Language policy for the National Environmental Research Institute (NERI)

DANISH is the primary language at NERI, while ENGLISH is the secondary language. This means that NERI is managed and administered in Danish, but at the same time that

• NERI is obliged to communicate in Danish and, whenever this may be necessary, in English with members of staff as well as guest researchers and students (in the following termed ‘members of staff’).

• Staff members who are not proficient in Danish must be able to communicate with relevant departments in the NERI administration in English.

• Danish members of staff must therefore be able to communicate in English whenever this may be necessary or desirable in their daily activities.

• Foreign members of staff are not required to learn Danish, but staff members spending a long time at NERI are nevertheless expected to do so, not least to become socialised into the Danish society – and members of staff working with official and administrative tasks are required to obtain proficiency in Danish.

• News, guides, policies etc. at Bazaren considered essential to our non-Danish speaking members of staff must be made available in English.

• Documents which have been conceived in English need not necessarily be translated into Danish.

• NERI offers all foreign members of staff (and in case of permanent staff their spouse/partner as well) all necessary language courses in Danish. All permanent members of staff will be invited to attend special courses in English.

• Danish-speaking members of staff must be willing to assist foreign members of staff in learning Danish by, for instance, communicating in Danish when our foreign staff members feel ready to do so.

Research, publishing and communication of research results (dialogue)

The quality of the research produced must be matched by a similar linguistic quality in the communication of the research (in Danish and any foreign languages) to ensure publication by the best publishing houses/in the best journals. NERI therefore makes translation and/or language revision services available, when necessary. NERI encourages members of staff who are to present conference papers in foreign languages to take part in relevant language courses, if needed. Research publications and other communication must comply with the formal requirements (e.g. choice of British or American English standard) made by the publishers.

• As part of the NERI staff policy, NERI makes resources available to researchers who need to develop their language skills (Danish and English) and who need language revision services.

Administration

Administrative staff must be able to communicate satisfactorily with all members of staff and students in Danish and English.

NERI will establish a special introductory programme for non-Danish speaking members of staff.

Employment letters and other communications pertaining to employment will be elaborated in English to non-Danish speaking members of staff.

Education: Lecturers

• NERI staff members whose mother tongue is not Danish or English or who have not studied these as part of their MA studies must be able to document their proficiency in any foreign language(s) which they are to teach. In this way it is ensured that all teaching takes place at a satisfactory linguistic (and professional) level.

• NERI makes resources available to members of staff who need to develop their language skills or who require linguistic revision of their teaching materials.

General

NERI members of staff who are to write their official texts in Danish must be able to write Danish at a satisfactory and correct level and in compliance with the guidelines issued by the Danish Language Council (Sprognævnet) and the Danish spelling dictionary (Retskrivningsordbogen).

• NERI members of staff and students who are to write their official texts in English must be able to write English at a satisfactory level. British English is used as standard in official letters, brochures, web texts etc.

• NERI’s language policy is published in Danish and English at www.dmu.dk.

• NERI provides access to a term database offering translations of the most important terms within environment and administration at http://bazaren (acronyms and titles) and the NERI homepage  (Miljøordbogen, a Danish environment dictionary allowing use of English search terms to obtain a Danish explanation).