The standards for the teaching of Scandinavian languages reflect an appreciation for the breadth and variety of contexts in which these languages are taught and learned in the United States.  Students choose to learn Scandinavian languages in order to connect with the Danish, Norwegian or Swedish-speaking world in meaningful and rewarding ways. Business people, academics, heritage learners, world travelers, and the culturally curious see Scandinavian languages as a means to enrich their personal and professional lives.  The aim of this initiative is to encourage life-long learning of Scandinavian languages through the articulation of shared objectives across teaching contexts.  By providing a common framework for content and communication goals, stronger links between diverse programs can be made, allowing our students to more readily continue their language learning across contexts.

The development of The Standards for Scandinavian Language Learning began with a presentation of a draft of the Swedish language standards at the annual meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Scandinavian Study (SASS) in 2002.  In 2007 the Norwegian Researchers and Teachers Association of North America (NORTANA) dedicated its annual meeting to the exploration of the feasibility and usefulness of standards for Norwegian.  In 2008 the Standards Task Force was formed and met for the first time in Madison, WI with support from the Center for European Studies.  In 2009 a panel discussion was held at the annual SASS conference, and in the summer of 2010 the Task Force met again in Madison, WI to make final revisions to the document.

The Task Force for Standards for Learning Scandinavain Languages wishes to thank the Title VI Center for European Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for its generous support.

Please click here to read the full DRAFT of the Scandinavian Standards report.