Relocation Guide - Spring 2012
Learning Danish – it’s about more than just the language For language school CLAVIS, technology and customer service are part of a good (school) day’s work By Jessica O’Sullivan
W
hen integrating to a new country one of the most important, and tricky, things to master is language. Danish in particular has a scary reputation amongst foreigners for being a tongue twister of a language, yet, with the right teaching, the path to fluency doesn’t have to be so hard. For most foreigners, getting past the language barrier includes going to a language school. With over 25 years experience in teaching Danish as a second and foreign language, CLAVIS prides itself on going above and beyond language training, according to department head Jacob Madsen. “We don’t just specialise in language teaching but also intercultural matters.”
CLAVIS seeks to meet the needs of its growing clientele of foreign professionals and international students, by providing services such as spouse events, mentorships, flexible timetabling, online learning and worksite teaching. Worksite teaching and customized courses and materials are two of CLAVIS’s unique of-
ferings. “Our teachers go out to businesses and provide the courses on location in the student’s everyday setting – what better way for our teachers to actually know what students and their companies need.” “We put a lot of value in making our own course materials, both as hard copies and in a digital format and constantly aim to cater specifically to our students’ needs regarding relevance, accessibility and flexibility.” With conveniently placed locations already in Greve, Roskilde and Copenhagen, CLAVIS is set to open a brand new facility in Lyngby in June. The new Lyngby centre, like all of CLAVIS’s other centres, will be designed to provide students with a lively and interactive atmosphere.
Department head Madsen, offering companies and their employees what they need
Among the facilities which CLAVIS has worked into its teaching are digital language labs that enable students to work intensively with pronunciation and spoken language, smart boards in classrooms, and wireless networks in all common areas.
explains that as part of the new Lyngby setup they will also be running regular intercultural workshops, where students and Danes can meet to discuss topics, in Danish, such as adapting to a new workplace culture.
ativity 2020’ strategy and we believe we have
Apart from state-of-the-art facilities, CLAVIS also provides opportunities for students to network and socialise with Danes. Madsen
“There is going to be a real push towards creating an international atmosphere in Lyngby through its ‘City of Knowledge and Urban Cre-
needs of the individual, company or council,
a role to play there,” he said. CLAVIS offers a broad range of targeted Danish courses that can be organised according to the and CLAVIS counsellors are always available to answer any questions.
Roskilde University in Denmark A different experience
• 50% courses and 50% project work • Collaboration in groups • Unique learning style • Interdisciplinarity • Close to Copenhagen ruc.dk/international
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