Danish is a difficult language to learn. It sounds like you have a potato in your mouth, and we have three extra vowels that most people are unfamiliar with. If you've decided as a beginner to learn Danish, there's a lot of hard work ahead of you. But if you put in the effort, it might soon be you confidently ordering "Rødgrød med fløde" at a summer restaurant in fluent Danish.
A2B teaches international citizens Danish, and we have some great tips on how to best begin learning Danish if you're a beginner.
- Start Now! We all have busy lives, days fly by, and it can be tempting to postpone Danish lessons until there's more time in the calendar. Our experience is that it's best to start right away when you've decided to learn Danish. No need to delay the task! Start learning Danish as soon as you've made the decision.
- Start Learning on Your Own! Before you find the right Danish course and have your first lesson, a few days or weeks might pass. So, start teaching yourself Danish on your own today. Follow an online self-study course, watch some Danish videos on YouTube, buy some Danish children's books, or get your neighbor to teach you some Danish words. The most important thing is to get started while you're motivated.
- Watch Danish TV and Listen to Radio and Podcasts. Listening to the Danish language is fantastic for your learning. So, put Danish podcasts in your ears when you go for a walk, watch Danish series and news, and remember to turn on subtitles on TV programs, so you both hear and read the language. DR has both radio, podcasts, and lots of series and news online.
- Take Lessons - and Work Hard at It. Find a beginner Danish course that suits you and the time you can dedicate to it. It's important to find a Danish course that you know you have time to follow and time to keep up with the homework. If you engage in the Danish course every time and immerse yourself in your homework, you'll quickly find that you become better at Danish.
- Keep It Up. Many might be tempted to stop Danish lessons once they've reached a level where they understand most of it and can have small conversations. But our advice is: Keep learning Danish until you've truly mastered it. Languages can quickly be forgotten if not maintained and continued learning. So, for example, keep taking lessons until you've passed the official Danish exam.
At A2B, you have the opportunity to choose the Danish course that fits you and your everyday life if you are a beginner and need to learn the Danish language from scratch:
- Self-study courses - A beginner course with English as the support language, perfect for you who want to learn Danish when it suits you and have the motivation to follow the course lessons.
- Beginner 1 - An online beginner course where you receive lessons online from a teacher in a group with other beginners, learning basic Danish together from scratch.
- Beginner 2 - An online course for more experienced beginners. Either you've completed Beginner 1, or you've already learned basic Danish in other ways.
- Private lessons - Here you get one-on-one lessons, where the teacher tailors the lessons exactly to your needs and wishes.
- Free Danish classes - You can start with Module 1 of The Official Danish Language Course as a beginner and continue to the more advanced modules when you're ready. The Official Danish Language Course can be free for you because your municipality pays the cost if you live in Denmark, have a CPR number, and have received a referral from the municipality for Danish lessons.