administer study abroad grants earmarked for the Nordic countries.

What should students know about majoring or minoring in Scandinavian? 

We are a small department (5 professors and 3 lecturers) and our majors and minors find an academic and social home at Berkeley with us. The professor to student ratio in our classes is great and supervision opportunities are wonderful. 

We currently have a student majoring in Scandinavian and Political Science, and that's a fairly common combination. Anthropology, History, and Global Studies combined with Scandinavian are common double majors as well. We had a Plant Biology & Scandinavian combination a few years back, so anything works, really. 

What is your favorite thing about teaching? 

I love the exploration of a new language with a group of students, it is just such a treat every time. It never ceases to amaze and impress me how a language enfolds for the individual learners and how a new language can interconnect a group of people.

Anything else? 

The Scandinavian Department and the Nordic Center host the Nordic Kafé, a social club where anyone with interest in or questions about the Nordic countries is welcome. You can find us on Instagram @nordickafe, keep an eye out for meeting times!

Scandinavian language courses offered on ongoing basis:

  • Danish
  • Finnish
  • Norwegian
  • Swedish

See the Department of Scandinavian website for more information.