The Nordic Kafé

Reflections and Plans for the Future

Susanna Lofvander

The idea of the Nordic Kafé was conceived by a Berkeley student from Norway named Mina. The concept was a space to bring together people of different backgrounds with the same goal: to practice and learn Nordic languages. The Scandinavian department at Berkeley is humble in size but dedicated, and the newly formed Nordic Center that had launched just months prior provided the momentum for the kafé.

Fall of 2022 was the beginning of the Nordic Kafé. The snacks were laid out, the coffee carafe was full. We weren’t sure what to expect, but we couldn’t have asked for a more excited and engaged group of people. A mix of students, staff, friends, and family gathered to speak Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, and Finnish. Everyone had a different reason for speaking or learning their target language: some were native speakers, some had heritage or family in Scandinavia, some had no personal connection but wanted to travel to Scandinavia in the future.

Every week we learned more and more about each other. As the students’ classes progressed and their vocabularies expanded, our conversations in our target languages went smoother. We spoke in our targeted language groups, and also came together to play games and learn about Nordic culture and traditions. At the end of the fall semester, we celebrated Lucia together, complete with candles, garlands, traditional music, and luciabullar. In spring, we celebrated Kanelbulledagen with fresh baked cinnamon buns, and Fat Tuesday, or Semmeldag, with traditional semlor pastries.

In addition to our social events, we provided resources for our students to learn about study abroad programs, opportunities within the Scandinavian department, and events hosted by the Nordic Center. The Nordic Center brought people, companies, and government organizations with connections to Scandinavia to campus, and the Nordic Kafé was a tightly knit hub for delivering these resources directly to students.

As the spring semester comes to an end, the Nordic Kafé will suspend its meetings until our students return in the fall. But our first run has taught us much: that there is community to be had within a niche subject, that that community provides support for accelerating learning and expanding opportunities, and all it takes is a few interested people to build something meaningful.