Hej everyone,

At this stage, my guess is that you might be stuck inside like many of us. Some of you may have just started to learn Danish at a school, others may be half way. There is also a part of you that must definitely be near the finish line, with the infamous Prøve i Dansk 3 exam.

Even though I completed the Danish examination (PD3) two years ago, I am constantly challenged with new vocabulary and expressions to learn. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, I have been learning so much in Danish around the health & disease theme. My brain literally exploded at some stage with too much information in Danish (between apps, radio, TV, family and friends), that I had to disconnect for a couple of days to digest all of this. Not just the actual news about Coronavirus, but also all the new vocabulary that I really want to remember for future reference.

With this in mind, let’s make the most of our time at home and keep on practicing Danish. This is a great opportunity to focus and improve our Danish language skills. You will find some suggestions to keep your brain entertained (not just with Netflix). Feel free to comment below if you have any suggestions that work for you at home to learn Danish, during this crazy time. I would love to hear about it.

Happy learning and make sure to stay zen!

Watching Danish Movies and TV series

Here is a dilemma: there are so many movies, documentaries, series to choose from in your own language and in English, so why would you choose to watch it in Danish? Because it is (among many reasons) a great way to learn, to practice, to hear different accents. Sure, this might not feel super comfortable at first, but hang on, the fun is coming. In this article, I share many resources if you want to binge watch in Danish.

Listening to Danish Podcasts

If there was ever a time where you can find thousands of very interesting podcasts, this is right now.

Since I started my journey to learn Danish, I have been very enthusiastic about podcasts, for many reasons. If I had to do an updated list of my favourites Danish podcasts in 2020, the list would be really long. If you decide to listen to Danish podcast, I would encourage you to check these two posts with links and suggestions. The first one I wrote in 2017, the other one back in the summer 2018, time flies, but the content stays great! Enjoy.

Practicing with a Danish tutor online

Many friends in my expat network have been affected with lockdowns and very limited options to socialize with Danes and meet new people. We tried to use Danish resources online to keep on challenging our skills and Danish language. I was a bit confused with all the options that can be found and finally went to italki.

italki’s website has excellent Danish tutors online, easy to you find sessions based on your schedule and theirs. It is not a free resource, but learning efficiently with the right support is not always free. Happy we all gave it a shot, which paid off with our individual challenges. Just remember that you will not speak Danish after 1 or even 5 classes, but you will not be alone in this process, someone qualified and motivated will make sure you improve in speaking Danish. Check out italki’s website to have fun in Danish.

Danish board games

If you need to disconnect for a while from the online world and get away from all the news, then I definitely suggest to play board games in Danish. There are so many to choose from, my challenge was to find the ones where I could actually understand in Danish. It could be that you are alone at home, with your partner, family, colleagues, housemate. In any case, I am sure that you can find at least one game that can entertain you. You will find some suggestions here of Danish board games.

Books to read in Danish

No excuses. You have time now to read books and feed your brain with new content. Over the past year, I bought books but never got the time to read them. Life happens, we are all caught up in the daily routine. This time around, I actually have time to read these. Have a look at your book shelf and remember why you bought these books. To read them and have a good time. I did happen to buy Danish books as well and to be honest, it is a challenge for me to read them all. Simply because I also have books in English and French which I can choose to read with a lot of ease (compared to Danish books). But let’s challenge ourselves and read more Danish books! Check out this extensive list of Danish books that you can read.

Preparing for Prøve i Dansk 3

This section is aimed for those of you who are currently learning Danish in Denmark and enrolled in the Prøve i Dansk 3 course. The Danish language schools are doing an incredible job by teaching online classes (since the schools are in lock down). As an additional resource, you can find detailed posts about:

The various modules:

Module 1, Module 2, Module 3, Module 4, Module 5

Prøve I Dansk 3 exam

Written preparation, written exam review, oral preparation , oral exam review

Be inspired by others

If you still have time on your hands, make sure to check out the interviews conducted since July 2017, with many expats (24 actually!) who learn Danish like you. You may not necessarily improve Danish here, since all is in English, however you may find some motivation through others’ successes.

The post Learning Danish during COVID-19 appeared first on Learn Danish.

First of all, I wish you a very successful 2020 and plenty of Danish speaking! It has been a very long time since my last publications and expat interviews.

For the first Expat Feedback of 2020, I am glad to feature Julian, who is originally from France. He completed Prøve i Dansk 3 exam with Studieskolen Copenhagen, in June 2019.

Julian shares in this interview many insights about his personal experience of learning Danish in Denmark, but also the school process and some tips.

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading it!

Thank you Julian !

Learning Danish in Denmark

About you
My name is Julian and I am from France. It is my 3rd time in Denmark. I arrived in November 2017. So it has been 25 months now. My 2nd time was during summer 2016 when I did a laboratory internship at DTU. Unfortunately, all Danish classes were off so I was frustrated not to learn Danish. My first time was during my childhood. I came to Denmark for almost ten years every summer and I developed an attraction to the country.

© Thomas Mougeolle

I used to introduce myself as a Parisian whose origins are mixed. My blood is 3/4 viet and the fourth is Dane. My grandmother was born in Nakskov and she taught me a lot about the Danish culture when I was a child. Thank to her, I celebrated the Danish Christmas and other traditions. But I was really stupid when I was a kid and I did not learn Danish with my grandmother. So when I was around 20, I felt I needed to retrieve my origins. So I decided first to get an Erasmus exchange. But I was refused because my marks were not good enough. So I did an internship in 2016 but that was too short to learn. So I came back in November 2017 as a VIE (special French contract). And I could start Danish in January 2018 at Studieskolen. I now live in Copenhagen near the little Mermaid !

Danish classes

Which school(s) did you attend?

I’ve followed lessons at Studieskolen in Copenhagen

How did you find the registering process at the school when you enrolled?

Easy but slow because first you need a CPR.

Did you take breaks?

No. I think when you take a break, you won’t feel motivated to start again. I have a lot of friends who did that and because of that they don’t speak Danish. But of course, I feel sometimes unmotivated. So I was like, if I failed an exam, I would stop paying Danish classes. And I was lucky not to fail it.

Day classes vs evening classes?

I did not have any choice because I had a job.

How did you find the various modules at school?

It was really interesting during the 3 first modules. But then since module 4, you start to prepare PD3 so it is less fun.

Prøve i Dansk 3 Exam

How was the Prøve i Dansk 3 examination?

It was hard.

Any suggestions in terms of the preparation to PD3?

It is better to study Danish for 2 years instead of 1,5 year as I did. Why I did not study 2 years instead of 1,5? It is just because at one time I was without a job and I was running out of money so I could not know if I could stay 6 more months in Copenhagen.

Also, it is nice to be explained all the rules before doing the exam.
For example, I did not know we could bring a dictionary for the written exam.

Any comments regarding written exam and oral exam?

Written exam, check your time. I thought I was okay with the time but in fact I did not finish my conclusion.
Oral exam, take your time before answering. I was afraid to stay silent so I preferred to answer even if it made no sense. That’s not a good move.

Which study books have you used at school for the various modules?

Danish to Go

What do you think about the books? Would you recommend them?

Yes, it was okay but it is better to have a teacher and classmates with you.
It is almost impossible to learn by yourself. You won’t feel motivated.

Danish Practice

Do you think it is easy to apply your Danish (that you learned at school) in the everyday life?

It is not easy because in Copenhagen, Danes notice that you are a foreigner and switch to English. But it is possible.

What do you do outside of school to practice your Danish?

I go to the library and I borrow some comics as Garfield and children books. I organize French Danish Language cafe and English is forbidden. I go to other language cafe as SMK on Wednesday.

I watch Danish series as The Rain which is awful by the way. I went once to the cinema and once to the theater to see Lars Mikkelsen, an actor I really admire. I did not understand everything but it is still a little step.

Have you read Danish books that you think are worth reading for other students?

Yes, comics. It is the child method. There are pictures, it is easy. You learn new words and you get fun!

Have you watched Danish tv/movies that you think are worth seeing for other students?

En kongelig affære

Do you have any tips about how to improve your Danish while studying and being in Denmark?

Making Danish friends is the most difficult challenge. But once you get one, you will discover more the country. I was so pleased when my Danish friend introduced me to his other friends at his birthday or when he introduced me to the Culture Night in October 2018.

Make sure to follow Julian on Instagram.

He is also organizing French-Danish Language Cafe in Copenhagen. He doesn’t know yet if the French Danish Language cafe will hold in 2020 as he got a new job and needs to travel quite often out of Copenhagen so if you know other French/Danish people motivated, feel free to contact him!

The post Expat feedback – Julian from France appeared first on Learn Danish.

Hej everyone,

Another month, another article collaboration with the expat newspaper “The International“.

Every month I share my personal experience about the process of learning Danish in Denmark. This is a really cool free newspaper with a lot of insights from various expats in Denmark. You can find the newspaper at these locations all over the country.

Make sure to follow them on Instagram: @theinternationaldenmark

Here is my article in case you didn’t read it yet

When I enrolled at my Danish school, I had one goal: learning Danish. Little did I knew that the journey would be a lot richer than expected. Denmark is poised with great schools and patient teachers for expats to learn Danish. Not only do you learn the language, but you can expect to discover a lot more about Denmark. Let’s look at the top three unexpected discoveries that changed my learning journey.

DANISH HISTORY

Learning a language also comes with understanding its history and roots. While at school, we were often challenged to learn more about Danish history, by reading books from important people who shaped the way Denmark is today. For example, N.F.S Grundtvig who influenced the Danish school system or also H.C Ørsted who was and still is, one of the most famous Danish scientist. If you pay close attention when walking in the streets or in the bus, you may see Grundtvig’s name popping up on a sign. Learning the basics of Danish History at school helped me understanding better Den-mark and Danes. Besides, it gave me more material to talk and contribute in conversations with my Danish network. In other words, to practice every day and get better at Danish.

DANISH CULTURE

We are exposed to Danish culture on a daily basis and school helped a lot in better understanding this aspect. We got the fantastic opportunity to go outside the classroom, explore Danish culture and dive into it. Among many experiences, we attended a session at the Danish Parliament (Folketinget) in Christiansborg Palace (Copenhagen). That day I realized that understanding politicians debating was a true challenge. We visited various museums with guided tours in Danish and even got to study the Little Mermaid in Danish! Being given the chance to do all of this, certainly impacts a lot on the way you will integrate in Denmark. If you have time, make sure to go out there and experience Danish culture.

DANISH SOCIETY

Throughout my journey at school, we studied various topics that were directly linked to Danish society. We discussed themes such as the Danish liberalism in the past and now, child education, school system in Denmark, medias in Den-mark (traditional and new forms), Finance (real estate, saving money, the tax system, welfare state). We live in a country that does a lot for the environment, we therefore discussed environmental challenges, pollution, urban design in Copenhagen, Odense and Århus and electrical cars. I gained so much insights into the Danish society, that even my wife admits sometimes that I know more about certain aspects of her own country than she does. Understanding the way Danes interact, also helped me appreciate their humour and there-fore optimized my integration in this society, which I now consider home.

Even though I am now finished learning Danish at school, the journey has actually just started. The learning system for expats in Denmark gives you enough tools and knowledge to go explore and get the most out of your integration. I think we are very fortunate to be surrounded by such dedicated teachers who want to share the best of their country. Let’s give back to the land of Denmark who is welcoming us and show that we all want to be integrated. It is a long and hard journey, so don’t give up and keep challenging yourself.

Speaking Danish will be an invaluable skill you can carry with you anywhere !

You can also download the full newspaper here.

The post Discover Denmark through its language appeared first on Learn Danish.

Hej everyone,

Another month, another article collaboration with the expat newspaper “The International“.

Every month I share my personal experience about the process of learning Danish in Denmark. This is a really cool free newspaper with a lot of insights from various expats in Denmark. You can find the newspaper at these locations all over the country.

Make sure to follow them on Instagram: @theinternationaldenmark

Here is my article in case you didn’t read it yet

It is very likely that you’ve heard about DR. In case you are still wondering, DR is Denmark’s oldest and largest electronic media enterprise. It was founded in 1925 as a public service organisation. Nowadays, it is an independent, licence-financed public institution comprising television, radio and online services. Their content is very geared towards expats wanting to engage better with the Danish language.

When I was studying Danish, I used to listen to the radio a lot. There are many stations aside from DR, but I always found DR to be helpful with interesting topics.Currently, I mainly listen to the radio in the car when driving or in the morning to hear the news. I find it fun to start my day with some Danish words and thoughts. Songs played during the radio programmes are also a great way to improve and practice Danish. If you get a chance to study the lyrics at home, you’ll definitely be ready when the songs comes on.

Have a look at the many radio stations featured by DR, here: dr.dk/radio.

Podcasts have proven to be a great learning tool in addition to reading, listening to Danish music and watching Danish movies. It is great for the simple fact that you have to really focus on what is being said. We used to study and follow podcasts when I was learning Danish at school. I’ve since kept up with it and really enjoy getting my weekly dose of podcasts. It is so easy to listen to when you are traveling, at home, or just walking. DR has a very large selection of podcasts to choose from with various themes, based on your preferences. Personally, I find it very easy to navigate their website to find new inspiration.Obviously, your level of understanding will progress as you go along. I am finally able to listen to podcasts that I really enjoy, simply because I am able to understand what the hosts are saying. Back in my school days, this was a real challenge that frustrated me a lot. Use this resource as much as you can, it will absolutely elevate your skills and make you more comfortable in your Danish life.

For more info, visit dr.dk/allepodcast.

DR also has many television channels which you can watch on your various screens, around the clock. When I found it challenging to watch and understand a programme on actual television, I would use their website where I could replay all the programmes, including many series and documentaries. The great part is that many of them are subtitled in Danish. This is so valuable when you are trying to understand what is being said. Using subtitles not only improved my vocabulary and listening, but it improved my daily life. I rapidly noticed a change when trying to understand conversations in the street or at family dinners. If you focus a lot on this, you can expect to watch television without any problem. What seemed like an impossible challenge a few years back, feels a lot more natural now.

For TV programmes you can enjoy with DR, visit dr.dk/tv.

Remember to have fun with all of these resources, they will definitely make your learning a memorable experience.

You can also download the full newspaper here.

The post Learning Danish with DR appeared first on Learn Danish.

For the Expat Feedback of the month, I am glad to feature Ben, who is originally from England. He completed Prøve i Dansk 3 exam with Lærdansk Århus, last year in June 2018.

Ben shares in this interview many insights about his personal experience of learning Danish in Denmark, but also the school process and some useful links to check out.

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading it!

Thank you Ben !

About you

Danish classes

Which school(s) did you attend?
I’ve followed lessons at Lærdansk in Århus.

How did you find the registering process at the school when you enrolled?
Once I had all the necessary paperwork it was very straightforward and the staff were helpful.

Did you take breaks?
No.

Day classes vs evening classes?
Always evening classes as I was working in the day. Sometimes it was hard to motivate myself to cycle up to the classes in the evening – but it was worth it in the long run. (people in Århus who cycled up Paludan-Müllers Vej will know what I mean!)

How did you find the various modules at school?
I started in module 4 so don’t have any experience with the others. I think the teacher you have makes a huge difference to your overall learning. I was lucky to have some great teachers for my module 4 and 5 exams, who supported us and made sure we were prepared for the exams.

Prøve i Dansk 3 Exam
How was the Prøve i Dansk 3 examination?
It was nothing to worry about. I always get nervous before any exam but this was fine once you get started. Like any exam just make sure you read the question thoroughly first!

Any suggestions in terms of the preparation to PD3?
Do all the homework, contribute to discussions in class and practice the previous PD3 exams.

Any comments, recommendations you would like to share with others
Danish news, radio, audiobooks – anything you can listen/read every single day that is going to make it a regular part of your life.

Did you think the exam was difficult?
It was challenging at times but not too difficult. If you are fully prepared there shouldn’t be anything too hard which you haven’t seen before.

Any comments regarding written exam and oral exam?
It was challenging at times but not too difficult. If you are fully prepared there shouldn’t be anything too hard which you haven’t seen before. If I were to go back and give myself any advice, I would tell myself to relax! All the subjects in the written are ones you will know from class and in the oral exam they are not trying to catch you out – it was more like an informal chat than an exam.

Which study books have you used at school for the various modules?
Module 4: At Skrive, Pæredansk, Parat Start 1-2-3 and Grammatikken.
Module 5: Danske Stemmer, At Skrive, Grammatikken

What do you think about the books? Would you recommend them?
I thought the books were good. It’s hard for textbooks to engage students while explaining (sometimes dull!) grammar rules etc, but I think they did a good job.

Danish Practice
Do you think it is easy to apply your Danish (that you learned at school) in the everyday life?
I think it depends on your job and lifestyle. Luckily my job sometimes involves translation to and from Danish so those grammar rules come in useful!

What do you do outside of school to practice your Danish?
My girlfriend is Danish so I talk with her and her family, as well as our friends here in Århus. I also read Danish books and listen to podcasts/radio to keep up the practice.

Have you read Danish books that you think are worth reading for other students?
When I started at Lærdansk I read some of the Harry Potter books as I knew the storyline already – so it didn’t matter if I didn’t understand all the Danish words! Since then I’ve tried to explore the works of Danish authors like Blixen, Adler-Olsen, Ejersbo and Turèll.

Have you watched Danish tv/movies that you think are worth seeing for other students?
It’s probably been recommended loads before but shows like Broen, Borgen, 1864 and Forbrydelsen were all ones I enjoyed. I’m also a fan of a show on DR called Nak & Æd!

Have you listened to Danish podcasts that you think are worth listening to for other students?
As a history nerd I really enjoyed listening to the podcast ‘Kongerækken’ and their subsequent series ‘Kongerækken og Politiken’. They started off with an episode on each of the Danish royal family from Gorm the Old to Margrethe II. Since then they’ve done mini-series on The Reformation, Important Women through history and Roman emperors.

Do you have any tips about how to improve your Danish while studying and being in Denmark?
My advice would be to make speaking, listening and reading Danish a regular thing so it becomes a habit you are used to. Once it becomes a daily occurrence you will notice fast improvements.

My other advice would be to keep persevering even if it seems you aren’t making progress. Everyone feels like that sometimes when learning a new language.

The post Expat feedback – Ben from England appeared first on Learn Danish.

Hope the new year has started well for everyone out there who is learning Danish! Throughout my time at school learning Danish, I gathered a list of books that were recommended by fellow students, teachers but also Danish friends and colleagues.

Danish books – Extensive list that you should try reading!

I want to share this list with you, as it definitely helped me to learn and improve. I didn’t get to read all of these books, but I am sure this will be helpful. This is my own list of “best” books (as well as the one suggested by my network). If you just started to learn Danish, I think these books will definitely be a struggle. Focus on kids books, or alternatively books that you can borrow at school. I would recommend to start reading those from Module 3/4 and up, because you will/should have enough vocabulary and won’t have to take a dictionary to translate every single word.

This is a work in progress list, if you have read other books and think they would be valuable for other Danish learners to read, please feel free to comment below and I will add them to the list Alternatively you can send me an e-mail from the contact form.

Happy reading!

Latest Danish books

The post My selection of books to read in Danish appeared first on Learn Danish.

Hej everyone,

First of all, I wish you a very happy New Year 2019 and many successes with learning Danish!

Another month, another article collaboration with the expat newspaper “The International“.

Every month I share my personal experience about the process of learning Danish in Denmark. This is a really cool free newspaper with a lot of insights from various expats in Denmark. You can find the newspaper at these locations all over the country.

Make sure to follow them on Instagram: @theinternationaldenmark

Here is my article in case you didn’t read it yet

Speaking Danish at work

THE BAR ENVIRONMENT

THE OFFICE ENVIRONMENT

CHALLENGES & VICTORIES

You can also download the full newspaper here

The post Speaking Danish at work appeared first on Learn Danish.

Hej from Copenhagen,

Another month, another article collaboration with the expat newspaper “The International“.

Every month I share my personal experience about the process of learning Danish in Denmark. This is a really cool free newspaper with a lot of insights from various expats in Denmark. You can find the newspaper at these locations all over the country.

Make sure to follow them on Instagram: @theinternationaldenmark

Here is my article in case you didn’t read it yet

Can we speak Danish please?

According to the English Pro ciency Index (EPI) from global language training company Education First (EF), Denmark ranked fifth in the world in 2018 for non-native English proficiency. No wonder why we, expats, find it hard to engage in Danish. We have to give credit to Denmark for being so expat friendly. When I lived in France with my wife, the situation was very different; she had to learn French, otherwise she would have been completely lost, struggling every day in a country where only few can speak English. Yet in Denmark, it is a safe choice to stick to English: everybody understands it. You can easily survive in the Danish system without understanding Danish. But wait. How would you feel about expats in your country not trying to learn your own language?

ENGLISH
When I moved to Denmark four years ago, the desire to speak Danish was there, however the ability was not. Danish, like any other language, brings its challenges, frustrations and victories. For about two years, I only spoke English with my Danish relatives. They knew I could barely speak Danish, so English was an easy choice. Besides, they liked speaking English with me. It was a win-win situation, as far as I could see. But eventually I started feeling that, because of me, they all had to make an unnatural extra effort to speak English. The country was Denmark, the people were Danes, the language was Danish, yet English was dominant.
In the earlier modules at language school, you do learn a lot of vocabulary, but you do not have enough knowledge to be able to just speak Danish. So comes a phase where even though you really want to, you have to stick to English. It is frustrating, indeed, but patience, the Danish illumination is just around the corner.

HALF ENGLISH, HALF DANISH
Half way through the language course, I felt an evolution with my Danish. I started to further challenge myself and try it out around me. It started with Danes talking Danish to me at a slower pace, and I would answer in English. This first improvement helped me understand conversations as they were contextualized, regardless of my incomprehension of certain words. I built up a wide vocabulary. This led me to feel a lot more comfortable and push myself to communicate in Danish. It was not an easy step up, for conversations moved fast and I needed to stay focused and quick when talking.
All along, my friends and family have been very patient with me, giving me time to try to express what I wanted to say. This encouraged me to use a lot more Danish than English in my everyday life. The feeling is absolutely amazing when you feel confident to speak Danish!

DANISH
It took me a little less than three years to be able to switch from English to Danish. A full year of Danish language classes definitely made that transition possible. There is no secret recipe here, just determination and patience!
Of course, there are still situations where I don’t know the Danish word and use an English term instead. The process of learning a new language takes a long time, so there is nothing wrong with trying and making mistakes. The more you initiate a conversation or answer in Danish, the more Danes will reply to you in Danish. Sure, it can be quite annoying when you speak Danish and they reply in English. But as tough as it can be on your ego, you need to push your- self and stick with Danish. It’s just their way to remind you that you are on the way to speak great Danish! It may seem like small victories along the way, but keep confident, you will get there.

Source: www.ef-danmark.dk/epi/regions/europe/denmark

You can also download the full newspaper here

The post Can we speak Danish please? appeared first on Learn Danish.

For the Expat Feedback of the month, I am glad to feature Vimke, who is originally from The Netherlands. She completed Prøve i Dansk 3 exam with Lærdansk Herning and is now studying for Studieprøven.

Vimke shares in this interview many insights about her personal experience of learning Danish in Denmark, but also the school process.

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading it!

Thank you Vimke and best of luck with your studies & Studieprøven

About you

Danish classes

Which school(s) did you attend?
I’ve followed lessons at Lærdansk in Herning.

How did you find the registering process at the school when you enrolled?
This was very easy, by registering at the Kommune, I got an invitation for Laerdansk as well. I could start here quickly after a phone call. First they placed me in a group so see the level.  What I really liked about Lærdansk is that they are looking at how you are doing the lessons. When they think it is time for you to move to another class, there is the possibility to do this.

Did you take breaks?
No.

Day classes vs evening classes?
I started the first year in the day course, this meant lessons 3 days a week. When I started to study again, I switched to evening classes. It was very easy and not a problem at all.

Prøve i Dansk 3 Exam

How was the Prøve i Dansk 3 examination?
This was fine, we were well prepared for the exam, so we knew for example what kind of topics we could expect. Everything was  organized and went smoothly.

Any suggestions in terms of the preparation to PD3?
Go to every lesson, it’s good to practice your Danish regularly. This was particularly useful for me, because the school was one of the only places where I could practice Danish. This will also be a recommendation for when you learn Danish, really try to use it, this will only help you to improve.

Any comments, recommendations you would like to share with others
I think the exam was fine, but it also helped to practice some previous exams before. So you kind of know what to expect from the exam.

Which study books have you used at school for the various modules?
At Skrive, Det Rykker!, Det kommer!

What do you think about the books? Would you recommend them?
At Skrive was good for preparation of the exam, but it depends as well on the group and the teacher. This combination makes the whole education.

Danish Practice

Do you think it is easy to apply your Danish (that you learned at school) in the everyday life?
For me it is still hard to really use my Danish, because I need to get over a ‘embarrassment-point’ that I can makes mistakes. It is amazing how many people in Denmark speak very good English, but it isn’t helpful to learn Danish ?

What do you do outside of school to practice your Danish?
After my Prøve i Dansk 3, I started with Studieprøven. There is a chance I will need this for my future study. Apart from that, it is really good to keep up with learning Danish. I notice that I try to follow more Danish news now and try to read more books and articles in Danish.

Have you read Danish books that you think are worth reading for other students?
I would totally recommend to go to the library in your town, sign up for free and make use of this amazing opportunity. Start with reading the easy books in Danish, there are even special books for people to start learning Danish. And try to keep up doing this.

In preparation for the Studieprøven exam I read through Dansk basisgrammatik for udlændinge (Anne Hilt, Eva Jensen, Lise Rifbjerg), for me this was very helpful to have a good overview of the grammar.

Do you have any tips about how to improve your Danish while studying and being in Denmark?
What I have been trying lately is to use my Danish in daily life, even though it is so easy to switch to English. It’s really something I need to be aware of, keeping my Danish alive. In addition, I try to attend lectures and talks in Danish. It’s really good for keeping up with your language, but also a great opportunity to meet other people!

Follow Vimke and share some love!

You can follow Vimke on Instagram: @vkester

The post Expat feedback – Vimke from The Netherlands appeared first on Learn Danish.

It is hard to believe that I completed the Prøve i Dansk 3 already six months ago! So much time spent on going to school and preparing for the exam.

You may have read on my Instagram or Facebook that I started a collaboration with the expat newspaper “The International“. I  will be sharing every month my personal experience about the process of learning Danish in Denmark. This is a really cool free newspaper with a lot of insights from various expats in Denmark. You can find the newspaper at these locations all over the country.

Make sure to follow them on Instagram: @theinternationaldenmark

Here is my article in case you didn’t read it yet

My year of learning Danish
Each year many expats attend Danish classes with the aim to become better in Danish and eventually pass the national exam. Let me tell you a bit more about my journey into learning Danish in Denmark.

Four years ago, I moved to Denmark with my Danish wife. Two years ago, I made the decision that it was time to seriously consider learning Danish to reach a level of fluency. The main reason I did it was to become fully integrated into the Danish society. At least I wanted to be able to be able to listen, understand, read and talk. In other words, my aim was to add more freedom into my everyday Danish life.
After careful consideration, I decided to quit my permanent job and take a 12 month break to study Danish. In order to achieve this pretty ambitious goal, I chose to use my time wisely and promised myself that the only acceptable outcome would be speaking Danish.

Back to school
Firstly, this meant attending a language school 12 hours a week where all lessons would be in Danish. A great aspect of going to school is however that you are not alone. Many expats are in the same situation as you, so you can can expect to meet people from various countries who have different professional backgrounds. I was very impressed by the level of dedication and motivation from everyone in my class. The school network is vital for you to improve in Danish and stay focused when times are tough. On a few occasions I lost focus, because the learning felt too intense and I had to remind myself why I did it. My fellow students went through the same phases, so I was not alone in this journey. We pushed each other and succeeded together.

Learning never stops
Learning Danish also implied doing my homework and dedicating time to learn new vocabulary. In order for this project to be a success, studying at home and being serious was essential. Every lesson at school brought its fair share of new vocabulary to learn and remember. I allocated time on a daily basis to learn and repeat vocabulary. By doing so, my vocabulary grew very quickly, which enabled me to understand conversations that took place at school, at work and in the public space.
Reading, watching television and listening to the radio in Danish became tasks I quickly integrated into my daily routine. No better way than having fun while learning. It keeps you informed with the latest news in Denmark and is a great way to start a conversation with Danes. Just pay attention around yourself at work, in the street, in the public transports, in shops. You are surrounded by Danish and can use it to your advantage.

Getting a job
Finally, getting a job was the missing link to apply what I learnt at school. I found a part-time job in the wine bar “Le Petit” in the market place “Torvehallerne” (Copenhagen). The first couple of months were very challenging. Coming from a school environment where you have time to think, to a face-to-face situation, is not at all the same. I had to listen carefully, understand what clients asked for, make conversation and of course, do my job at the same time! Many of the students in my class worked in bars, because it was a great opportunity to improve and get instant feedback on the language.

Looking back into the journey I started, I am so proud I did it and managed to pass the final exam. Let’s be honest, it is a challenging journey, but extremely rewarding and worth trying!

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