1. I want to take a language that is offered
in your department? What is my first step?
If you are a prospective undergraduate student
but have not been admitted to the University of Wisconsin, you
must first apply directly to the University of Wisconsin-Madison
by contacting the Office of Admissions (http://www.admissions.wisc.edu/).
Their website outlines basic requirements for admission, as well
as the basic application procedure. Once you have been admitted
into the University and you have questions about taking a class
in the Department of Scandinavian languages, please contact Judy
Anderson (jlander3@wisc.edu). She will direct you to the appropriate
contact person.
2. What are the basic requirements for admittance
to the MA program?
The following are basic requirements:
· BA degree from an approved institution with a major in a field
of
humanities or social studies, and an outstanding record.
· A 3.25 GPA. Students with a GPA below 3.25 but above 3.0 may be
considered for admission on probation.
· Preparation equivalent to an undergraduate major in Scandinavian
Studies at UW-Madison.
· Three years of language training in a Nordic Language, or equivalent
experience.
· Graduate Records Exam (GRE)
3. I'd like to apply for the
graduate program but do not have any
language training. What should I do?
We advise students to gain language proficiency either by taking
summer courses or by studying in a Nordic country.
4. Is it possible to have my
Scandinavian language proficiency tested
in the department?
Yes, we do carry out proficiency testing on
request from other
institutions. We provide a letter stating the level of language
proficiency in line with the language training on the UW-Madison
campus. For more information, please contact Judy Anderson (jlander3@wisc.edu).
5. Can you recommend materials for self-study
in the Nordic languages?
Danish
There are some books available for self-study,
but at the moment, the most
easily available is the somewhat outdated "Teach
Yourself Danish" published
by the NTC Publishing group.
From Denmark you can procure "Dansk
for Hele Verden" published by
Gyldendal, which comprises a text book, two exercise books, and
accompanying tapes. Finally, Hippocrene books is publishing Beginner's
Danish in the fall of 2006. The book will be accompanied by audio
CDs and be useful for the first year of study. The author of
this new text is Nete Schmidt.
Finnish
A good website for looking into on-line Finnish language possibilities
is:
http://www.henkimaa.nu/finndex/suomea/learning/instruction.html.
This website also provides links for information about Finnish
studies in Finland.
Icelandic (Modern
Icelandic)
The University of Wisconsin is proud to be a co-sponsor of Icelandic
Online, an interactive language study on the Internet. Check
http://www.icelandic.hi.is or
use the link on the homepage of the Department of Scandinavian
Studies.
Norse ( Old Norse)
A: There are several good textbooks available.
Sigrid Valfells and James E. Cathey's, Old Icelandic: An Introductory
Course (Oxford: Oxford University Press in association with the
American-Scandinavian Foundation, 1981) is helpful in that it
includes exercises and answers to the exercises at the end of
the book. The textbooks currently used in Old Norse classes at
the University of Wisconsin are the following: Michael Barnes,
A New Introduction to Old Norse: Part I: Grammar (University
College London: Viking Society for Northern Research, 1999);
Anthony Faulkes, ed., A New Introduction to Old Norse: Part II:
Reader (University College London: Viking Society for Northern
Research, 2000); Anthony Faulkes, A New Introduction to Old Norse:
Part III: Glossary and Index of Names (University College London:
Viking Society for Northern Research, 2000).
Norwegian
There are both on-line courses available and textbook materials that will assist
you in learning Norwegian on your own. Our beginning
Norwegian class is now using, Sett I Gang, by Nancy Aarsvold and Kari Lie.
Information about this text can be found at http://norwords.com. Finally,
for those who wish to learn a smattering of Norwegian, a very
nice introductory
course which comes with CDs is Smakebiter av norsk og Norge. This text is
available from http://www.skandisk.com. Hippocrene has also recently
published a beginning
Norwegian course (Beginner’s Norwegian) with CDs written by one of our former
graduate students, Laura Ziukaite-Hansen.
Swedish
Roger Nyborg of Stockholm University has put together a basic introductory Swedish course that is online and accessible to
the public: http://www.nordiska.su.se/komloss/ Various self-study materials are also available commercially.
One such is Scott Mellor's Beginner's Swedish (Hippocrene Books), which
is shortly to be reissued with an audio CD. Dr Mellor is Lecturer in our
department.
6. I need materials translated from a Nordic
language.
Please send your inquiry to Judy Anderson (jlander3@wisc.edu).
Kindly specify which language the document is in and she will
direct you to the appropriate person who can then make further
arrangements with you.
7. Can you help arrange for a private tutor
on the Madison campus?
Please send your inquiry to Judy Anderson
(jlander3@wisc.edu). Kindly specify which language you wish to
study and she will direct you to the appropriate person who can
then make further arrangements with you.
8) Is there an opportunity for
me to practice my language outside of class on campus?
Yes! Check the calendar link on the Homepage
for special events and for information about language tables
in each of the languages.
