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.

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.

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!

You can also download the full newspaper here

The post My year of learning Danish appeared first on Learn Danish.

This week, I am very happy to feature yet another expat feedback. Say hi to Yao who is from China!
She completed her Prøve i Dansk 3 exam in June 2018 in Copenhagen, with IA Sprog.

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading this post, where she shares a lot about her personal experience.

Thank you Yao

About you
Hi, I am Yao from China. I have been in Denmark for nearly 3 years.
I hold a Master’s Degree (English Studies, focus on linguistics).

Danish classes
Which school did you attend?
IA Sprog

How did you find the registering process at the school when you enrolled?
The registering process was easy and effortless. The counselor at IA was helpful and professional in evaluating my ability in terms of language learning. Actually I found another language school in the beginning (cannot remember which one it was) but they were reluctant to offer me online courses and suggested several other schools to me. I contacted IA then. I have been happy at IA and never changed school.

Did you take breaks?
No. Straight from March 2016 to June 2018.

Day classes vs evening classes?
I did online class (1 hour/week) for the first 4 modules and day class (2 4-hour classes/week) for a small repetition of Module 4 and the entire Module 5.

How did you find the various modules at school?
Generally I find them all good, in regard to teachers, teaching materials, teaching arrangements (homework etc.) and teaching styles. The process is well designed.
For example, we get teaching materials that respond to the desired difficulty of different modules. And the teachers are also well-trained and well-arranged (more experienced teachers to more advanced modules)

Prøve i Dansk 3 exam
How was the Prøve i Dansk 3 examination?
I took the May/June 2018 PD3. The written part is easy for me (easier than those in the past years). The oral part is average (neither easy or difficult).

Any suggestions in terms of the preparation to PD3?
It’s always good to have a structure, either for essay, oral presentation, or answers to specific questions.Try writing based on preset structures for several times to estimate the length and the time.

Would you recommend any resources to help others?
Listen to debates on P1 (DR). Even if you don’t understand, you get to develop the familiarity to the Danish language. If you understand it mostly, think about their opinions (whether you agree with them or not) and learn how they organize their thoughts, points and arguments – imagine that you are on the broadcast in air and try to organize some responses to the topic by yourself.

Did you think the exam was difficult?
No

Any comments regarding written exam and oral exam?
The written part is easy for me (easier than those in the past years). The oral part is average (neither easy or difficult).

Any comments, recommendations you would like to share with others?
Try think in the Danish way. The exam is not just about the language – language takes up only a small part actually. It’s more about culture and society, and skills such as logical thinking and discussing.

Study Books
Which study books have you used at school for the various modules?
Skolegade, Puls, I gang, Danske stemmer, Rødebutikken, At skrive

Would you recommend these books?
I recommend Skolegade, I gang, Rødebutikken, At skrive.

Skolegade (Used in Module 1-3, mainly Module 1&2): A very full, thorough textbook that covers most if not all aspects of the Danish language: vocabulary (especially conjugation), example sentences, grammar, exercise, scenarios of everyday life. It’s a bit old but good for starters, especially the vocabulary.

I gang (Used in Module 2-3): Scenarios of everyday life. It introduces many expressions of spoken Danish and the videos are fun to watch.

Rødebutikken (Used in Module 5): Very practical reference for the difficult but subtle words in Danish. Highly recommended for writing practice.

At skrive (Used in Module 4&5, mainly Module 5): Very good summary of writing skills and difficult words (conjunctions and adverbs). For more advanced Danish learners. Among all the books I would recommend this one the most.

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

What do you do outside of school to practice your Danish?
I have a language partner and I listen to broadcast in Danish.

Have you listened to Danish podcasts that you think are worth listening to for other students?
Debates on P1 (DR) and Mads & Monopolet.

Have you listened to Danish music that you think is worth listening to for other students?
I listen to Rasmus Seebach sometimes. I would recommend him.

Tips/Suggestions
Do you have any tips about how to improve your Danish while studying and being in Denmark?
Make the best of the opportunities offered at the language schools, such as practicing oral Danish and help for homework.
Your schoolmates can also be very helpful and resourceful in terms of learning Danish.

Yao also has a blog, make sure to check it out > https://yaozhangblog.wordpress.com

The post Expat feedback – Yao from China appeared first on Learn Danish.

This week, I am featuring Eugenio who is from Spain. He completed his Prøve i Dansk 3 exam in June 2018 in Århus, with Lærdansk. Well done !

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading this post, where he shares his personal experience.

Thank you Eugenio

About you
Hi, I am Eugenio (but everybody calls me Uge). In August it will be three years since I have been living in Denmark
I am a PhD in Hydrology that works as a Postdoc at the Bioscience Department of Aarhus University. My research focuses on hydrological modelling and simulation of future scenarios to assess their impacts on water quantity and quality.
I come from central Spain, from a small village in a province called Guadalajara.

I live in Aarhus C, I am single and I have a lot of hobbies, including sports (particularly tennis), traveling, cooking, reading, nature, music, theater and of course sharing time with family (when possible) and friends.

Danish classes
Which school did you attend?
Lærdansk Aarhus

How did you find the registering process at the school when you enrolled?
I was told at the University, in the “Introductory Day” they organize for new employees, so it was easy for me.

Did you take breaks?
No

How did you find the various modules at school?
I like the module structure, it keeps you motivated (although that also depends a lot on the teacher).

Prøve i Dansk 3 exam
How was the Prøve i Dansk 3 examination?
It was fine, kind of what I expect for an official language exam.

Any suggestions in terms of the preparation to PD3?
Yes, definitively attend all the lessons and do all the homework, it really helps with the written part. Also, try to push yourself to speak, wherever, at work, with your flatmate…

Would you recommend any resources to help others?
If you are not good at speaking, which is my problem, try to find someone to do an exchange. I started too late with that.

Did you think the exam was difficult?
I think it was as it should be.

Any comments regarding written exam and oral exam?
Try to calm yourself, especially before the oral exam because you will get half of your mark in just 10 minutes.

Books at school
What do you think about the books?
I think all of them were very useful, specially “At skrive“, which we were using in this last module.

Danish practice
Do you think it is easy to apply your Danish (that you learned at school) in the everyday life?
That itself is easy, you just have to push yourself, which is the difficult part (at least in my case).

What do you do outside of school to practice your Danish?
I try to speak Danish with my colleagues in the coffee break and in the lunch break. Also in my tennis club and now I am starting speaking Danish with my flat mate too. Eventually, I have done exchange activities, which I like to do more often now.

Have you watched Danish movies that you think are worth seeing for other students?
Not movies, but I watch “Rita” in Netflix, and I can really recommend it. I watch it in Danish with Danish subtitles and I can manage. And I really like it!!

Do you have any tips to improve in Danish?
First and foremost, I think it is very important to be committed with the classes, do not miss any and do always the homework. Then, it is important to expose yourself to the speaking.

The post Expat feedback – Eugenio from Spain appeared first on Learn Danish.

Welcome back to yet another expat feedback. This week, I am featuring Wing who is from Hong Kong. She studied Danish with me and has recently completed her Prøve i Dansk 3 exam. Well done Wing!

Check out her interview, and if you want to decorate your interior, make sure to have a look at her creative designs called “Neet”.

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading this post, where she shares her personal experience.

Thank you Wing and best of luck with your business

About you
HEJ! I ‘m Wing from Hong Kong. And I’ve been living in Denmark for almost 1½ years.
Currently unemployed, but started my little handcraft business (Instagram: neet.design) not long ago.

Danish classes
I went to Studieskolen from module 1 to 5 day classes until I finished my PD3 exam. I’d say it’s been a pleasant/tiny bit stress experience with Studieskolen. Pleasant is because all of the teachers.

I had in every module, are really good and helpful. The tiny bit stress part was, you have to do all(or most) of the homework to keep up with the class. And for a person like me, who left school quite a while, that could be a challenge.

Prøve i Dansk 3 exam
No need to worry about the preparation to PD3, if you attend Studieskolen. You’ll get a lot of information and training in the class or as homework.
I’d recommend to try to read more newspaper like DR Nyheder. Just find something that you’re interested in. I also find that some of the documentary of DR are helpful, both for written and oral exam.

Do you have any tips to improve in Danish?
If you have a Dane as a partner or friends, try to write them on messenger/emails/whatever in Danish at first.
And Don’t be afraid to start speaking in Danish in the public! I mean for example, just ordering food or asking a simple question in the store. We all know Danes are really good at English, but just speak Danish to them.
I know it could be frustrated (tell me about it, with an Asian face, Danes will immediate think that I’m a tourist) that they probably would answer in English or say “HVAD??”, don’t let it get into you. Keep trying!

And another suggestion is that watch TV.
I particularly found that cartoon (I watched “Gurli gris” aka “Peppa pig” (British version) helps a lot. Because it’s easier to understand and that, would boost your confident and motivation to keep learning.

The post Expat feedback – Wing from Hong Kong appeared first on Learn Danish.

The past months have been very intense for me with preparing the Prøve i Dansk 3 exam, meaning I did not publish many expat feedback. Welcome back to the Danish Expat Feedback series!  This month, I am very happy to feature a feedback from Alexandra, who recently completed Prøve i Dansk 3 with Københavns Sprogcenter.

I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading this post, where she shares her personal experience.

Thank you Alexandra and congratulations again on successfully completing PD3!

About you
Hi! My name is Alexandra, I’m from Russia.
My major is in translation/interpreting, but I’m currently exploring other options since Russian is not the most wide-used language in Denmark Meanwhile I’m enjoying being a stay-at-home mom in one of the most wonderful cities I’ve ever been to.
My husband and I moved to Copenhagen two years ago, and a month later I started learning Danish at Københavns Sprogcenter

Danish classes
I enrolled for online classes as I didn’t have much choice at the time: my classes started in August and my son was born in September, so day/evening classes weren’t really an option.

At first, I was worried they might not be as intensive as the offline classes but they proved to work just great for me, so I stuck with those, modules 1 through 5, no breaks. Each next module builds on top of what you already know from the previous one, and the topics are pretty down-to-earth and useful in everyday life. Listening was probably the hardest part, but hey, it still is, since real Danish people speak nothing like what any book can teach you.

Prøve i Dansk 3 exam
So finally, a couple of weeks ago, I had my Prøve i Dansk 3 examination. What can I say? If you’ve made it this far, you’ll be just fine, so don’t freak out too much
Practicing sure helps, especially with the written part, since the tests are more or less the same every year, you get a chance to see what will be expected from you. So just do every test from previous years you can find. In my case, they were provided by the teacher but I’m sure it won’t be too hard to find those online.
As for the oral exam, it turned out to be less stressful than I expected it to be. Everyone was friendly and the questions were limited to the details of what my monologue was about (my topic was about one of the political parties, so the questions were about their views and ideas). Be confident, don’t go into silence; if you didn’t quite get the question, ask to repeat it – it’s better than answering something completely different or not answering at all.

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

• Module 1 – På vej til dansk. Trin for trin.
• Module 2 – Videre mod dansk. Trin for trin.
• Module 3 – Det kommer!
• Module 4 – Pæredansk
• Module 5 – Danske stemmer

I was quite happy with the choice of books, they worked great for me. After each chapter you basically get one more topic you can more or less freely discuss with the Danes. After my very first class I could already say what my name is, where I come from and what languages I speak.
Further on, when you get to module 3, you get introduced to the unique Danish sense of humor, texts become more sarcastic and way more interesting to discuss.

Do you have any tips to improve in Danish?

I am afraid I am not the one to ask for tips on practicing Danish in the everyday life, since I’m still struggling myself. I find it so much easier to switch to English every time I have a conversation. But I’m working on it, and my son motivates me a lot: after all, I would really like to understand what he’s saying when he starts going to the all-Danish nursery

Good luck with your studies! It’s totally manageable if that’s what you want.

The post Expat feedback – Alexandra from Russia appeared first on Learn Danish.

Yesterday was the last exam for me with Prøve i Dansk 3. I can say that I am officially done with it (yay!)! I want to share a feedback about the exam while it is fresh in my mind.

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 – Oral Exam Review!

Exam expectations

I feel that module 5 prepared me a lot more for the written exam than the oral one. My case is a bit special since I did not attend the oral preparation module (If you can, do it!). Funny enough, I felt that the written exam was the one that stressed me the most. That was before I passed my oral exam. I usually do not feel tension with oral tests, but this one, for some reason, got my attention and played a bit with my nerves before hand.

My recommendation to you is: train as much as possible the oral part. I am not saying that it is super difficult, but it is a lot more spontaneous thinking and argumentation that you have to deliver in front of the examiners. You have to be very focused, calm and show that you can (somehow) “master” the Danish language! Overall a great experience that went extremely fast.

Remember that the grade counts double for the oral, which means it can really boosts your written grade.

Exam on the day

It is recommended 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 sit down.

Phone: I was not asked to switch off/turn on silent my phone when entering the room, but I guess this is common sense to have it in silent!

Who’s there: There is one examiner facing you and talking to you for the whole duration. The focus here, is to ask you relevant questions. The other one is on the side and takes notes about what you say. This provides more consistency when they have to agree on your grade.

Exam overview

The exam was in 2 parts which were as follows:

Once you sat down, the examiner will explain you what to do, give you guidelines and keep an eye on the clock. He/she will tell you when to start talking.

– Part 1 (5 min): At least 10 days before the oral, you will receive the topic that you will have to introduce. You only have 2 min to talk, so your speech needs to be well timed. Following this, you will be asked 3 questions by the examiner, which you need to answer. This part 1 takes approx 5 min. In my case, I had to talk about “alternative straffe – fordele og ulemper“. I must admit that I was not excited at all about this topic when I got it, but no choice here!

– Part 2 (5 min): You have 3 sheets face down in front of you and will have to select one randomly. When you turn the sheet, you will have 2 pictures. You will be given 10s to look at them. Following that, you will have to quickly describe what is happening on the pictures. The examiner will then be asking a series of 3 questions. In my case, I picked one about frivilligt arbejde. I found this part the toughest, because you have no idea what the examiner will come up with. All in all I managed ok, but could have done better if I had trained (a bit) more at home.

Screenshot from an old PD3 oral test about Freedom of speech

Following that, you are thanked and asked to leave the room for a couple of minutes. They will debate and agree on your grade. You will be asked to enter the room again and will be given your grade. This means that you will be over with this exam in 15 min!

Structure of the exam: Same case as the written exam, the 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 oral exam

This was a nice challenge, but absolutely doable. Do not put too much stress over yourself, because the 10 min will fly. No need to have a lot of notes for the 2 min presentation, you will barely have time to look at them. Keeping eye contact as much as possible is great. Again, you do not need to learn it all by heart. Actually, we were advised not to learn it this way, for the simple fact that when you answer questions after, your flow and vocabulary may not match what you just introduced by heart.

Keep it to what you know best, this will make you feel good and in control!

Coming up soon..

Following this review, expect a post with a lot of online material to prepare the oral exam! 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 oral exam appeared first on Learn Danish.