Outsourcing Opinionated Americans

This morning I embarked on my first DIS Ambassador experience discussing American lifestyle to 8^th grade Danes at the Tinderhoj School. Six other DIS students and I followed Anders Larsen onto the S-Tog (train) like mice trailing the Pied Piper. Tangent: The Pied Piper storyline references WWII Nazis drawing in children to their regime. Interesting stuff!

Tinderhoj School is apparently the 2^nd to lowest nationally ranked school in Denmark, although I wouldn’t have known at first glance. Hand painted murals covered the walls and the teacher’s lounge was absolutely massive! They offered complementary fruit, coffee, and tea – quite nice for an early morning!

One other DIS student and I entered an 8^th grade classroom not knowing what to expect. Although the students were ages 14 and 15 (which I enjoyed since my little brother fits that snarky, angst-filled category), these Danes looked at least 17 or 18 based physical appearance. Danes’ dress in a homogenous fashion and the teenage girls could pass for 20 year-old women. They were all dead silent with pokerfaced stares. In all honesty, I wasn’t intimidated at all. I could see how they may have been hesitant to speak up since they don’t practice English all the time, so I was determined to make the experience more fun for them. I asked them what hobbies and interests they had to find commonalities. Danes and Americans are more similar then most would think!

These Danish teens hit some impressively BIG issues:

• If you were president, what would you change and why?
• How do you feel about American troops in the Middle East?
• What is the gang culture like?
• How does religion
• Do you like American government?
• How has the EU economic crisis affected America?
• Why is gay marriage not legal in the United States? How do you feel about it?
• To clarify, gay marriage has been legal in the Danish national church since last year. Before that, there were homosexual unions outside the church and receive a blessing.
• How do we feel about Muslims since September 11^th?
• Danes have a major racism issue against Muslims. Their political propaganda for the last election communicated messages such as “Keep Denmark Danish” etc.
• How popular is English football (soccer)? (I enjoyed this question as a St. Louisian)
• What’s cool in America? (My response… Would you prefer hipster or LA pop crazed? HA!)
• What do you do in your spare time?

Overall, the experience was really fun and engaging! We advised them to take advantage of the free Danish education system since student debt creates so much stress in America. We also asked them how they liked learning English. They really do! They feel the English language is completely globalized – not true but it certainly made me wish I was multilingual.