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.

This week, I am featuring Walai who is from Thailand. She completed her Prøve i Dansk 3 exam in June 2018 in Århus, with Lærdansk.

Walai is also a very talented freelance graphic designer, make sure to check out her work on walaito.wordpress.com! If you know anyone in your network that needs her skills, make sure to contact her.

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

Thank you Walai

About you

Danish classes

I went to Lærdansk Aarhus. After I got my CPR I contacted Job Center to send my document to the school, and a week later I started the school. I attended morning class from 8.30-11.15.

© Photo by Michael Svenningsen

Each modules are just like I am walking up the stairs, at the beginning it would be fun and fine, in the middle of the way it would be tiring and hard, but when I almost saw the end I just wanted to put all of my effort to finish it.

Prøve i Dansk 3 Exam

Prøve i Dansk 3 was not easy to me so I tried attending the class as much as I could, because the teachers helped students a lot to the preparation to PD3. They gave us very useful materials and guided us with what we should further prepare, besides what we learned in the class. For example watching Danish programs from DR or reading articles/news in Danish.

I would recommend to read something about “Danske Samfund”, e.g. Sundhed og livsstil, ligestilling i Danmark. Regarding both written exam and oral exam which tend to be about what happened in Danish society and culture.

Books at school

I used Puls1 in module 1, Puls2 in module 2, and Puls3 in module 3.

In modules 4, there were Det Rykker, At Skrive, Parat Start 1-2-3 and Pæredansk.

In module 5 I used At Skrive, Danske Stemmer, Grammatikken and 3.5’eren Opgaver til Prøve i Dansk 3. I would say that there are some chapters in some books are a bit old fashion, but that does not mean they are not good, they could give an idea and lead us to find something more interesting at the present.

© Photo by Walai

Personally I like Parat Start 1-2-3 because it is very useful to practice my grammar. However there are many online resources and materials, you can start from the school’s website, I believe there are many good stuff on it.

Tips & Practice

As I am married to a Dane, I have a better chance to use my Danish to speak with my husband or my family in law, but some of my classmates do not. So it is not easy for them to apply their Danish in everyday life. In the class we have also talked about getting a chance to speak Danish outside the class. For example, starting from ordering food at the restaurant, talking to a shop assistant when we go shopping or at the school’s library (multi center) with the volunteers who are there to help students with conversations. All we need to do is to be brave.

There are many ways to improve Danish, one of those that I like is watching programs from DR. Some of them have subtitles in Danish even though they speaks Danish so I can hear the pronunciation and the way Danes use the expression.

I also bought a Danish book called “Den lille bog om Hygge” by Meik Wiking. It is a lovely book with pictures and it is not too difficult to read, moreover it helps me with learning and understanding more about Danish Culture.

© Photo by Walai

I hope this would be helpful to everyone who learning Danish and going to take PD3. Pøj Pøj!

Follow Walai and share some love

Follow her blog walaito.wordpress.com and on Instagram: @cartoon_etc

The post Expat feedback – Walai from Thailand appeared first on Learn Danish.

Welcome to the “Prøve I Dansk 3” feedback series!
Last year, I published my personal reviews about the module 1, module 2, module 3 and module 4.

I am nearly finished with module 5, as I am in the final process of preparing Prøve i Dansk 3 exam!
Very pleased to be able to share with you my (very long) review of the Module 5, which has lasted 7 months in a row for me and my fellow students (since end of September 2017)! Finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Please note that below feedback is based on my personal experience at Studieskolen in Copenhagen. The content of the modules that I describe is obviously subject to change with time (as per the national guidelines) and can vary slightly based on the teacher and the school.

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!

In order to have consistency throughout theses module reviews, I will use the same analytical structure:

• Module expectations
• Module structure
• Resources
• Personal feedback

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

Welcome to Module 5 feedback!

Module Expectations

Congratulations on making it all the way to Module 5 You should be proud of yourself and all the efforts put in. You are now entering the last phase of Prøve i Dansk 3, hang on tight.

Module 5 brings its challenges, but not as tough as previous modules. Normally you should have reached a comfortable level of talking in Danish with your peers, and should not feel pressure anymore to express yourself. I personally felt such a change with my vocabulary and expressions. It felt a lot more natural and easy to use.  Unlike the modules 3 and 4 where I felt a huge improvement, module 5 has felt like the learning curve was a bit slower. Expect to still add a lot of technical vocabulary which will definitely help you in tough conversations about the Danish society!

I had some very nice personal victories during module 5, which included reading books that are a longer, more complicated and more interesting. The library became a great place to hang out!
I am now able to follow the Danish news on TV without having to check my dictionary every minute. I did let go a bit of my best friend Metro Xpress, which I used a lot in since module 1. Instead, I switched to actual Danish newspapers such as Politiken, Berlingske, etc. I reached a level where I can read and understand complex articles, without having a headache. Module 5 really brings you up to that level.

In terms of grammar, like I mentioned in my review of module 4, expect small amount grammar in module 5. Of course and for obvious reasons the teachers are still going through grammar when needed, but not as intensively. We still reviewed the usual suspects that are causing so much confusion: the prepositions (på, i, for, over, af, med, til). You will naturally start to hear if it sounds right or wrong, based on what you used. About time!

In regards to class attendance, we were a group of approximately 10-15 regular students. It was (pretty much) the same group throughout module 5, and we already knew each other since earlier modules.
Module 5 still included exercises with talks in small groups, which continuously helps improving your talking.

In terms of homework, I felt that the workload got more intense towards PD3, with a lot of pre-assigments to be ready for the exam. We listened to audio files and read newspapers. The vocabulary is more sophisticated than the previous modules.
The topics are a lot more interesting, expect to learn and write a lot more about the Danish society. The exercises prepare you to PD3, with a lot more analysis structure.

Module structure

Module 5 can be split into different levels (5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5), based on when you take Prøve i Dansk 3 (PD3)
In my case, it went up to 5.5. Normally, one would say that you should be ready for PD3 by module 5.3 or 5.4.

What you can expect to learn/review in this module:

• Advanced to very advanced vocabulary, more expressions, grammar, expressing your opinion in a much more detailed manner
• You will be discussing and arguing topics that are a lot more complex and that relate to the Danish society
• The teachers will only speak Danish, at a faster pace, which actually feels totally normal.
• Preparation to PD3 exam (written and talking) – The teachers are doing a great job to get you prepared

Module 5.1

What we covered

We discussed various topics in this module, such as personality characteristics, cycling and other forms of transport in Denmark, the body, health system in Denmark, Politics in Denmark (actually we discuss this just when the municipal elections where happening in November 2017).
We also discussed topics such as the Danish liberalism in the past and now, child education and schools in Denmark. We also started to practice a bit on some PD3 exercises, but it was very evasive, the actual process to learn more about the methodology comes in the later modules.

This module included a lot of listening to audio files and writing a lot more essays. We also had to research information on selected topics and introduce in the classroom in small groups. I don’t think we talked as much as I would have liked to in this module, but again, by module 5.1 you should be in a position where you can easily practice Danish outside of the classroom.
I was expecting this module to be very tough, and it was very manageable. The vocabulary got more complex compare to all the previous modules, but at this stage you are ready to take it in and use it.

Book used

There are many great books used by the various schools to learn Danish. Our teacher wrote a new book which she tested with us, before the final publishing. The book did not have a name yet, but it was really interesting and covered complex topics. I will update this post as soon as the book is published.

Module 5.2

What we covered

Module 5.2 included various topics such as the Danish language in the society, medias in Denmark (traditional and new forms), Finance (Real estate, saving money, Taxes in Denmark, welfare state), personality characteristics (which had been covered in Module 5.1), Environment (challenges, pollution, urban design, electrical cars, etc.).
Same case as 5.1, this module also included listening to audio files and writing essays. We also seriously started to read newspaper articles coming from Politiken, Jyllands Posten, Berlingske, Søndagavisen, etc. I felt that Metro Express was good, but definitely not enough to satisfy my reading craving. I would really encourage you to read these newspapers if you can, as they will definitely step up your game. If you don’t want to pay to read them, you can find them at your local library

© Sisses Dupont

Throughout the modules, expect to review some topics but you will go a lot deeper into them and be able to discuss and argue with a lot more consistency. I like this module, but also started to look forward to PD3.

Book used

During module 5.2, we used the book “Danske Stemmer” by Birte Langaard, who was are actual teacher! It was really nice to have her insights and comments. The book was written in 2008 and updated in 2016. We agreed with my fellow students that the book was more for module 5.1.

The new book that Birte wrote for Module 5.1  is actually a lot better and more challenging. Nonetheless, Danske Stemmer is still useful and covers interesting topics. I personally liked it. Check out her newest book called “Højt til loftet” (Published in 2018).

Module 5.3

What we covered

We started module 5.3 with a new teacher and covered one last topic from the book used in Module 5.2. We talked about the Danish Film industry and also the industry from an international prospective. But we also covered films genres, film festivals, best danish films, Dogme 95 movement for Danish films and the justice system in Denmark.

This module also came at a point in time where it was the right moment to start rehearsing and preparing the Prøve i Dansk 3 exam. This included breaking down the written parts of the exam with an emphasis on statistical analysis and comparison. We also got more articles to read and recap in class, with the aim to synthesize better.

Book used

During module 5.3, we finished the last chapter of the book “Danske Stemmer” by Birte Langaard. We used a lot of material handed by the teacher, such as newspaper articles and grammar exercises.

We also had a copy of a new booklet about the Danish welfare state (“Den Danske Velfærdsstat”), written by Mette Bang Pedersen. The book is not finalized and published yet, but I can say that it was really good and suitable for module 5.

Module 5.4

What we covered

To be honest, from this module I started to get a bit tired of going to school, my motivation wasn’t at its highest point. It was the same for most of my fellow students who had been learning continuously without break since last year. It takes a toll on you, but there are periods throughout the learning curve, so don’t give up. The end result will pay off and is rewarding! During this module, we had to hand 4 written PD3 assignments, and also did a PD3 test in class (written one).

This module focused entirely on preparing Prøve i Dansk 3.

Book used

We had a copy of a new booklet about the Danish workplace (“Det danske arbejdsmarked”), written by Mette Bang Pedersen. The book is not finalized and published yet, but I can say that it was really good and suitable for module 5.

Module 5.5

What we covered

This module has been dedicated to PD3 in its all. We trained a lot, had many written assignments as well as oral presentations to do in front of the class in max 2 min (same time that you have for PD3). I found that we got a lot more homework than in the early modules of module 5. I personally found it tough to keep up because of my motivation not being at its highest! But all in all, the aim is to get us ready for Prøve i Dansk 3. After PD3, you also can continue with an oral training class (“Mundtlig forberedelse”), until you have the final oral exam.

Extract given in class from PD3 exam (2012)

Book used

We continued using “Det danske arbejdsmarked” that we had in module 5.4. But we also got an extract from a book called “Din Dansker“, written by Mads Kirkebæk. We studied the chapter “Jagten på det perfekte liv – farvel til fællesskaberne”. Really nice book with interesting text.

Prøve i Dansk 3 Preparation and Exam
I will post my reviews after the PD3 exam in June 2018 . Stay tuned!

Resources

I used some of the same material as the previous modules, such as these ones . At this stage I had all the material needed to feel comfortable. Again, this was thanks to all the previous modules.

Books

The library at Studieskolen didn’t have as many books for module 5, simply because you are able to read more “normal” books when you reach module 5. It was a lot based on your personal initiative. I pushed myself to borrow as many books as possible from my local library. I will emphasis on this again, but it is SO IMPORTANT to read books if you want to improve in Danish. Go for it! A good alternative if you are not a big fan of reading Danish books, you can read newspapers.

Films/Documentaries

We only watched one movie during module 5, which is fine, since you can watch them home. We watched Olsens Banden which was the overall theme of crime and justice. It was really nice because many of the actors where also lead actors in the Matador Danish TV series!

Extract from the Film “Olsen Banden ser rødt”

This was the introduction to the chapter “Justice in Denmark”. If you want to watch movies, make sure to check out my list of recommendations from a previous post about movies to learn Danish.

Podcasts

I continued to listen to podcasts, but put more emphasis on reading. Check out a past post I wrote about listening to Danish podcasts, in case you want to challenge yourself in Danish

Personal feedback

Module 5 has been a very long journey for me, but seriously rewarding. I must admit that my motivation and energy dropped (quite a bit) towards the last 2 months of Module 5, as it has been very focused on Prøve i Dansk 3 and the technique to succeed at the exam. Most of my fellow students felt the same, but no one gave up!

– Danish family: Danish is not a problem anymore with my Danish family. We converse all the time in Danish, but have fun talking English from time to time. It is the same with all my Danish friends, I talk Danish to them. I am very happy to see the change since last year. What a difference to integrate and not feel lonely during a dinner where everyone talks Danish!

– Danes: I definitely feel a lot more integrated than a year ago, for the “simple” fact that I can now interact in Danish with Danes.

– Work: Since last year, I have been working in a bar, which has been challenging at first (to communicate in Danish), but I finally feel very comfortable using the language at my work place. This makes a major difference when you can talk to your guests and colleagues in Danish! Of course, I still speak some English with them if needed. Being perfectly fluent will take some time

Hang in there, you are nearly finished with module 5 and PD3!

Stay tuned for my upcoming reviews of Prøve i Dansk 3. Coming soon…

What did you think about module 5? Did it meet your expectations?
Would you recommend it?
What books did you use?
Feel free to share your thoughts and best practices on the comment section below, Facebook or @learndanishblog!

The post Module 5 Feedback – (Prøve i Dansk 3) appeared first on Learn Danish.

It has been a while since I wanted to share this post, finally managed to write it This time, I will cover one of the learning tools that many of us are using: Flashcards.

I personally did not start using them until recently. My vocabulary keeps on expanding, therefore I needed to use a new tool to practice. I investigated and tested various apps, to see which ones would best suit my needs, as a learner of the Danish language.

Below is a selection of flashcard apps that I would personally recommend to practice your Danish. They work fine because you can save your vocabulary into flashcards and practice straight after.

Please note this is an unbiased review and absolutely based on my own appreciated of these apps.
Do not hesitate to share your feedback on @learndanishblog and/or Facebook, if you are using these or other flashcard apps.
I would be very interested to hear about your own experience.

Have fun with learning Danish!

Flashcards apps to learn Danish

Anki

About the App
Their mobile app is very easy to use, it is really straight to the point. You set up your lists with themes and edit your words.
The interface allows you to edit the font, add photos, create bullet points with the flashcard, etc (Rich content creation). It also includes cloud access, so you can create flashcards on one device, and then study on another.
When practicing Danish with the flashcards, you can rate how satisfied you are about the word you just practiced (Fail, Hard, Good, Easy). You then can view your daily stats and track your improvement. I think this functionality is nice to have to follow up and improve. Overall a very user friendly app to use flashcards.

Free/Paying
Free version: This is entirely a free version (as of November 2017) and also ad-free.

Download
More info on: https://www.ankiapp.com
Download the app on your smartphone: iOS | Android

Quizlet

About the App
Quizlet is a very easy app to use both on your smartphone and computer. You can create study sets with different themes and add as many words as needed. It also includes some games and tests to help you practice and improve.
A nice feature from this app is that you can import your data from word, excel, Google Docs, etc.

Free/Paying
Free version: available, expect some ads interfering from time to time.
Paying version: Extra features such as adding images to your study sets to make them more engaging, recording your own voice to remember what you are learning, ad-free studying keeps distractions out of your work, and more.

Download
More info on: https://quizlet.com
Download the app on your smartphone: iOS | Android

Brainscape

About the App
Phone and computer versions are both available for users.
After each word that you practiced, you can rate it from 1 to 5 and the app will remember it for next time. The app has an adaptive learning algorithm which works by varying the interval of time between each flashcard’s repetition and how much you rated them.
The app also includes extra features such as finding flashcards already existing in their database (quite nice if you want to start with a good load of words to practice).

Free/Paying
Free version: The free version is very suitable for basic flashcard study.
Paying version: Some of the extra features include copying other users’ flashcards, studying unlimited flashcards, adding images and sounds, copying other users flashcards, etc.

Download
More info on: https://www.brainscape.com
Download the app on your smartphone: iOS | Android

Studyblue

About the App
StudyBlue offers various features, one of them being flashcards. You can make unlimited cards and upload notes for free on the app. They include quizzes and flipping cards to practice what you edited. User friendly app to practice, you can select which flashcards you want to practice based on what you rated.

Free/Paying
Free version: Free version is really fine I think if you need a basic app to have your flashcards.
Paying version: Ad-free and also extra features for studying.

Download
More info on: https://www.studyblue.com
Download the app on your smartphone: iOS | Android

The post My top Flashcard apps to learn Danish appeared first on Learn Danish.

If you are learning Danish, you certainly have some must-have books that help you study and improve.

I wanted to share a post about (some of the) books that I have been using since I started to study Danish. My review is non-biased and is entirely based on my own appreciation of the below books.

There are many resources to be found in book stores, and I am not going to list all of them in this post! However, if you are using other books that you think are great and worth sharing with others, please do not hesitate to contact me! I will gladly add them to this list.

Must-have books to study Danish

Dansk er ikke så svært / Dansk er lidt svært / Dansk er svært

This is a series of 3 books, each including 50 grammar exercises.
They are so helpful from module 1, all the way until module 5. What I like about them is that you can practice at home and have all the corrections at the end of the book. I have to admit that it is a bit of an investment (as they cost each over 200kr) but you will not regret it.

You can purchase the books here:
Dansk er ikke så svært  Dansk er lidt svært  Dansk er svært

Den Lille

This is a very useful grammar book that is well suited if you are learning Danish. It has a classy design, a really nice book to have on your shelf. I would recommend to have it, if you are looking to go hard on grammar
They also have free online resources to practice your Danish (bottom of the page on this link)

You can purchase it here

Politikens Retskrivnings og betydnings ordbog

This is a Danish dictionary which is very helpful when you have to write essays and need to double check words and expressions.
I really like it because it is well structured and easy to read. It also includes synonyms which is a perfect way to learn new words and expressions. If you like Scrabble, then this book will become your best friend. It is a bit of an investment, but worth it.

You can purchase it here

Politikens synonymordbog

Book about Danish synonyms as the title suggests! A great additional book to have as it will enhance your vocabulary. I really started to use it more from module 4.

You can purchase it here

Danish Dictionary

This is a very obvious one, but it makes sense to have it on the top of this list. I personally chose a pocket dictionary instead of a bigger size dictionary, for the simple reason that I can carry it with me everywhere. In my opinion, a dictionary needs to be practical and easy to use. I can have it with me when I travel, when I go to language school or when I am at home.

You can choose from various dictionaries, but I would recommend this one (English/Danish):
Gyldendals Røde Ordbøger

Danish books to read for beginners

Make sure to check out this post about books to read. This way you can make good use of the above study books to improve your skills in Danish!

The post My top 5 must-have books to study Danish appeared first on Learn Danish.

Welcome to the “Prøve I Dansk 3” feedback series!
Over the past month, I published my personal reviews about the module 1, module 2 and module 3.

I just completed module 4 last week and started module 5 this week. Therefore, I am happy to share my (very up-to-date and long) review of module 4!

Please note that below feedback is based on my personal experience at Studieskolen in Copenhagen. The content of the modules that I describe is obviously subject to change with time (as per the national guidelines) and can vary slightly based on the teacher and the school.

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!

In order to have consistency throughout theses module reviews, I will use the same analytical structure:

• Module expectations
• Module structure
• Module Test
• Book used
• Resources
• Personal feedback

Welcome to Module 4 feedback!

Module Expectations

Unlike the previous modules, I felt a huge improvement with my Danish level in Module 4. It started outside the class with the other students, where we literally stopped talking English to each other. We instantly switched to Danish, which felt a bit uncomfortable at the beginning, but quickly became natural after a couple of weeks. This made me realize that we all really stepped up our game and finally felt that we had enough vocabulary to talk Danish all the time. Obviously, we still pop up some casual English words that no one knows how to translate in Danish, but that’s fine.
Even if you don’t feel so comfortable with talking Danish to each other, you should definitely force yourself and try to stick to Danish. I can guarantee you that you will be impressed about how much you know and how natural it will feel after some time practicing.

Module 4 is the last module where teachers will still spend (a lot of) time on grammar. By the end of module 4.2, you will understand and apply the grammar better than you ever did. However, expect to probably have remaining struggles with some  grammar topics, especially prepositions (på, i, for, over, af, med, til), irregular verbs in the past (datid) and present perfect (førnutid). We reviewed these over and over during module 4, which really helped.

In terms of class attendance, we were a group of approximately 13 regular students. I could really feel the difference and commitment from all my fellow students. Everyone has a very clear focus, which is to learn Danish. Please note that I am attending day classes which are a great choice if you want to improve faster. I published a comparison post in July 2017 about day/evening classes to learn Danish.

Module 3 started to include more talks in small groups. Expect to talk even more during Module 4, a lot more debates and arguing with each other. The teachers only speak Danish during the class, which is really helpful and forces you to think in Danish and process it faster when wanting to talk.

In terms of homework, the workload is more important, however it is doable if you are consistent. The vocabulary will also be a lot more sophisticated than the previous modules.
You should expect to have more written essays than in the previous modules. The topics are a lot more interesting, expect to learn and write a lot more about the Danish society.
Here are some of the topics we covered:

• Food (cooking food, ingredients, øko food in Denmark, healthy food, food trends)
• Experiences (Accidents, Going out, Aprils fool, Danish weddings, outdoor adventures)
• Animals (naming all animals & insects, Endangered species, the impact of environment on animals and food, their habitat)
• Life style (Childhood, overtime at work, modern families, religion)
• Cities (Culture in cities, festivals, neighborhoods, competition between cities, urban architecture)

Module 4 – Content used

Books

We read also one book every week, which we had to sum up in a resume, as well as introducing it to the other students in the class. Some books were thrillers, drama, biographies of Danish authors, poets or painters, or just everyday stories. Module 4 books definitely got better than in the previous modules. This also meant more complex vocabulary.
I have also borrowed more books from the public library, which added more vocabulary to learn.

Films

We started to watch films in module 3.2, and pushed it also during module 4.1. Our teacher started to have us watching a very famous TV series called Matador. This was online on DR, with subtitles. I wrote a full post about it, which was “The Matador Challenge“! I would definitely recommend you to check it out and try include it in your studies. It really helped us with understanding Danish.

Podcasts

We also started to listen to podcasts during class and were given homework (same idea as “The Matador Challenge“). I will share more insights about podcasts in an upcoming post.

Songs

We also listened to Danish songs, trying to guess the text and get used to it. This really helps your understanding and will add vocabulary (I previously wrote a post about listening to Danish songs, here is the post).

Videos and audio files

During module 4, we had to listen to audio files, answer questions and transcript them. We were already used to do it in module 3, so that felt very natural. My understanding got a lot better during module 4.

Module structure

Module 4 is split into 2 levels: Module 4.1 and Module 4.2.
What you can expect to learn/review in this module:

• Pronunciation, advanced vocabulary, expressions, grammar, verbs, tenses, expressing your opinion
• The teachers will only speak Danish, which is really great!
• You will be discussing and arguing topics that are more complex and that relate to the Danish society.

Practicing Danish during the class

Argumentation Game

For example, we had a 2 on 2 argumentation case, where we were given each a piece of paper with points to defend.
We had to use vocabulary and expressions that were very specific to this context.
We had 5 min to speak and argue with each other.
Student A: Public libraries in Denmark should be free of charge
Student B: Public libraries in Denmark should not be free of charge
I was given the arguments B, which I personally didn’t agree to, but I had to defend it. Great exercise!

Crosswords Game

Another example, where we were each given a sheet with words to explain in Danish and words to guess. This is a really fun exercise to do 2 on 2.

Module Test

Module test 4 includes four parts: reading, listening, writing and oral.
Please note that you are allowed to use a Danish/English dictionary during the test.
You will need to be very consistent throughout the module and make sure to learn all the new vocabulary and expressions between each class. Make sure to read as much as you can, as it will develop your vocabulary and improve your reading speed.

What the module test includes

Listening

You will have three types of listening exercises (33 min). This part is not too difficult as the pace of the audio file is not so fast.
Part 1: Series of 5 questions to answer. You listen to an audio file and answer it (x 5 times)
Part 2: Series of 6 questions. You listen to a full audio file twice and answer the questions
Part 3: You hear stories about people and need to match them description

Reading

It comprises of four parts (55 min) – Some parts can be challenging, but overall you can manage if you have studied consistently before the test.

Part 1: You have to find information from a document (multiple pages)
Part 2: You have to read a text and fill in the blanks by replacing by prewritten sentences.
Part 3: You have to read a text and need to insert the correct words (selected from a list)
Part 4: You have to match people and their own description

Written

There are two written parts, 45 min each (total of 1h30).

Part 1: You can choose between writing an article or a story.
Article – You get an article (or an e-mail) with some questions. You have to write an article/email to answer the questions from the first article.
Story – You have to write a story (using your imagination if you are not inspired!). You will be given the first or the last sentence of the story, which will give you some indications to what you may write.

Part 2: You get a text that you have to comment on and argue about.
You will need to give yourself some time to correct any grammatical mistakes.

Our teacher gave us a very helpful tip, which is:
Structure your checklist to minimize your mistakes: Infinitives, modal verbs, articles, adjectives, prepositions, sentence structure (especially inversion), etc.

In all honesty, the time given is sufficient and you will have many chances to proof read what you will hand over. You only need a minimum of 100 words per written task, so it is not a lot to produce. Do not stress yourself too much for the test.
The module 4 prepares you very well for the exam, thanks to the various written homework.

Oral

There are two parts for the oral part (9 min).

Part 1 (5 min):
This is an individual session with the teacher. You will have to choose 3 topics before the test.
Your teacher will pick one randomly and you will need to talk about it for 2 min.
Then your teacher will ask you a series of approx 3 questions.
Topics need to be related to the Danish society and definitely more complex than where you live, what Danes eat for Christmas or what is your job.

NB: You are allowed to write keywords on a piece of paper and use it during the oral test.
This is something really great about Denmark and the process to learn. It is not just about learning everything by heart, but more about expressing yourself.

You wait then for the other student to do his/her individual session. Please note you will be in the same room together for part 1.

Part 2 (4 min):
You will be talking with another student (like in Module 2).
You will pick up a random topic, discuss it and back up your arguments.

Book used

There are many great books used by the various schools to learn Danish. The one our teachers used during module 4 was called “Pæredansk“. I really liked this book, because it developed my vocabulary and level of reading. But I also learnt a lot more about Danish society. The end of the book includes a grammar/verbs recap, which is super helpful when in doubt during the class or at home. Birte ,who is the author of “Pæredansk“, was our teacher for module 4.2. It was very nice to have her insights on the book and the various articles she wrote. From a student point of view, I would definitely recommend this book for module 4.

Resources

Most of the material I used for module 4 is pretty much the same as the one I posted in previous articles:
Resources and my everyday routine.

Article from the newspaper Politiken, that we had to read at home and sum up in class (2 on 2)

Personal feedback

Module 4 has marked a significant increase for my Danish level. I started to feel a lot more confident talking Danish. As mentioned at the beginning of the post, we started to talk only Danish with my fellow students. But I also noticed a serious change outside the school, where I felt a lot more comfortable talking Danish. Here are a few examples:

– Danish family: I have (finally) switched from English to Danish with my Danish Family, which was a huge step, since we only talked English to each other for the past years. They also talk to me in Danish now and thankfully speak a bit slower so that I can understand. Of course, I still have some moments where I need to use some English, but overall I am able to express myself without (too much) struggle.

– Danes: For the past weeks, I have only been speaking Danish in my everyday life with Danes. During Modules 1-3, when I used to talk to them, they would often switch back to English.
My guess is that they felt my level of Danish wasn’t that good enough, so they considered more appropriate to talk to me in English. However, since module 4 it changed.  When I address them in Danish, they do not switch to English anymore.
I guess they consider that my level is (finally) ok enough for them, to only talk Danish with me. This is only the beginning and I am still far from being fluent in Danish, but at least my way of communicating as changed.
I can only tell you how amazing that feels every time I experience this situation. It makes you realize that all the efforts you put in to learn Danish are finally paying off.
You will experience this change at some stage, so be patient. If not already, then it will come soon!

– Reading: I can read more complicated books without having to take the dictionary every 30s. However, I would not consider myself an “advanced” reader at all. This is still a big challenge to read everyday Danish books.

Hang in there, module 4 is challenging but rewarding!

As I have just started module 5, my personal review of this module and the Prøve i Dansk 3 Exam will be published in April 2018. Stay tuned!

What did you think about module 4? Did it meet your expectations?
Would you recommend it?
What book did you use?
Feel free to share your thoughts and best practices on the comment section below, Facebook or @learndanishblog!

The post Module 4 Feedback – (Prøve i Dansk 3) appeared first on Learn Danish.

Welcome to the “Prøve I Dansk 3” feedback series!
Over the past couple of weeks, I published my personal reviews about Module 1 and Module 2. Let’s continue and move onto Module 3!

Please note that below feedback is based on my personal experience at Studieskolen in Copenhagen. The content of the modules that I describe is obviously subject to change with time (as per the national guidelines) and can vary slightly based on the teacher and the school.

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!

In order to have consistency throughout theses module reviews, I will use the same analytical structure:

• Module expectations
• Module structure
• Module Test
• Book used
• Resources
• Personal feedback

Welcome to Module 3 feedback!

Module Expectations

If you make it module 3, you will start to see improvements coming your way.
I started module 3 with evening classes (3.1) and finished it with day classes (3.2). Classes were not as crowded as during the earlier modules, which was really nice. I could see also a change with who is attending the classes. There were less students and more professionals with a great dedication and motivation at each class!
Grammar is still a big part of this module as we need to be reminded of it and get better at it!

Module 3 includes a lot more talking in small groups, which will substantially help your talking. The teachers only speak Danish during the class, which is really helpful and forces you to think in Danish and process it faster when wanting to talk.

As I mentioned in my Module 2 review, expect a lot more homework. You should expect to have a good amount of written essays about more complex topics, such as:
Volunteering in Denmark, hospitals and accidents, health, Modern life and stress, writting emails, writting comments as if you were a user reading an online forum post, a famous person you admire and why, being vegetarian, etc.

Content used during the module

Books

We read also one book every week, which we had to sum up in a resume, as well as introducing it to the other students in the class. Some books were thrillers, drama, biographies of Danish authors, poets or painters, or just everyday stories. The books are more interesting than module 1 and 2, but by the end of module 3, they get a bit boring. Module 4 books are definitely more interesting.
I really liked being able to discuss (in Danish) what we read and share my thoughts on it. Besides, you get a correction of your resume, (from the teacher) which will help you improve in grammar.

Videos and audio files

During module 3, we had to listen to audio files/watch videos and answer questions. We also had to transcript audio files, which will improve your understanding. Here is an example of an audio file we had to listen to and use for questions.

Audio credits: “Det Kommer!” – Alfabeta – Bodil Jeppesen og Grethe Maribo
Check out the lyrics (if you want a bit of help).

Songs

We also listened to Danish songs, trying to guess the text and get used to it. This really helps your understanding and will add vocabulary (I previously wrote a post about listening to Danish songs, here is the post).

Films

During module 3.2, our teacher started to have us watching a very famous TV series called Matador. This was online on DR, with subtitles. I wrote a full post about it, which was “The Matador Challenge“! I would definitely recommend you to check it out and try include it in your studies. It really helped us with understanding Danish.

Module structure

Module 3 is split into 2 levels: Module 3.1 and Module 3.2.
What you can expect to learn/review in this module:

• Pronunciation, expressions, grammar (inversion especially), verbs, tenses, conjunctions, expressing your opinion with more expressions and sophisticated vocabulary (compared to what you learnt in the modules 1 and 2).
• The teachers will only speak Danish, which is really great!
• You will be discussing topics that are more complex and that relate to the Danish society.

Module Test

Module test 3 only includes two parts: reading and written.

Please note that you are allowed to use a Danish/English dictionary during the test.

You will need to be very consistent throughout the module and make sure to learn all the new vocabulary and expressions between each class. I personally managed to learn approx 600 new words/expressions during this module, which made my level in Danish that much better. It wasn’t easy to be honest, but this really paid off from module 4.

Prepare yourself before

Here is an exercise that we were given in class to be prepared for module 3 test. Try to do it at home, this is the type of written test you can have for module 3 (give yourself max 25 min to do it).

Click on the image to enlarge it

What the module test includes

Reading

Part 1: you should read a text and answer questions (5 min)
Part 2: you read a document including a few pages and find the answers to questions. The idea is too search for the important information and read quickly (20 min)
Part 3: you read various texts about topics/people and you need to match who said what, from a list you have (5 min)
Part 4: you read a text and need to answer questions (10 min)

Written

Part 1: Write an application – job for example (15 min)
Part 2: Write an essay about a specific topic given on the day (30 min)

In all honesty, the time given is really sufficient and you will have many chances to proof read what you will hand over. Do not stress yourself too much for the test. The module 3 prepares you very well for the exam, thanks to the various written homework.

Book used

There are many great books used by the various schools to learn Danish. The one my teacher used during module 3 was called “Det Kommer!”. I really like this book, because it was very well structured and included an exercise book. I could definitely feel that the texts were more complicated, which helped me improve a lot more.

Resources

Most of the material I used for module 3 is pretty much the same as the one I posted in previous articles:
Resources and my everyday routine.

Personal feedback

Module 3 has been a great learning curve and I personally improved a lot during this module. I enjoyed that the teachers were only talking Danish to us, but that we also spoke Danish to each other during the classroom. This helped me get more confidence and just go for it.

Exercise 2 on 2 – Describing the image and situations

I really enjoyed reading more books on topics that are more complex, but also being able to learn more about Danish society, culture and history. I cannot recommend it enough, but read as much as you can, this will help you.

During module 3, I managed to learn a lot of vocabulary which helped me read, understand conversations and also have more structured conversations. I felt that I could take more “risks” and trying my best to talk to Danes. You will start noticing some changes by the end of module 3. As described above, we also started to watch series and documentaries, which really pushed my level in Danish.

Hang in there, module 4 will only start to get better and so will be your Danish level! Full comprehensive review of module 4 coming out next week. Stay tuned!

What did you think about module 3? Did it meet your expectations?
Would you recommend it?
What book did you use?
Feel free to share your thoughts and best practices on the comment section below, Facebook or @learndanishblog!

The post Module 3 Feedback – (Prøve i Dansk 3) appeared first on Learn Danish.