Learning Danish
When you move to Denmark, learning Danish can be an important part of the process of settling in.
Why learn Danish?
Surveys have shown that learning Danish benefits you both professionally and socially in Denmark. Learning Danish will give you an insight into Danish cultural and social norms. This is important for successful communication and networking, whether on a personal level or a business level. Speaking Danish is thus a key competence valued by many Danish companies.
Adequate Danish language skills - including a certified exam - are also essential if you wish to get a permanent residence permit or eventually Danish citizenship.
How does it work
First of all, in order to attend the officially approved Danish education you must:
- be over 18.
- have a valid residence permit or certificate of registration in Denmark.
- have a Danish CPR number.
Dansk 1, Dansk 2, Dansk 3 and Studieprøven
There are three different courses of official Danish education, Dansk 1, Dansk 2 and Dansk 3. Each one is organized differently depending on the attendees’ educational level and goals. When finishing Dansk 3, there is an option to take the ‘studieprøve’, which is the highest official level of Danish courses. Furthermore there is a free option called FVU, which requires some basic Danish language skills.
Dansk 1
Dansk 1 is for people who cannot read or write in their own mother-thong, or do not know the Latin alphabet. The goal of this education is for attendees to obtain basic skills in oral Danish as well as basic skills in reading and writing Danish at a level qualifying to take part in the Danish labor market and in the Danish society.
Dansk 2
Dansk 2 is for people who have a short education from their home country. The goal of the education is for attendees to understand, speak and read Danish at a level qualifying for the Danish labor market, 'AMU courses' and in the Danish society in general.
Dansk 3
Dansk 3 is for people who have a medium- or long educational background. This can be vocational training, high school or other such higher educations. The goal of this education is for attendees to be able to get a job or continue an education and to be active in the Danish civil society.
Studieprøven
Studieprøven is for those who have passed Dansk 3. If you want to attend higher education in Danish, this level of Danish allows you to. It is the highest possible level of official Danish classes.
The structures of the courses are similar. Dansk 1 and Dansk 2 consist of six modules, which each have to be passed. Dansk 3 consists of five modules, which each have to be passed too. ‘Studieprøven’ is the sixth module of Dansk 3, however Dansk 3 has to be passed in order to attend ‘studieprøven’.
When finishing the last module of each course there is a Danish test. These Danish tests are held twice a year and consist of an oral and written test. The oral one is concerned with listening and oral communication and the written one is on writing and reading skills.
FVU
FVU Danish courses are free of charge. In order to attend these you have to have some knowledge of Danish already – equivalent to Dansk 1. Before starting classes you will have to attend a test in order to asses your Danish skills.
Fees and prices
When taking up official Danish language courses, you have to pay a fee which will be refunded when you finish. In addition each one of the modules costs a fee, and when you finish an entire course, there is a fee as well for taking the test. These fees will not be refunded.
To stay updated on the prices, you can have a look on
the official webpage of the Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration here.
Where to attend the official Danish courses
There are various options for attending the Official Danish courses. The Danish Ministry of Immigration and Integration has made a list of the many options. You can find it on
their webpage here
Contact
For more information about the various options to attend official Danish courses you can contact SIRI (Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration)
Email: danskproever@siri.dk
Tips from International Community
It pays off to give Danish language acquisition a high priority during your first few months in Denmark. All experience shows that the sooner you start attending Danish lessons, the faster and the better you will learn the language.
Examples of good ways to learn Danish:
- watch television – preferably with Danish subtitles.
- say hello to your neighbours when you meet them.
- take a free newspaper when it is offered to you.
- watch your favorite movies with Danish subtitles
