CPH Post Language School Supplement, Spring 2019

GET UP TO SPEED ON THE LANGUAGE SCHOOL FRONT

PICKING A SCHOOL

IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK

LEARN TO APPRECIATE

THE ODDITIES OF THE DANISH LANGUAGE

GOODBYE TO FREE DANISHLANGUAGE CLASSES FOR FOREIGNERS

Photo: Rawpixels

EACH MODULE WILL COST 2,000 KRONER, ACCORDING TO THE GOVERNMENT’S RECENT TAX BILL AGREEMENT

In a dramatic change of policy for Denmark, language classes will no longer be free for foreigners as a result of a new tax agreement approved by Parliament earlier this year.

2,000 KRONER PER CLASS

The classes are still be subsidised, but under the new agreement each module will cost 2,000 kroner, which means the six-module course costs a total of 12,000 kroner.

In addition, students are required to pay a 1,250 kroner deposit per module, which is refundable upon completion.

“The deposit and fees charged to participants will provide an incentive that should ensure that only economically selfsufficient people who are highly motivated

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start courses,” noted the agreement.

The new measures came into force on 1 July 2018.

have either given up or have had to switch to going completely private.

ONLY TWO PROVIDERS

The right of access to education and benefits is also being changed. At present, you have to have been in Denmark for seven out of eight years in order to qualify. That is being changed to nine out of ten years.

There have also been fundamental changes made to the system regarding language tuition for adult foreigners in Copenhagen Municipality. Danish lessons have always been heavily subsidised but now the municipality is given a block grant instead of a ‘per person’ allowance from the government.

This was introduced mainly to encourage municipalities to tender for language school contracts in order to negotiate a lower price.

Since 1 August 2018, only two language schools have been able to offer municipal classes. A number of their competitors

PLAYING HARDER TO GET

On top of that is a supplementary demand that the person has to have worked 2.5 of the last ten years.

The new regulations came into force from 1 January 2019 for anyone who has entered Denmark aſter 1 January 2008 – both foreigners and Danish citizens – but will not apply to people already receiving benefits from 1 January 2019.

SO MANY LANGUAGE SCHOOLS, BUT WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE? LET US HELP YOU FIND THE SCHOOL THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU There are many different types of language schools around offering a range of courses catering for your individual needs and circumstances.

GETTING STARTED

You will have to apply for this through the website or office of your local kommune (local council).

In order to obtain a CPR number, you have to meet certain criteria: • You have been in Denmark for more than 3 months; • If you are an EU citizen, you have a registration certificate (does not apply to Nordic citizens); • If you are a non-EU citizen, you have obtained a residence permit; • You have a valid permanent address.

A minimum length of 3 month’s stay is expected.

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Photo: Pexels

Once you have arrived here and got settled, getting started on language tuition is relatively simple and requires only that you have a Danish CPR number (civil registration number).

All this will be checked and your registration will not be accepted if there are any anomalies. Your registration can be cancelled if the address provided proves to be illegal. You will also be expected to provide other documentation, such as a valid passport, a marriage certificate if you are married and the birth certificates of your children if you have them with you.

A good place to begin your learning adventure is with De Danske Sprogcentre (The Danish Language Centres) website (bit.ly/2DQ2qO0) that brings together all the state-approved language centres in Denmark so that prospective students

are able to decide on which institution will serve them best.

As well as teaching Danish to adult foreigners, many also offer a wide range of other courses, including special youth courses and courses on Danish culture and society.

“Our members are the only language centres in Denmark that offer stateapproved Danish courses and programs.

Our members are also the only institutions to conduct the exams required by the state for permanent residency and citizenship,” says the DDS.

THE OPTIONS

There are long courses that run during the academic year, short intensive courses and summer courses. Depending on your needs, time, interests and prior qualifications, the main options below are available to you:

VIA THE MUNICIPALITY

Due to a shake-up of the language school system, as of 1 August 2018 the municipality of Copenhagen has an agreement with 2 language schools to provide classes. A 1,250 kroner deposit will be payable and the modules are expected to cost 2,000 kroner each. It is also possible to study in neighbouring municipality such as Frederiksberg, so it is wise to go online and check individual language schools.

It is usually possible to enrol in the courses several times a year. Mandatory examinations are held twice a year.

The adult learning centres (VUCs) offer courses in all general subjects for adults at lower and upper secondary level. In addition to the general courses offered to Danes, some VUCs offer Danish courses for foreigners. Each course lasts between 6-12 months and comprises 240 lessons.

You can obtain more information on these courses from your local council or from the individual adult learning centre.

If you are interested in a more intensive or perhaps a more individually designed course, you can enquire at one of the local language centres about private language teachers.

FOLK HIGH SCHOOLS

Some Folk High Schools (folkehøjskoler) offer residential courses in Danish language and culture, either during the summer holiday (3-4 weeks) or during the autumn and spring semesters (4-5 months). These courses do not normally include formal tests or examinations.

The Secretariat for the Danish Folk High Schools will provide you with further information about courses, admission and tuition fees. Visit hojskolerne.dk for more information.

Photo: Pexels

Local authorities are required by law to offer Danish language and culture courses to all foreign residents. The local language schools offer courses at all levels. The target groups for these courses are new immigrants and refugees.

ADULT LEARNING CENTRES

HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

In connection with language school, some institutions offer intensive Danish language courses at the beginning of the academic year, during the semester or as part of a summer university program.

Students enrolled at the institution are not usually charged a tuition fee but have to pay a deposit of 1,250 kroner.

PRIVATE INSTRUCTION

There are many private language schools and instructors out there. This type of learning is ideal for those who don’t have time to attend scheduled classes.

Photo: Rawpixels

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WHY BOTHER LEARNING DANISH AT ALL?

When they first come to Denmark, a lot of foreigners are shocked and surprised to find that nearly everyone they come across speaks pretty good English.

Aſter all, how many bus drivers in London would be able to give concise directions in perfect French if they were asked – let alone in German, Italian or even Danish?

The high level of fluency in English amongst Danes makes many people wonder whether it is worth bothering to take the trouble to learn Danish at all.

TO LEARN OR NOT TO LEARN

Opinion is pretty much split between Copenhagen-based foreigners. For every reason given for not wanting to learn Danish, there is another that presents a strong case for getting the books out.

It’s possible to live comfortably in Denmark without ever picking up an English-Danish dictionary, and also, in a city boasting an international community as vibrant as

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Copenhagen, you can easily get by without any Danish skills whatsoever.

However, surveys have shown that learning Danish benefits you both professionally and socially.

On the social front, learning Danish will give you an insight into Danish cultural and social norms. Understanding another culture gives you an appreciation for new experiences that will last a lifetime. It can also be lonely being an foreigner in a strange land, especially if you have come here alone.

Danes can be a bit hard to get to know, so showing that you are making an effort to learn the language will be appreciated and may lead to social invitations.

Having a good grasp of the language also gives you greater job satisfaction. The work place is one of the best places to improve your Danish language skills. It also makes your move to Denmark easier,

Photo: Oleksandr Pidvalnyi /Pexels

IN DENMARK, NEARLY EVERYONE YOU MEET SEEMS TO SPEAK FLUENT ENGLISH

and introduces you to potential Danish friends. Danish language classes provide an opportunity for you to meet people of different ages and social groups with a common interest – learning the language is sociable.

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR STAY

Denmark as a country and its population are relatively small. There are around 6 million inhabitants speaking the language, so population-wise, it’s not even making up half the city of London. So the practical use you get out of it is not as great as say French, German or Spanish, which are all quite close geographically and linguistically.

However, you are here in the country now, so it will really help you to make the most of your stay, however brief that might be.

Besides, if you manage to become really proficient, you might be able to read and appreciate Hans Christian Andersen’s stories in their original language.

There are many other famous Danes, such as the Astronomer Tycho Brahe, philosopher Kierkegaard, and Nobel-prize winning physicist Niels Bohr, so there is more than enough to get your teeth into!

SCANDINAVIAN SPRINGBOARD Danish is closely related to Norwegian and Swedish, even though their Scandinavian neighbours tend to mock the Danish for sounding as if they speak with a potato in their mouth.

NOT THAT EXPENSIVE

Once you have a residence permit you can get started on Danish lessons.

The municipality of Copenhagen has an agreement with 2 language schools to provide classes. A 1,250 kroner deposit is payable and the modules cost 2,000 kroner each.

It is also possible to study in neighbouring municipality such as Frederiksberg, so it is wise to go online and check individual language schools. There are also a number of private language schools that offer courses round the country.

Photo: Oleksandr Pidvalnyi/Pexels

Norwegian (bokmål) is almost a carbon copy of Danish, with a few distinctions that are irrelevant to normal every-day use. Swedish uses some unique words and phrases, but to a great extent is very understandable to Danish speakers.

Danish also connects you with the past and the culture and history of northern Europe. It developed from Old Norse, which eventually split into Old West Norse, spoken in Norway and Iceland, and Old East Norse, spoken in Sweden and Denmark.

If you understand Danish you can go to more events, exhibitions and social happenings. Learning Danish will make you aware they are happening in the first place and will also allow you to get more out of them once you are there.

Keep in mind that adequate Danish language skills – including a certified exam – are essential if you wish to get a permanent residence permit or eventually, Danish citizenship.

So for those who want to fully immerse themselves in Danish culture, excel on the job market and make Danish friends, the word from the street is learning the language is a must!

Denmark’s most effective Danish courses! www.kiss.dk

SUPER FEDT OR F*****G LORT?

Photo: Pixabay

ENGLISH INVADING THE DANISH LANGUAGE ENGLISH INFLUENCE ON DANISH HAS BEEN MONUMENTAL IN THE 21ST CENTURY It’s rather difficult to eavesdrop on a conversation between younger Danes these days without hearing an English word or two being bandied about.

And that’s not a coincidence, according to an expert who has found that upwards of 10 percent of the Danish language is influenced by English. In fact, the impact of English on the Danish language has been significant since the turn of the century.

TESTING TOLERANCE

Henrik Gottlieb, an associate professor at the Department of English, German and Romance studies at the University of Copenhagen (KU), contends that of the 50,000-100,000 words that make up the Danish language there are 12,000 Anglicisms – a word or construction borrowed from English.

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“We can’t really do without many of the words that come to us from English, like the word ‘film’, for instance. But the frequency of Anglicisms has reached a point today that the linguistic tolerance levels of many Danes is being challenged,” Gottlieb told Kristeligt Dagblad.

Gottlieb maintains that Danish has long ‘borrowed’ from the dominating language of the time, but through the 20th century the influence of English grew steadily and in the 21st century it has become monumental.

TOO SMART BY HALF

Gottlieb is behind the Danish contribution to the global Anglicism database network (GLAD) that 100 researchers are currently building up. The project is due to run until 2021 and Gottlieb has already documented about half of the Anglicisms in Danish – about 6,000.

“It is my estimation that 5-10 percent of words in Danish today stem from English, and only some give rise to irritation. One of the most used is ‘app’, which has seen a meteoric rise in the language since 2008, but hasn’t produced much trouble,” said Gottlieb, who is working on a new book on the subject, ‘Echoes of English’.

“But it’s more annoying when the IT or business sectors use smart-arse English expressions, or when you say ‘rolig nu’, which is taken from the English ‘easy now’, instead of using ‘tag det roligt’.”

Gottlieb did suggest that while there are many English words entering and bringing new meaning to Danish, most of the words are used in accordance with the grammatical principles of Danish.

For further reading on the issue, check out ‘A Dictionary of Anglicisms in Danish’

by Knud Sørensen from 1997.

Far ve

l-G oodB

Hej! - Hi ello (formal) Goddag - H

Hvorda n Har D u Det? - How Are Yo u?

ye

al) Hvad Så? (inform - What’s Up?

Photo: Pixabay

WHAT MANNER OF BEAST IS THE DANISH LANGUAGE? ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT SOUND IT, WRITTEN DANISH IS ACTUALLY HIGHLY STRUCTURED Speaking Danish can be a tongue-twisting exercise for many, but do not get discouraged!

Many ex-pats before you have mastered the language, and so can you.

Just being immersed in Danish culture will go a long way to helping you grasp the complexities of Danish. It may sound peculiar to foreigners, but the written language is highly structured.

THE JOY OF DIALECTS

Danish is the official language of Denmark, Greenland and the Faeroe Islands. Both Greenland and the Faeroe Islands have their own languages too, which most of the people speak, but Danish is used for official purposes and taught in schools.

Even though Denmark is a small country, the Danish language has a number of dialects.

The standard language, called ‘Rigsdansk’, originated around Copenhagen, and was originally based on the sociolect of the upper class of Copenhagen.

Almost every island has its own dialect, which can even be difficult to understand for Danes from other parts of the country. However, the vast majority of the population speak either standard Danish or a social variation of it.

HAVE FUN LEARNING Danish is a Germanic language and many of the words and phrases have much in common with German, French and English. For this reason,

it is not exactly renowned as one of the most beautiful-sounding languages in the world.

Actually, the sound of Danish always seems to amuse foreigners, which gives the language a certain entertainment value. Foreigners oſten characterise Danish as a monotone-like drawl, and many people say that Danes speak as if they have a hot potato in their mouth.

Of course, the Danes themselves find their language both charming and pretty, though they are aware of the fact that Danish can be difficult to learn for people from other countries.

Written Danish is characterised by a very strict norm, but the spoken language may vary considerably in pronunciation. The Danish vocabulary is not based upon an enormous amount of words, but it is in principle unlimited, as new words can freely be formed by means of compounding or deriving. Existing words are simply used to create new words and as a result of this, the largest Danish dictionaries contain more than 200,000 words.

DANISH LANGUAGE HELP

With so much to cover with the Danish language, we have put together a list of resources which will help you along the learning process:

#1 You should start by familiarising yourself with the 28 letter Danish alphabet.

The Danish alphabet is derived from the Indo-European languages and is part of the Germanic languages. It uses the Standard English alphabet plus three extra vowels not found in the English language. They are: å/æ/ø.

They can also be written this way: aa for å, ae for æ and oe for ø.

#2 You should check out Danish numbers,

which include some important information that can save you a lot of embarrassment and confusion. Try counting to 10: 0 – nul; 1 – en; 2 – to; 3 – tre; 4 – fire; 5 – fem; 6 – seks; 7 – syv; 8 – otte; 9 – ni; 10 – ti.

#3 Learn about dates and times too, since

the Danes do this differently to most countries.

For instance, in English we colloquially say ‘half-ten’ when we mean ‘half-past ten’, but in Danish, ‘klokken halv ti’ would be understood as 9:30.

#4 Learn some common Danish words, which might help you when doing the basics like shopping and interacting with service people.

Below are some basic terms.

God Morgen - Good Morning God Nat - Good Night Tak! - Thank You Undskyld Mig - Excuse Me Jeg Elsker Dig - I Love You LANGUAGE SCHOOL GUIDE

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Photo: Steen Jepsen /Pixabay

NEW INITIATIVE TO HELP FOREIGN FARM LABOURERS LEARN DANISH THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IS THINKING INNOVATIVELY WHEN IT COMES TO SECURING NEW LABOUR On the Danish island of Funen, local agricultural advisory service Centrovice has set up a Danish tuition scheme specifically to help non Danish-speaking workers.

Called ‘Dansk på staldgangen’ or roughly ‘Danish in the stables’, the idea is to help foreign agricultural labourers communicate better with their employers and, if everything goes well, show them a new future in Denmark, reports DR Nyheder.

MINIMISING ERRORS

Up until now, all communication has usually been conducted in English, which can be clumsy for both parties. However, the Danish farming industry has a chronic labour shortage, and foreign labourers could be a large part of the solution – especially if they can speak good Danish.

Learning Danish can also help minimise potential errors due to communications breakdowns. Like all professions, farming has its own jargon and technical terms, so it is important that everyone understands one another.

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A FURTHER STEP TO INTEGRATION

Per Brems Jensen runs a pig farm where he has foreign workers. One of them, Alena Khartencko from Ukraine, has been taking the course.

“It’s plain to see that the more confident she gets in Danish, the more she wants to talk,” said Jensen. He feels that she has become even more motivated to attain her dream of a future in Denmark.

“She’s getting a better insight into Danish culture and has a better chance to go on and become further integrated,” he explained.

This article originally appeared in CPH POST on 26 November 2018

SURVEY: TOUGH DANISH LANGUAGE PROTECTS AGAINST CYBER ATTACKS

SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES ARE LEAST PRONE TO VIRUS ATTACKS DUE THEIR DIFFICULT LANGUAGE STRUCTURE A report by Microsoſt’s security research team revealed that the complicated Danish language acts as a shield against virus attacks and makes it difficult for cyber criminals to penetrate the computer system.

The data indicated that historically Nordic countries such as Denmark, Norway and Finland typically have some of the lowest computer virus infection rates in the world.

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

“Denmark and Finland have small languages and this makes it difficult for the cyber criminals if the virus, for example, is being sent out via email in an attempt to convince users to open an attachment,” Tim Raines, head of Microsoſt’s security department, told Politiken newspaper.

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ECONOMIC FACTORS

“For a while we thought that only Japan has low virus attacks in the statistics because it is difficult for foreign cyber criminals to learn the language. But we saw a huge difference in South Korea, despite its similarity with Japan’s language. South Korea’s virus level was one of the highest in the world for years,” Raines told Politiken.

However, language alone cannot explain why a country is particularly secured or vulnerable against virus attacks, the researchers said.

The Microsoſt’s security research team came to the conclusion that a country’s political and economic situation affects its level of exposure to virus attacks.

This article originally appeared in CPH POST on 28 April 2012

Photo: Stefan Stefancik / Unsplash

The research consisted of data from 600 million computer systems over six months. The data showed that four of the five locations in the Nordic region had the lowest infection rates with Denmark taking over Sweden’s place.

All five locations had infection rates between 1.3 and 2.3 per 1,000 scans compared to the worldwide average of 7.1.

According to the research, Denmark had the fourth lowest levels of viruses, bested only

by Finland, Japan and China. However, the researches cast some doubt on China’s placing, saying that special Chinese viruses were not registered.

DANISH LANGUAGE MUCH HARDER THAN NORWEGIAN AND SWEDISH, ARGUE LINGUISTICS EXPERTS

“Daddy! Say ‘rødgrød med fløde’.”

An inaudible mumble follows. Daddy doesn’t play games – well maybe Cluedo at which he’s unbeatable because the Brits pretty much invented sleuthing – or eat Danish desserts. Yuk! It’s all harmless fun – no complexes or counselling involved – and we’ve all been there, as Danish is a difficult language to learn.

And now a list by Babbel.com has confirmed what we’ve defensively been telling our overseas relatives all these years, along with: “Well, everyone speaks such good English” and “Nobody gives us a chance to practise.”

NEIGHBOURS HAVE IT EASY

A number of commenters were quick to take issue with the list’s omission of Danish, but were quickly put in their place by others, who argued that the language’s pronunciation was what made it so difficult.

FAR MORE FLEXIBLE

“You’ll have a lot more leeway with pronunciation when learning Norwegian,” contends Babbel.

“That’s because there are a vast array of different accents in Norway and, therefore, more than one ‘correct way’ to pronounce words.”

Swedish, suggested Babbel, has benefited from its exposure through companies like IKEA.

According to Babbel’s experts, the easiest for Anglophones to learn are Norwegian and Swedish, two languages closely related to Danish.

English speakers around the world have been exposed to a number of Swedish words while simply shopping for furniture (and chowing down on some meatballs),” it noted.

But tellingly perhaps, there was no room for Danish in Babbel’s top nine, despite its Germanic roots.

“The popular, minimalistic Lack tables are named aſter the Swedish word for ‘varnish’.

And the Stockholm rugs, of course, get their name from Sweden’s capital.”

Photo: Unsplash

NO PLACE IN BABBEL’S TOP NINE LANGUAGES EASIEST TO LEARN FOR ANGLOPHONES

EASY ACCORDING TO THE US

However, the US government disagrees – when doesn’t it, these days!

Its foreign affairs training provider, the Foreign Service Institute, assesses Danish to be one of the world’s easiest nine languages, contending it would need 23-24 weeks (575-600 hours) to attain a level of general professional proficiency in speaking and reading.

It places Danish alongside Afrikaans, Dutch, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian and Spanish – and of course Norwegian and Swedish.

Next time they’re in Copenhagen, guess who’s going to be made to order rødgrød med fløde.

This article originally appeared in CPH POST on 31 March 2017.

Publisher: CPH POST • Editor: Hans Hermansen Journalists: Stephen Gadd, Ben Hamilton • Layout: CPH POST • Info: hans@cphpost.dk • Tel: +452420 2411

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