This week I am featuring Zivile, who is living in Odense and nearly done with learning Danish!

This is the first interview from an expat studying in Fyn , which is a great addition to the “Expat Feedback” series.
I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading this post, where she shares her personal experience of learning Danish.

Thank you Zivile and best of luck with the Prøve i Dansk 3 exam

About you
Hi all. I am Zivile from Lithuania. I moved to Denmark a bit more than 3 years ago for my master studies at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense.

Now I work as a full time consultant at International Community Odense. Danish language is now a big part of my everyday life and I am glad to share a bit more about my experience learning Danish with you.

Which school are you attending
Lærdansk Odense. However, I started studying Danish back in Lithuania, where I finished courses for levels A1 and A2.
I have also attended a couple of summer schools for foreign students at KVUC in Copenhagen, while studying my bachelor.

Have you taken breaks?
Yes, about 4 months after starting my Danish education at Lærdansk Odense I decided to take a break, as I was not too satisfied with the system and too busy with my studies and part-time job. However, I am not a quitter, so I came back to the language school several months later and continued my education.

If you are still studying, which module are you on now?
I am now in module 3.5 and awaiting for my Dansk Prøve 3 test in the middle of November. If everything goes well I will be done with my Danish education in mid-December.

Day classes vs evening classes?
I have only attended the evening classes due to my studies and later work schedule.

Do you think it is easy to apply your Danish (that you learned at school) in the everyday life?
Not all the time. It might be hard at the beginning, especially if you are talking to people who are not used to hear foreigners speaking Danish. Sometimes people switch to English because they want to be nice or some are happy to have a chance to practice their English. You need to be determined and do not give up.

© Zivile (joyfultalks.com)

What do you do outside of school to practice your Danish?
Having an internship and then later a job at a Danish speaking workplace was a game changer for me. It sure helped me improve my written and spoken Danish, but most of all boosted my self confidence to speak Danish. I practice my Danish in a daily life situations – at a post office, ordering food and coffee. Besides that I like reading news in Danish, watching Danish tv, following relevant Danish pages on social media.

Have you watched Danish movies that you think are worth seeing for other students?
Now almost becoming classics – Jagten (The Hunt) and En kongelig affære (A Royal Affair) are the ones I would recomend watching. For those who like old school tv-series, check out Matador, or the Danish sitcom Klovn (Clown). I would say, Netflix or dr.dk is a go to places if you wish to watch something in Danish. Even having Danish subtitles once you watch any other content, helps a lot to broaden your vocabulary.

Tips/Suggestions
Do you have any tips on how to improve your Danish while studying and being in Denmark?

Try to speak Danish outside of the language school as much as possible, go to a language café (we have Chat in Danish in Odense, and some others), find a tandem language partner.

Be determined – it takes time, but it’s worth it.

Zivile has a very nice blog where she writes about people, culture and life in Denmark Make sure to check it out on joyfultalks.com.
You can also find her on Instagram and Facebook.

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