What is the point of learning Danish? Everybody speaks English anyway.
It sounds really strange, and it’s probably a pain to actually learn to speak it..
Photographs: Speak School of Danish
Text: Speak School of Danish
Maybe you are having your doubts about whether or not you should learn the Danish language? Well, maybe this article can make you certain that it is worth learning Danish.
Learning Danish is expanding your horizon These are the words that greet you as you enter the main entrance at Speak’s department in Hellerup.
“We believe that learning the Danish language is the key to understand Danish society and the Danes better. Speaking Danish makes it easier for you to participate in all kinds of social networks and to get the best out of your career in Denmark. And in spite of what you might have heard, it is easy to learn Danish,” says principal Lisbet Winther.
Last but not least, learning Danish is also a chance to meet other expats who are in a situation similar to yours, and as a result of this, expand your Danish network.
SPEAK in numbers
Expats with more than 120 nationalities are learning Danish every week at Speak - School of Danish. The language school, formerly known as Hellerup Language Centre/VUF, has departments centrally located in Hellerup, Frederiksberg, and Lyngby. This makes it one of the biggest language schools in Denmark with more than 2000 students.
Speak has been teaching Danish for more than 25 years, and the teachers have an average of over 13 years of experience. All the teachers hold a university degree and have supplemented their qualifications with the programme Danish as a second language (as required by the Ministry of Education).
Many of the teachers are also working with/for the Ministry of Education and have produced a large part of the learning material and the digital platform modultest.dk. (a learning tool that prepares for the module tests).
State-approved courses The Danish courses at Speak are official courses (Danskuddannelse) approved by the Danish government. The courses are composed of modules and each module is concluded with a module test. The final module is concluded with a state-approved Danish exam (Danskprøve).
Flexible courses You can choose between a wide range of courses, which should make them compatible with your busy calendar. You can choose between day- evening- blended and purely online classes on weekdays or weekends.
You can choose between classes centrally located in Hellerup, Frederiksberg,
or Lyngby.
If you at some point need to change your schedule or the location of your classes, due to work, travelling, leisure activities etc. you can easily shift class.
Facilities
Besides the scheduled Danish lessons, Speak offers the opportunity to use well-equipped study centres and language laboratories. These are good options if you want help with a specific assignment, or you want to work intensively with your pronunciation. There are also extra workshops that you can choose from without extra costs.
A career in Denmark?
If you are looking for a job or career in Denmark, Speak can also help you accomplish that. The school offers mentoring programmes, CV workshops, excursions to Danish companies etc.
You can also have a chat with some of the many Danish volunteers that are weekly visitors at Speak and whose experience you can learn from.
Getting started
Speak offers intensive Danish classes at all levels and start-ups, new classes every month. This ensures that you can get started quickly no matter which level you are assessed too.
Before you start your Danish classes, you are required to come for an assessment interview with a language consultant. You might consider this as a strange measure if you are a beginner, but even beginners learn differently and at a different pace and the interview ensures that you start at the exact right level with classmates who have the same prerequisites as you. This ensures that you get the absolute most out of your Danish classes.
The interview is also a chance to see the school’s facilities. You can book an interview online.
Price
Danish education is substituted by the Danish government. This means that if you hold a Danish CPR number, the cost is DKK 2000 per module + a one-off deposit of DKK 1250. The price includes all teaching material and the final exam fee.
So why not start learning Danish and experience the satisfaction of not having to change into English the next time you interact with a Dane…?