Language school spring2018 web

HELPING YOU through the language school jungle Changes on the language tuition horizon

Poul Neergaard

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FACILITATING INTEGRATION

THROUGH LEARNING DANISH

De Danske Sprogcentre (DDS) is Denmark’s national association of language schools. It currently numbers around 60 members spread all over Denmark.

Poul Neergaard, Chairman of DDS, talks to Stephen Gadd of the CPH Post.

Q: WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR CORE SERVICE?

In order to truly thrive here, it is important that new arrivals to Denmark learn the language as quickly as possible. There are three aspects to this: educational mobility, integration into civil society, and being able to function fully in the labour market.

At present, there is intense focus politically on integrating new arrivals into the labour market as quickly as possible, and also ensuring the greatest flexibility and mobility of labour, so our courses reflect this. DDS works closely with the players in the labour market in Denmark, as well as with local government and legislators, to assist job-seekers as much as possible.

Q: WHO CAN BENEFIT MOST FROM LANGUAGE COURSES?

The short answer is ‘everyone’. People need to be motivated to seek language education for their own sake – as well as it being vital for the well-being of Danish society in the longer term.

It is important to be able to speak and read Danish to take part fully in cultural and everyday life, and to build up a social network.

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Q: HOW ARE THE COURSES STRUCTURED AT THE SCHOOLS?

On a practical level, the courses are designed to be as functional as possible. They are very much goal-based and tailored to individual needs and the background of the participants, so classes are put together accordingly. There are 3 individual programs, each with 6 modules. The last of these modules includes a state-administered Danish exam, which is a prerequisite for obtaining permanent residency and Danish citizenship.

Q: HOW DO YOU ENROL AT A LANGUAGE SCHOOL?

All newly-arrived adult foreigners have the right to free Danish lessons (but this might change after 1 July 2018). The best way forward is to contact your local language centre or Borgerservice (website in English: lifeindenmark.borger.dk). You can also obtain addresses and contact details of language schools through our website:

www.dedanskesprogcentre.dk

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DANISH LESSONS WITH A SEAL OF APPROVAL

dedanskesprogcentre.dk

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NO MORE FREE

Danish-language classes for foreigners Each module will cost 2,000 kroner, according to the government’s latest tax bill proposal In a dramatic change of policy for Denmark, language classes will no longer be free for foreigners when the government’s new tax agreement is approved by Parliament.

The government parties have the support of Dansk Folkeparti (DF) and therefore have the necessary majority, but is is still possible that amendments might be made before the July deadline.

2,000 kroner per class

Classes will still be subsidised but if the proposal goes though as planned, each module will cost 2,000 kroner, which means the six-module course will cost a total of 12,000 kroner.

In addition, students will still be required to pay a 1,250 kroner deposit per module, which will be refundable upon completion.

“The deposit and fees charged to participants will

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provide an incentive that should ensure that only economically self-sufficient people who are highly motivated start courses,” noted the agreement.

petitors who have been in the system hitherto have either given up or had to switch to going completely private.

Given that the passing of the bill is expected to be a formality, the measures are set to come into force on 1 July 2018.

However, it is understood that one of the language schools who previously provided lessons has decided to appeal the municipality’s decision, so things are not entirely finalised.

Only two providers

There have also been fundamental changes in the system regarding language tuition for adult foreigners in the 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.

The upshot is that in Copenhagen the results of the bidding process were recently announced and as of 1 August 2018, only two language schools will now be offering municipal classes. A number of their com-

Playing harder to get

The right of access to education and benefits is also being changed. At present, you have to have been in Denmark for 7 out of 8 years in order to qualify. That is being changed to 9 out of 10 years.

On top of that is a supplementary demand that the person has to have worked 2.5 of the last 10 years.

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

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LEARN DANISH make friends and improve your job prospects Foreigners come to Denmark for a number or reasons. Usually, but of course not exclusively, these are work postings, au pair jobs or for romantic reasons.

In the latter case, once settled a spouse or partner will probably need to venture out onto the job market and take the first steps to becoming part of the wider Danish society.

So it can still pay dividends to learn the language. For one thing, you will get much more out of your stay here and you may also make some new friends for life. On a trivial level, it is also nice to be able to follow what is happening in Denmark through the Danish news media.

More importantly, it will also give you much more choice when it comes to job-seeking, as by and large, unless you have been head-hunted from your home country, the jobs available to foreigners who don’t speak Danish are at the lower end of the skills range.

What to do about it There are several Danish Language schools throughout Denmark which cater specifically for foreigners. These schools are designed to make learning Danish easy and accessible to their students and cater to their needs, be they social integration or work advancement.

A wide range of courses A language schools’ core service is teaching the Danish language to adult foreigners. Many of them also offer a wide range of other courses, including some focusing on the Danish labour market, special youth courses and courses on Danish culture and society. The vast majority admit students on an ongoing basis.

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In order to best fit in with your own needs, instruction is organised so that you have a choice of daily, evening or Saturday courses. The courses are also often planned in co-operation with job centres and companies so as to ensure that students are afforded the necessary time to learn the language.

Online options In addition to classroom instruction, many of the language centres offer students the option of learning Danish via online courses. Online courses can also be completed with module testing – and can be taken individually or in groups.

Online courses have the great advantage that students can study when it fits with their work, family and school schedules – regardless of time and location.

How to join a school Which school or course you choose will depend on several factors.

Some Danish Language schools will offer tuition through the kommune (local council), while others will be tuition-based.

The first step is to talk to your kommune – ask them if they have a Danish Language school that you can be sent to.

If you take Danish lessons at a language school, not only will you gain a thorough grasp of the language, but you will also be assisted in your integration into Danish society. Many schools offer schemes through which language students and Danes can meet socially on an informal basis for conversation or even get together to have a meal together, so there’s no excuse for not participating!

Source: dedanskesprogcentre.dk

Copenhagen Media Center, Ty Stange

Even though you may only be here for a short time, it can still pay dividends to learn the language

Publisher: CPH POST • Editor: Hans Hermansen Journalists: Stephen Gadd • Layout: CPH POST • Info: hans@cphpost.dk, Tel: +45 2420 2411

SPOILED FOR CHOICE – so many language schools There are many different types of language schools around, most of which offer a range of courses catering for your individual needs and circumstances. Let us help you find the school that is right for you and your needs.

First, get yourself a CPR number 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 (i.e. civil registration number).

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 staying 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 place to live.

Regarding the latter, it must be a valid address, meaning that you have the right to register your address in the CPR system. It should also

be a permanent one; a minimum length of 1 month’s stay is expected, but you might be asked to provide proof of 3 months’ stay.

Sprogcentre (The Danish Language Centres).

The DDS brings together in one easy-to-use website, all state-approved language centres in Denmark so that prospective students are able to decide on which institution will serve them best.

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.

The language centres’ core service is teaching the Danish language to adult foreigners. Many of them also offer a wide range of other courses, including courses focusing on the Danish labour market, special youth courses and courses on Danish culture and society.

The Danish Language Centres Aside from the valuable information you will pick up in this supplement, a good place to begin your learning adventure is with De Danske

“Our members are the only language centres in Denmark that offer state-approved Danish courses and programs. Our members are also the only institutions to conduct the exams

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

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required by the state for permanent residency and citizenship,” says the DDS.

Tailored to your individual needs 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:

Courses at Danish higher education institutions In connection with a language school, some institutions offer intensive Danish language courses at the beginning of the academic year, during the semester, or as a part of a summer university programme. Students who are enrolled at the institution are not usually charged a tuition fee, but have to pay a deposit of 1,250 kroner.

Programs and courses offered by the kommune 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.

Due to a shake-up of the language school system, if a new law goes through as planned,

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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.

courses in Danish language and culture, either during the summer holiday (three to four weeks) or during the autumn and spring semesters (four to five month duration). These courses do not normally include formal tests or examinations.

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

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.

Danish language courses at adult learning centres (VUCs)

Classes offered by private language teachers

The adult learning centres offer courses in all general subjects for adults at lower and upper secondary school level. In addition to the general courses offered to Danes, some of the VUCs offer Danish language 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.

There are many individual language instructors in Denmark who are qualified to offer one-on-one instruction in the Danish language. This type of learning is ideal for those who don’t have time to attend scheduled classes.

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.

Courses at Folk High Schools (Folkehøjskoler) Some Folk High Schools offer residential

Private language schools Throughout this supplement you will learn of the various types of private language schools available to you. Otherwise you can visit the DDS website; bit.ly/2ByWwwy for a comprehensive list of schools across the country.

Sources: bit.ly/2AfsCyW denmark.dk bit.ly/2AgOIB9 bit.ly/2j3AcmZ

BRUSH UP – on the basics Not sure where to start? Enrol yourself in one of these beginner courses.

For those of you just starting out on your journey of Danish enlightenment, the approximately 60 language centres throughout Denmark offer various structured courses targeted specifically at the beginner.

At most language schools you will find at least two types of courses that focus on the foundation of learning. They are:

Labour market-oriented Danish A beginners’ course for foreign workers, accompanying spouses, students and au pairs. The course comprises up to 250 hours of instruction over a maximum period of 18 months, and is divided into five 50-hour courses. Upon completion of the course, students then have a right to enrol in a Danish program concluding with a Danish exam.

FAST FORWARD TO FLUENCY through Direkte Dansk

Danish 1, 2 or 3 programs These courses are structured to benefit specific groups of people, and range in their level of complexity or difficulty.

Each program has six modules and each module concludes with a test. The last module of each program concludes with a state-administered Danish exam, which is a pre-requisite for obtaining permanent residency and Danish citizenship. The following three course levels are available: The sixth module is The Higher Education Exam, which is required for admission to higher education programs.

Danish 1 Designed for students with little or no previous schooling and students who have not learned to read and write in their native language, or who have no knowledge of the Latin alphabet. The program comprises six modules.

Danish 2 Designed for students who have at least a short educational background from their home country. The program comprises six modules.

Danish 3 Designed for students who have at least a medium-length or higher educational background from their home country. The program comprises five modules and ends with a final exam.

New to Danish?

Join our free trials at International House Copenhagen

Every Tuesday at 11am

Register here: Danskbureauet.dk/en/free-trials

Language proficiency screening Before a course begins, students are assessed on their language skills to ensure they are provided instruction at the right level. Following this, students are advised on, and choose, the best course for their specific needs.

Danskbureauet c/o International House CPH Gyldenløvesgade 11, 3rd floor 1600 CPH V +45 42 58 16 00

A private Danish language company Making a pronounced difference

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IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED try, try and try again

Danish-speaking can be a seriously tongue-twisting exercise, 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

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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.

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 often 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.

Hej! - Hi Goddag - Hello (formal) Hvordan Har Du Det? - How Are You? Hvad Så? (informal) - What’s Up? Farvel - Good-Bye God Morgen - Good Morning God Nat - Good Night Tak! - Thank You

#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.

Undskyld Mig - Excuse Me Jeg Elsker Dig - I Love You Sources: denmark.dk babbel.com bit.ly/2jzrSdZ

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FAST FORWARD TO FLUENCY WITH DIREKTE DANSK Learning Danish involves a huge investment in time – and now also money. How do you make sure that what you invest and the return you get will be worth your while?

Fast forward to fluency At Danskbureauet, our intensive study program Direkte Dansk takes you through what corresponds to modules 1-5 in 32 weeks. You sign up for only 4 weeks at a time, giving you a certain flexibility in terms of planning and payments. After only 8 courses you will be able to pass PD3.

Be certain of your purchase Our intensive and highly structured course format is fixed. It is built on dynamic exercises that give our students an equal amount of substantial individual speaking time, which ensures that all classroom activities and all your efforts will have a long-lasting positive impact on your spoken Danish.

Speaking Danish with ease Make sure to get the pronunciation right from the beginning if you wish to end up speaking a comprehensible Danish that will impress people around you.

Our expert tutors will provide you with the tuition and the amount of correction necessary for you to end up speaking Danish with ease.

Spending less time learning more Would you like to reach fluency as fast as possible? We are totally devoted to helping you succeed in mastering Danish. We will boost your learning curve and make your investment worthwhile.

Ea Gullan Kerr, Director & Partner

Sign up for one of our free trials or register today at danskbureauet.dk Contact us here: +45 42 58 1600 ea@danskbureauet.dk LANGUAGE SCHOOL GUIDE

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“An engaging Danish teacher makes all the difference�

Joanna, economist from Kuala Lumpur.

Sign up for intensive Danish courses in Hellerup and Lyngby sprogcenterhellerup.dk

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