Today was the first part of the National Danish Exam called Prøve i Dansk 3. In other words, the final stretch for many of us with Prøve i Dansk 3. While my mind is still fresh, I wanted to share my review of it, so that you know what may be ahead of you in future PD3 exams.

Please note that below feedback is based on my personal experience of the exam. If you feel like sharing your own feedback about your experience in learning Danish in Denmark, you are very welcome to contact me. I will gladly feature you on the blog!

NB: I will be using the abbreviation PD3 for “Prøve i Dansk 3”.

Welcome to Prøve i Dansk 3 – Written Exam Review!

Exam expectations

We trained a lot in module 5, so I was ready for this final exam. I did my very best to use the given time in the best way possible. Proof reading is very important, so you need to allow yourself a fair amount of time to make sure you triple checked all your inversions, modal verbs, singular/plural, expressions, tenses, etc.

I think the topics and exercises this spring 2018 were interesting and not so difficult compared to previous PD3 exams we trained on. Funny enough I felt after the exam that this was by far my best written performance of PD3. Some students in my group felt the same. We did not have the same difficulties along the exam, I felt part 2 was tougher, where others struggled more in part 1.

But before getting too excited, let’s see what my grade will be when I get the results

Exam on the day

You need to be there 15 min before exam time. Your school will make sure that you get reminders before the exam, so no stress.

Must-have on the day of the exam:

What you can expect in regards to the layout of the exam:

ID Check: you will enter the room, get your ID checked and then find your table. I passed the exam at Studieskolen and we shared a table with another student. It was separated by a large piece of carton, which gives you privacy and really helps to focus.

Phone: our phones had to be switched off and put in an enveloppe where you write your name on it. They are kept safely and given back at the end of the exam.

Managing your time: the examiners gave us the beginning time and said when it was over, after each exercise. They will not tell you how much is left, it is up to you to check the remaining time. They did write on a board what was the starting time, so we could check it at anytime.

Toilet break: you can obviously go to the toilets, but an examiner will come with you.

Finishing early: for those who finished the written assignment early, it was possible to get out. However it was not possible to get out from 15 min until the final time. This was done to keep the room quiet and allow everyone to finish their assignment in silence.

Exam overview

The exam was in 3 parts which were as follows:

– Part 1 (25 min): Reading exercise where you have a booklet and need to answer questions relating to sections of the booklet

– Part 2 (65 min): Reading exercises where you are given 2 texts with questions to answers (multiple choice). You are also given a fill in the blank text

– Part 3 (2h30): You have the written assignment where you get an e-mail and have to write a response. The other section is the heaviest one, with a choice between describing statistics or argumentation. Dictionaries are allowed in this part.

This structure followed exactly what we trained for in class, so there was no surprise there. The exam pressure and time can play with your nerves and concentration, so this is where you need to stay focused and not be overwhelmed.

My impression of the written exam

Personally, the written exam was the one I feared the most, because of grammar which has been my weakness throughout all the modules. I come out stronger of this exam and regained a lot of confidence. If you studied consistently, read and wrote your assignments pre-PD3 exam, then fear not. You are well armed and you can do it!

Coming up this summer..

I will share my review of the oral exam in June, once I am done with it.
Following this review, expect more posts with a lot of online material to prepare the written and oral exams! Stay tuned

Have you taken Prøve i Dansk 3 recently and want to share your feedback? I would be delighted to feature you on the blog, feel free to get in touch!

The post Prøve i Dansk 3 – Review of the written exam appeared first on Learn Danish.

Organizing yourself on a daily basis to learn Danish requires dedication, time and planning. This is essential to achieve your own goals. Improving is linked to many factors, one of them being that you have a proper routine.

Personally, I can be very good at procrastinating and always finding something else to do on my phone or computer. But that does not help me further in the process of learning Danish, this is why, every day, I stick to a specific routine. Or at least I try to!

Here is my routine to improve in Danish and stay focused. I am currently taking day classes and have a part time job on the side, which allows me to spend enough time at home to study. This routine can also be applied if you are attending evening classes, but you will (most likely) be forced to reduce the number of hours spent on each task every day.

My daily To-Do list

• Homework
• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Reading Newspapers
• Daily news on Mobile App

Top Daily routine to learn Danish

Homework

We get homework after every class, which can easily take up to one or two hours at home, to complete. In the early modules 1 and 2, we had a limited amount of written homework. But as I progressed in the modules, I have been given a lot more essays to write on more complex topics. Homework are always the first task on my to-do list.

Grammar

Needless to say, that Danish grammar will be a challenge when you learn the language. Improving your skills require that you spend time on grammar. Take the time to analyze your written homework and see where you need to improve. Have a look here to some useful resources to improve your Danish grammar.

Vocabulary

Every day, I aim to learn new words. Those are words that I have seen during the class, read on a newspaper, a book or heard on TV or a song. Some days, I managed to learn up to 100 new words, others just 10 words.

The amount of words doesn’t matter to me, what matters is that I get to rehearse them every day until I know them by heart. Some days, I only rehearse words that I have already learnt, therefore will not focus on new words. I found out that the best method for me is to learn new vocabulary, by heart. It can be quite frustrating sometimes, but so rewarding when you hear them in a conversation and know what they mean.

Some of my fellow students use flashcards to rehearse vocabulary. I only heard positive feedback about flashcards, but never used it personally (so will not review it for now).
I actually have a basic Google Excel document, where I save all the new vocabulary I learn every day. This means I have it with me on the go and only need an internet connection to overview my Danish practice list.

Reading Newspapers

From Monday to Friday, I read BT which is a free newspaper. This adds new vocabulary to my list and keep me in the loop about Danish news.

Daily news on Mobile App

I downloaded the DR Nyheder app on my phone. I check the news in Danish at least twice a day, pick up an article that looks interesting and take the time to read it. This has really improved my reading and vocabulary over the past months.
You can download the DR app here: iOS or Android

These are the 5 to-do tasks I aim at completing every day. Thankfully, I have managed to stick to them as much as possible. I am very pleased and proud to finally see results, my Danish is improving, happy days!

Extra tasks

If you have more time on your hands, here are some extra daily tasks that you can add. I aim at doing one of them every day, on top of my 5 to-do tasks.

Read a Book

I read between one to two Danish books a week. I get one from school and one from the public library, which gives me enough material to read at home. If you find the time to read books, this will substantially improve your vocabulary and Danish level. Make sure to borrow books that you will enjoy reading.
I want my reading exercise to be a fun and an enjoyable experience, therefore I focus on selecting books that I really want to read.
Have fun and read Danish!

Song

On a weekly basis, I aim to listen, read and study one song. This is also a fun exercise and part of the learning process. Read more info about this tasks on a previous post I wrote.

Preparing your next class

I like to read the upcoming pages of my study book and already learn the vocabulary (ahead of the next class). It really helps me to have prepared it at home and already read it.
This means that when the others are reading an article for the first time, this is my second time reading it.
It becomes a repetition and helps me assimilate the content, grammar and new vocabulary faster.
By doing so, I am able to pay full attention to the class and not feeling lost, but also practice the vocabulary. I don’t do this task all the time, but I try to do it at least twice a week. This has seriously helped me to improve and stay on top.

What about you? What are your daily tasks?
How much time to you spend at home studying?
Feel free to share your thoughts and best practices on the comment section below, Facebook or @learndanishblog!

The post My Daily routine to learn and practice Danish appeared first on Learn Danish.

Here is the question you will have to face when deciding to study Danish after moving to Denmark.
Most of the expats I know, have chosen the evening classes for obvious reasons, because they had a job during normal working hours on weekdays.

The others are expats who either (in most cases):

• Moved to Denmark and didn’t get a chance to find a job straight away, so they focused on learning Danish during day classes, until they could find a full-time job
• Choose to prioritize learning Danish as fast as possible and have a part-time job on the side, or simply use the remainder of their free time to study and finish Danish 3 Examination.

I personally experienced both day and evening classes (at Studieskolen), so I just wanted to share some feedback and insights on both options. This is in relation to the Danish 3 Examination (Prøve i Dansk 3).
I will breakdown this comparison in various categories:

1. Duration
2. Homework
3. Teacher
4. Students
5. Weekend
6. My personal feedback

Learning Danish : Day classes vs Evening Classes

Duration

Day classes

Day classes are usually 3 times per week x 4h per session or 4 times per week x 3h per session. You get the idea, if you attend day classes, expect an average of 12h being at school.

Evening Classes

If you choose evening classes, you will approximately have 2 times per week x 2h30 per session. This means that you will have an average of 5h classroom.

NB: It doesn’t matter whether you take day or evening classes, it will still take you the same number of weeks to go to the next level. Every 6 weeks a new module will start.
 

Homework

As I really wanted to improve in Danish quickly, as well as feeling comfortable in every class I attended, I found best to study the same amount of hours attended in a classroom.
If like me you choose this option, this means that your days and/or evenings will suddenly become very busy, regardless if you choose day or evening classes.
This fact is purely based on my personal experience and the one of fellow students. If you truly put in the hours at home to do your homework, you will really notice improvements.

Day Classes

If you choose the day classes, you will have a lot more time to study, which ultimately will help you out to improve faster. If you really wish to go the extra mile and get better, curiosity will be your best friend. At least it has been for me!
Watching movies in Danish, reading books or newspapers, translating songs, these are only a few examples that will require some extra time. This extra “curiosity” time, you will have, if you decide to take day classes.
 

Evening Classes

In the early modules (1 and 2), you can manage without too much problem your homework in between classes. If you do your homework after the class and manage to learn the vocabulary seen in class, you should be fine. However, as you move further into the modules, it will become a lot more difficult as you will have more homework included written ones.  Not to mention the extra time you may want to spend for watching Danish movies, reading books, etc.
If you are busy with your own day job, keeping up with the pace in between classes can quickly become a vicious circle if you don’t study. You certainly need to be consistent and really stick to the homework given by your teacher.

Teacher

Regardless of the option you choose to take, I really want to insist on the fact that teachers (at Studieskolen) are really great.

Day Classes

If you attend morning classes, your teacher will be fresh and ready for you and the class. If you have the option and the time to take this class, I would recommend it 100%. Simply because you are fresh and so is your teacher. It is the beginning of their working day, so everyone is a lot more focused. Which obviously impacts significantly on your improvements.
I never tried to take afternoon classes as part of the “day classes”, but from what I heard by talking to fellow and/or former students, this option is also great.

Evening Classes

I tried evening classes from module 1.1 until module 3.2, and to be honest, it became tougher as I moved onto the modules. Just imagine teaching a class until 9.30pm, where students can be hungry, tired of their working day or simply not 100% focused, this quickly becomes a challenge for teachers. Thumbs up for the evening teachers!

Students

I always have been with fellow students who are really nice and good people. Definitely a great way to expand your social circle in Denmark and an amazing cultural mix. Studieskolen has students learning Danish from more than 110 countries!

Day Classes

I found students a lot more dedicated to learn during the day classes than evening classes. It can certainly be due to the fact that they have a lot more time on their hands to study. This has personally motivated me a lot more to study with other expats that have the same project, which is to go 100% with learning Danish. The size of classes is also smaller during day classes, which also means more attention to each student.
This can obviously vary from class to class and module to module. Expect a lot more students at the beginning of each new cycle (regardless if it is day or evening classes), and then some dropouts along the way. Everyone has different projects for personal or professional reasons, which can force some of the students to stop and/or take a break.

Evening Classes

During evening classes, expect to have more students from universities and professionals who are committed to a day job and cannot attend day classes. Classes tend to be more packed than during day classes.
Again, this is based on my personal experiences, so this is not a general rule. Either way, you will have really nice students from all over the world with you in the classroom!

Weekend

If you take day or evening classes, weekends are going to play a big part in your progress. Chances are you will want to relax and enjoy the beautiful country that we live in: Denmark!
Weekend is a synonym of consistency as far as I experienced. If you manage to study on Saturday and/or Sunday, this will definitely help you improve, but also make you feel good about yourself and remind you that you are at the top of your game. Be strong and study hard on weekends!

My personal feedback

From having experienced both, day and evening classes, I personally would recommend attending day classes. Again, that is if you have the choice and can manage to have a part time job on the side, until you finalize Danish 3 Examination. You will have a lot more motivation, energy, desire to learn and curiosity if you study during the day.

When attending evening classes, I felt that I always had a million things in my mind from my working day. Whereas with day classes, I always have full focus.
Since you will spend a lot more time with the day classes, you should expect your Danish reading, understanding and talking to be more complete than if you attend evening classes.

Either way, if you are attending day or evening classes, this means that you are on the right path to speak Danish. I know expats who graduated both from day classes and evening classes, meaning it is possible.

Go for it!

The post Day classes vs Evening Classes (Danish school) appeared first on Learn Danish.

If you are (like many of us), in the process of learning Danish and you desire to become good at it, as soon as possible, then here are a few tips that can definitely help you.

Attending Danish classes is obviously the foundation of your learning curve, but you also need to focus on integrating as much Danish as possible, into your everyday life.

This post will be split into 4 categories:

1. Read
2. Listen
3. Watch
4. Talk

Learning Danish every day

Read

Reading will be one of the best tools you can have to improve your Danish level quickly.

• Study Books

Try to aim at reading at least one Danish book a week (you can usually get these for free at your school, and they are specially written with a comprehensive grammar and structure. In the early modules 1-3, the stories are not necessarily that interesting, but as you progress further, books are actually becoming very interesting as you can read biographies, actual stories, drama, etc.).

• General books

If you want to push it, make sure to register at your local library (free and you only need your CPR card). There are many books to read from. I would definitely encourage you to have a look. If you live in Copenhagen, here is a link with all the libraries addresses.

• BT Newspaper
  

Reading newspapers is a great way to stay up-to-date with Danish news as you can relate to it easily. I personally take B.T from Monday to Friday, it is a free newspaper and it is a great reading tool. Spend 30 min everyday reading the newspaper, this will become easier as you advance. You can find the newspaper (red stand) all over the city center. For info, they are less active during weeks 29-31 in the summer (everyone needs a bit of holidays!).

• DR Ligetil

The Danish Radio Television also has news in a simpler format, if you want to read. I personally used it a lot in the beginning. This is a good option to use, when you are starting to study Danish (module 1 and 2): http://www.dr.dk/ligetil

• Phone

Switch your mobile phone to Danish. This may not be super easy at first, but you will find your way around and get to learn a lot of new words without even noticing it.

Listen

Listening to the radio or Danish music will help you understand better, but also develop your vocabulary.
Here is a link of all the Danish radios, that you can then stream and listen live.

I try as much as possible to listen to Danish music and translate it. It has definitely helped me improve my Danish understanding.

• If you want to dive into Danish music, you can check out the “Lyrics Translate” website, select artists you like and then translate their songs.

Here is my personal approach in 5-steps, to use songs as a learning tool:

1. Listen to the song for the first time without any lyrics. Try to understand as best as you can
2. Take the lyrics, read them and try to understand them as best as you can, without translating with a dictionary
3. Translate the lyrics (actually on the link provided, most of the songs are translated in English, so that will save you some time and headaches!).
4. Listen to the song again, this time with the lyrics
5. Learn the songs, repeat, sing and have fun

Watch

Watching TV and going to the cinema will be quite a challenge, but take it step-by-step, you will definitely improve your understanding as you progress.

• Youtube: Needless to say, that watching videos on youtube is a good starting point.
• DR (Danish Radio): One of the Danish channels, they upload videos on their website. The great part about this website, is that you can have subtitles. They have a very large collection of documentaries, series etc: https://www.dr.dk/tv/programmer

You can find the “Undertekster” link on the right hand side, when playing the video:

Talk

Talking will be the ultimate challenge in your learning curve. Don’t be afraid and start as soon as you can to talk Danish in your everyday life. It starts with talking Danish when ordering food, paying your groceries, etc.
If you feel like it is getting a bit technical and you are afraid to sound like a fool (I have been there personally, so you are not alone in this!), prepare what you want to say ahead of the conversation.

For example, you need to buy groceries, translate what you want to say and practice it. You will feel more relaxed when initiating the conversation in Danish.

If they reply to fast for you, gently ask them (in Danish), to repeat slowly.
There is a chance they will reply in English if they feel you are really struggling, but stick to Danish.

I am not going to cover the social aspects of your life (getting out, meeting people etc.), as this is already covered by many other blogs and websites.

I hope all these tips and resources will help you progress in learning Danish. It definitely helped me, so I can recommend it from my own personal experience.

If you have more tips that you think would definitely be worth sharing, please feel free to contact me (or comment below), and I will gladly add them to this blog post.

Have a great day!

The post Danish all day, everyday for learners appeared first on Learn Danish.

Since there are a lot of schools all over Denmark to learn Danish, I wanted to include a post about this topic, which is perfect if you just arrived in Denmark.

New to Denmark and looking for a school to learn Danish?

In regards to the process of costs and registration, I will recommend the following, which gathers all the information you need to start Danish lessons in Denmark.

Which school to choose?

Make sure to find a school that suits your needs (especially location and reviews of the school), as the process to change a school in the middle of a module can be a bit complicated. Before joining, your best option is to ask the school what are the conditions if you ever want to change school during your tuition.

The easiest way to locate the nearest Danish Language school to you is to have a look at the Dansk Sprogcentre website. They have an interactive map that features most of the Danish Language schools in Denmark.

My recommendation

I am studying at Studieskolen in Copenhagen, which I recommend of course.
There are many other good schools to join. I am not in a position to recommend one school over another since I did not attend all of them personally.
However, if you are currently learning (or finished) Danish in one of these schools, please do not hesitate to share your feedback and I will happily publish it on the “Expats feedback” section.

Start learning Danish as soon as possible and it will pay off with your everyday life!

The post Best schools to learn Danish in Denmark appeared first on Learn Danish.

I wanted to share some of the links that I and other students from my school use, to improve with the Danish grammar.
These links are also shared internally by Studieskolen (the school I go to), so I trust they are useful!
There are many other online resources that you can find and which are definitely great.
I decided not to share a list with too many links, but rather focus with the ones I personally use.

If you know any resources that you believe should be shared here, I invite you to contact me. I will gladly feature them on the blog.

Great resources to learn Danish online

Grammar

• Basby.dk: I personally like this website as it is explained in English and covers a lot of examples
• Verbeliste (Basby.dk): Many verbs listed here, you can also listen to them. A great resource to have and use

Pronunciation

• Basby.dk: Same as above, I recommend this website
• Den danske ordbog: you can search for a word and click the “loud speaker” icon, this will say it.
• Duolingo: Great tool to have if you want to practice Danish.

Prøve i Dansk 3 practice

• www.minidansk.dk: Check out Ewa’s website where she shares great content to practice for your modules!

Dictionary

• Ordnet.dk: It will be in Danish, so you always have the option to translate later
• Den Danske Ordbog (DDO): There is a free app for the Danish dictionary. I personally use it as it is all explained in Danish and available both for iOS and Android.

The post Online resources to become a pro at Danish appeared first on Learn Danish.