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.

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.

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.

In this month’s feedback, I am very happy to feature Dan, who is originally from England. He completed Prøve i Dansk 3 exam in June 2018 in Århus, with Lærdansk.

Dan shares in this interview many insights about his personal experience of learning Danish in Denmark.

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading it!

Thank you Dan

About you

Danish classes

Which school(s) did you attend?

I attended classes at Lærdansk in Aarhus.

How did you find the registering process at the school when you enrolled?
Once I had my CPR number, I found it is was straightforward.

Did you take breaks?
No.

Day classes vs evening classes?
I started with classes in the evenings but moved to afternoon classes, as I found they suited my schedule better and I could go three times a week, instead of only twice.

How did you find the various modules at school?
I felt like modules 1-3 went by very quickly and I got a lot of enjoyment out of going to the classes, as I could see a lot of progress. Modules 4 and 5 were more of a struggle, but no less rewarding. As you get to the higher modules, progress is more about using the correct tense for verbs and structuring sentences, rather than learning lots of new words.

Prøve i Dansk 3 Exam

How was the Prøve i Dansk 3 examination?
Nothing to fear. Nobody likes sitting doing exams for hours, unless they are weird. However, the PD3 exam is straightforward and classes will prepare you for all the questions that can come up.

Any suggestions in terms of the preparation to PD3?
Do as much homework and other things outside of classes as you can. Practice with exams from previous years. I found it very helpful to time myself with previous exams, so you know how much time you will have on the day.

Would you recommend any resources to help others?
Watching the news and reading articles really helped me. You may not understand everything that is going on, but over time you will pick up keywords and get used to words and phrases that are used when it comes to topics like immigration or the environment.

Did you think the exam was difficult?
Not really. Practicing previous exams helps to accustom yourself with working out how the questions are phrased and how to answer them.

Any comments regarding written exam and oral exam?
Written: Read the question and then read it again before starting to answer.

Oral: The examiners are not out to trick you. Focus on all the words and phrases that you know and use them when you can and when it is appropriate.

Any comments, recommendations you would like to share with others
Stressing on the day will not help. Take it easy and use what you have been learning for the past couple of years. Don’t focus on the things you don’t know. It seems like obvious advice but amazing how many people focus on that.

Books at school
Books provided by the school:

Module 1-3: Puls1, Puls2 and Puls3.

Module 4: At Skrive, Pæredansk, Parat Start 1-2-3 and Grammatikken.

© Dan Woolbarn

Module 5: Danske Stemmer, At Skrive, Grammatikken and 3.5’eren.

Additions I bought:
Danish: An Essential Grammar by Tom Lundskær-Nielsen and Philip Holmes

© Dan Woolbarn

Den Lille by Mika Sun Black

Danish Practice

Do you think it is easy to apply your Danish (that you learned at school) in the everyday life?
I think that a mixture of pushing yourself in the classes and getting out into the world speaking to real Danes is the best way to apply what you learn in class. I found that in the classes we would learn The Queen’s Danish. However, that’s not how most Danes will speak, as they will use slang or phrase their sentences slightly different.

What do you do outside of school to practice your Danish?
Anything that involves reading, listening, writing or speaking Danish. You need to be smart about what you spent your time doing and be interested in the subject matter and not just be reading / watching something because it is in Danish. There is no point in reading everything there is to know about Jørgen Gammelgaard, if you really don’t care about Danish furniture designs.

Have you read Danish books that you think are worth reading for other students?
Books are a hard thing to recommend when they are in the language that you are trying to learn. I started by reading children’s books and built up my reading level from there. Children’s books are generally light-hearted, funny and deal with a massive range of stories, where you will pick up new words that you wouldn’t from newspapers

© Dan Woolbarn

Have you watched Danish movies / TV series that you think are worth seeing for other students?
I really liked ‘Borgen’ and ‘Broen’. Both are very well-known shows and it is highly likely that you have already watched them. If not, there you go. I have just started watching ‘The Rain’ on Netflix, so we shall see how that goes.

Have you listened to Danish music that you think is worth listening to for other students?
In no particular order or genre:
Nordpå, Benal, Per Vers, Den Fjerde Væg, Blak, Ulige Numre, Tårn, Panamah, Wafande and of course Kim Larsen!

Do you have any tips about how to improve your Danish while studying and being in Denmark?
Try to do a little bit of something Danish every day. Whether it is watching a TV show, reading a bit, playing a board game in Danish, complete a few lessons on Duolingo or just going to the shop and speaking in Danish. Just that little bit every day will help your progress and the confidence that you have in your ability.

© Dan Woolbarn

Set yourself a big long term goal but also small ones along the way, like you are climbing up a language ladder. For me, when I started learning the language, I set myself the goal that I would one day read Kierkegaard’s Either/Or (Enten/Eller) in Danish.

© Dan Woolbarn

This is the goal when I eventually reach the top, but starting with children’s books to young adult books and on to novels are all rungs on the ladder.

Follow Dan and share some love!

You can follow Dan and on Instagram: @Danwoolbarn

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

Last year I wrote a post about listening to Danish podcasts to improve your listening and understanding.

At the time of the article, I aimed at sharing a selection that wasn’t too tough to follow and that matched my level. Since then, I improved a lot more in Danish and wanted to share with you a new selection of podcasts to listen to.

Most of them have been recommended by Danish friends and family that listen to them. I hope you will enjoy them!

If you have any podcasts that you think would be good for other Danish learners to use, feel free to contact me so that I can update the post (and give you credits for sharing it!), or else you can add your suggestions in the comments section at the end of this post.

Listening to Danish podcasts

Hr Müller

Type: Comedy
Duration: Series of 5 podcasts, that last max 5 min.
Host: Chriz & Heino, radio hosts on radioplay.dk
Difficulty: This is a podcast series from 2016. I seriously laughed a lot on these, they are very easy to understand.
Story: Basically the two hosts are calling different businesses with the voice of an old man (computer based). Nothing new here in the concept, but just fun to listen to it in Danish.
Link: Here is the link if you want to listen to it: https://radioplay.dk/podcast/hr-mueller

Mads og Monopolet

Type: Debate
Duration: This is an ongoing podcasts, with a new episode every week. They last in average 1h45, which can be long, but you can always listen to it in various parts.
Host: The host is Mads Steffensen (radio host on DR P4). He has a calm voice to listen to.
Difficulty: Can be tricky to listen based on your level. If you are at module 4/5, you shouldn’t struggle too much.
Story: Basically, listeners can send a message or call about a question or a dilemma. The podcast panel will then discuss it. It is fun to listen to and raises your own interrogation about what you would do. Cases can be serious, fun, stupid, non sense etc. For example: “Karina is in doubt if her son should have a playstation“. There is a total of 10 situations per podcast.
Link: Here is the link if you want to listen to it: https://www.dr.dk/radio/p4kbh/mads-monopolet-podcast

Cocktailtimen

Type: Documentary
Duration: This is a podcast series with many episodes, average 10 min per episode.
Host: The hosts are Karen Nielsen (journalist) and Henrik Steen Petersen (bartender). This is a DR podcast.
Difficulty: I found the level not so complicated but can be challenging at times depending on your level.
Story: This podcast is a nice alternative to listen to and you get to learn about cocktails, their history and so on. Listen to it while enjoying your own cocktail at home
Link: Here is the link if you want to listen to it: https://www.dr.dk/radio/p1/cocktailtimen

Med kloden i kurven

Type: Society
Duration: This is a podcast series with 6 episodes (as of June 7th, 2018), average 20 min per episode.
Host: The host is Nadia Gattas, who is a Danish singer
Difficulty: The pace is not too fast. You may not understand all, but she speaks clear enough for you to catch expressions and get an overall understanding.
Story: This podcast focuses on the environment & shopping. Sponsored by Rema 1000 and hosted on radioplay.dk. I think this podcast can give you more topics to talk about with Danes and it is an important matter for us all.
Link: Here is the link if you want to listen to it: https://radioplay.dk/podcast/med-kloden-i-kurven/

The post Top 5 Danish podcasts – Summer selection appeared first on Learn Danish.

Over the past couple of months, I have been listening to Danish podcasts and I really wanted to share my feedback about podcasts. I was introduced to listening to Danish podcasts during module 4.

From what I have experienced, it has 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.
In my opinion, here are 3 topics that are really crucial to make the most of listening to Danish podcasts:

Podcast Host
I think that it is real challenge to find the right podcast, because some podcasts hosts talk way too fast, mumble a lot, or use vocabulary that is too technical for my level in Danish.

Duration
I have been able to keep full focus on podcasts that are no longer than 30min. After that time, I really start to get tired and lose track with what is being said.

Topic
This one is kind of obvious, but you want to make sure that you enjoy what you are listening too. No point to torture your ears and brain with listening to podcasts that are just not that appealing to you.

My Danish podcast selection

Because there are so many podcasts online, I thought to share some of the ones that I enjoyed listening too and that are not too hard to listen to. Make sure to follow me on @learndanishblog and/or Facebook, where I will share my new podcasts in the future.

If you know and enjoy other podcasts, please feel free to contact me. I will be very happy to share them on the blog and update this post!

Så længe det kan spises

Type: Food podcast
Duration: Episodes can last up to 30min max. Started in July 2018.
Host: Kris & Chris
Difficulty: Episodes are not so long, easy enough to keep up with.
Story: I like this podcast because they invite each other in a restaurant once a month and talk about food. Always nice to build up your food vocabulary, and can help you with an everyday conversation
Link: Here is the link if you want to listen to itMake sure to follow them on Instagram to get their latest updates: @detkanspises

All inclusive

Type: Documentary
Duration: This is a podcast series of 7 episodes, average 25 min per episode. Added in August 2017.
Host: The host is Simon Jul (Danish actor and comedian).
Difficulty: I liked this podcast because it wasn’t too difficult to understand and I could learn many new words and expressions.
Story: The story is quite fun as he goes for the first time on an All-Inclusive holiday in Crete and shares his daily feedback.
Link: Here is the link if you want to listen to it: http://www.radio24syv.dk/programmer/all-inclusive/

Ha’ Det Godt På Job

Type: Documentary
Duration: This is a podcast series including 5 episodes (average 23 min per episode). Started in March 2017.
Host: Mads Elk
Difficulty: Very clear pronunciation from Mads Elk, great to listen to. I personally really liked this podcast as it covers the workplace in Denmark with its specific vocabulary.
Story: The workplace in Denmark, managing people, competition with other countries.
Link: Here is the link if you want to listen to it: https://radioplay.dk/podcast/ha-det-godt-paa-job/

C:NTACT

Type: Documentary
Duration: Episodes can last from 5min up to 20 min. Started in April 2017.
Host: Danes telling a story about themselves. C:NTACT is an independent theatre and media organisation dedicated to social and cultural integration and education. They are based at the Edison stage in Copenhagen.
Difficulty: Can be challenging for certain episodes. I like this podcast because there are many people talking so you get to hear different pronunciations. Also, it helps you dive a bit more into Danish society.
Story: Everyday stories, some are personal, other more society oriented. They do mini series also as part of the podcast.
Link: Here is the link if you want to listen to it: http://www.radio24syv.dk/programmer/contact

Podcast resources

I encourage you to check these websites, as they have many great podcasts to choose from. These are the three that I personally use a lot. If you use other resources, please feel free to share them with me and I will add them to the blog!

DR

They have a very large choice of podcasts to choose from. A great website to check out.
You can download their app on your phone as well. Iphone or Android.Web link: http://www.dr.dk/allepodcast

Have you checked out my Summer 2018 Podcasts article?

The post Listening to Danish Podcasts to improve appeared first on Learn Danish.