“Learning Danish has helped my integration, as it has provided me with relevant knowledge about Danish culture and how Danish society works,” Vindya explains.

Start learning Danish as soon as possible

When Vindya talks about her experiences of living and studying in Denmark, she pauses just to reflect on how long she’s been here. It’s been three years now. And she can hardly believe it herself, feeling that time has flown by.

In the beginning, there was a lot to organise and get used to: a new course, a new place to live, and meeting new people. And Vindya didn’t start learning Danish right away.

“When I began my studies in Copenhagen, I didn’t see the immediate need to learn Danish. Everything was conducted in English at the university, and you can manage with English in the shops as well. However, suddenly it became important for me to speak proper Danish. Today, I realise the importance of starting straight away and learning Danish right from the beginning.”

Once Vindya started, she made rapid progress, completing the first three modules of her Danish course in one go. Afterwards, she took a break from her Danish lessons, finding it challenging to work on her thesis and continue with her Danish studies simultaneously.

This resulted in an 8-month pause from her Danish course. Looking back, she admits that had she been given a second chance, she would have continued with the Danish course, because it took some effort to pick up Danish again after the break.

Language School Offers Networking and Job Opportunities

Although it can be tough to juggle everything: studies, part-time work, and Danish lessons, Vindya is truly pleased that she chose the Danish course at UCplus.

“Learning Danish has helped my integration, as it has provided me with relevant knowledge about Danish culture and how Danish society works. I’ve mastered the language, and the network I’ve built at UCplus is also valuable to me.”

Today, Vindya works for Deloitte. Even though it’s a global firm, there are many Danish employees, something Vindya appreciates.

“It’s beneficial because it means I use my Danish every day. It’s crucial for my job that I can read, speak, and write in Danish. I must read and respond to emails, go through reports, and participate in discussions.”

Vindya’s top three language learning tips

Vindya’s native language is Sinhalese. Besides that, she speaks English, and Danish is her third language.

“If you come from another European country, like Germany for example, there are some similarities in the languages which can be advantageous when learning Danish. But coming from an entirely different country like Sri Lanka, it’s more challenging. Both in terms of grammar and pronunciation.”

But Vindya hasn’t been deterred by the linguistic hurdles, and she has found the following ways of practising Danish helpful:

– Listen to the podcast ‘Dansk i ørene’ – it offers valuable insights about Denmark and Danish culture while simultaneously helping improve Danish listening skills.

– Read the news from TV2, which provides daily updates about happenings in Denmark. TV2 news articles are somewhat easier to comprehend compared to those from Denmark’s Radio.

– Watch Danish series, for example, Rita – they offer plenty of colloquial language, useful for everyday conversations: in shops, by the coffee machine, at social gatherings.

Learn Danish at UCplus

UCplus offers the three official Danish courses, which give you access to official tests and a good start in Denmark. The education is offered at 3 levels, each of which consists of 6 modules. You will be offered to start at exactly the level that suits the number of years of schooling you have and your qualifications.

Read more and sign up here

Charity delivered her graduation speech in Danish

“When we came to Denmark, we were afraid to speak Danish with others, but now we are really happy, because we can speak Danish properly.”

That’s how Charity began the speech that she and a fellow student wrote for a very special occasion: the graduation ceremony in June at UCplus Language Centre in Greve.

It was an unforgettable day for Charity from Nigeria, as she received certification for passing her Danish PD2 exam.

From hand gestures to fluent Danish

Passing the Danish test was a victory for Charity, which demonstrates her hard work over the past three years.

“This is the first time I’ve learned a new language. Danish is quite different from Ibo, the language I spoke in Nigeria.

When I first arrived in Denmark, I couldn’t even talk to my neighbour. I didn’t speak Danish, and she couldn’t speak Ibo or English. Back then, we communicated using hand signs, but now we can speak Danish together. And she’s always amazed by how much Danish I’ve learned.”

The advantages of learning Danish at UCplus

Charity feels she has gained immensely from her Danish course at the UCplus language centre in Greve.

“The best thing about the school is the patient and helpful teachers. They make sure that we build upon what we already know.”

Apart from becoming proficient in Danish, Charity also appreciates the friends that she has made and the knowledge she’s acquired about Denmark.

“I’ve made many friends at UCplus here in Greve, which is great because it means that I have more people to talk to.

We also learn about Denmark, and Danish society, e.g., topics like gender equality, which is very important. It’s good that both men and women can take maternity leave.”

The Official Danish Education helps you become a proficient in Danish

UCplus offers the three official Danish courses, granting access to official exams and a great start in Denmark. The courses are offered at three levels, each comprising six modules.

You will be offered to start at exactly the level that suits your years of schooling and your qualifications.

Learn more about the Danish course and register here.

As an international researcher and mother of a two-year-old boy, Tahereh has a busy everyday life, but she still finds time to learn Danish, because she attends UCplus’ online Danish classes.

Learning Danish is important

Tahereh and her husband moved to Aarhus from Iran in 2021. They are both employed as researchers at Aarhus University. Tahereh spends her working hours  at the Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genome Research, where she works on a project that investigates whether certain genes lead to type 2 diabetes. 

Many of her colleagues also come from abroad. The working language at the Center is therefore also English, and naturally she speaks Persian when she is with her husband and their son. As a researcher and parent of a young child, she already has a lot to do. Consequently, it requires an extra effort to find the time and energy to learn Danish as well. But Tahereh thinks it is important that she learns Danish. 

“It is important that I learn Danish. My son has started learning Danish at his daycare, and it is important that I can understand what he is saying when he speaks in Danish. I would also like to be able to communicate properly with the pedagogues and generally be able to talk to people I meet outside the university.”

Online teaching: flexibility and skilled teachers

In order to have time for both her work and her family, Tahereh has chosen to complete the Official Danish Education by attending online classes. She is happy about the flexibility it gives her to be able to follow the lessons from home. And she is very satisfied with the teachers because they are skilled and because the teaching is relevant.

Tahereh does not think that Danish is that difficult to learn. At least not the grammar. Danish grammar is much easier than Persian grammar, she says with a smile. On the other hand, she, like many others, thinks that it is somewhat more difficult when she has to speak Danish herself, and especially the Danish pronunciation can be a bit of a challenge. But she takes on the challenge and continues to practice the tricky Danish vowels sounds.

“If I set my mind on something, I do it. I practice as much and as often as I can, for example when I have to go shopping. And then I watch Danish television. It’s often with my son, so we watch Peppa Pig together .”

Delightful Denmark

When Tahereh came to Denmark, it was the first time she had traveled out of Iran, and life in Aarhus is very different from the life she had been used to in the city of Sharekord, which is located well inside Iran about 500 km south of Tehran. But Tahereh is both curious and ready to adapt, so she has become very happy with her new life in the north.

“I find that people are really friendly and helpful here. And it’s a quiet country, which is nice. I also think that Denmark has a really good education system, so I’m happy to be here.”

Tahereh is wolring hard to complete the Official Danish Education. She has recently passed the module 3 test, and she has now moved on to module 4. Her goal is to continue until she can take the PD3 test after module 5.

Learn Danish with UCplus

UCplus offers the three official Danish Language Courses that provide access to official exams and a good start in Denmark. The courses are offered at three levels, each consisting of six modules. You will be offered the level that fits your years of schooling and qualifications.

Would you like to learn Danish online? Read more and sign up here.

Madara came to Denmark from Latvia, and in a surprisingly short time, she has gone from being a language school student to teaching Danish to students at UCplus.

Music, Belly Dancing, and Danish Summer School

From a young age, Madara had a special interest in Arabic music and belly dancing. At the conservatory in Latvia, she had a dream of using her knowledge of Arabic culture to help Syrian refugees. To pursue this dream, she was accepted as an exchange student at the conservatory in Aarhus in 2016. However, fate had a few other twists in store for her.

“I never imagined that I would be teaching Danish,” Madara says with a laugh, explaining how she became a language consultant.

Madara’s first encounter with UCplus was as a student in the summer of 2017. UCplus in Sønderborg offered a “Danish summer school” where students received intensive Danish lessons and went on excursions in and around Sønderborg.

From student to teacher at UCplus

Madara was so pleased with the course that she kept in touch with UCplus while studying to become a teacher in Haderslev. When she saw in 2021 that they were seeking new language consultants to teach classes in Sønderborg, she immediately called and offered her help.

Today, Madara teaches a beginner class with students who are young international students at SDU, and it’s a perfect match.

“I understand their challenges very well because I have been in their situation. I know that coming as a young student to Denmark can be a big upheaval, where everything is different from what one is used to, and the language is difficult. I ensure that they feel comfortable in the lessons so that we have a good and safe learning environment, enabling them to better learn the language. And we focus on topics that are relevant to them.”

A very happy ending

Even though Madara chose to pursue a teaching career in Denmark instead of a conservatory-based career, music continues to be an important part of her everyday life.

In addition to her job as a language consultant at UCplus, Madara is also the choir conductor for a women’s choir in Sønderborg, which meets up every Monday evening. To create new connections, Madara invited the international students she teaches to spend an evening with the choir.

It was a great success, where the students had the opportunity to speak Danish and sing a classic Kim Larsen song with the choir, while the choir members gained insight into what it is like being a young foreign student in Sønderborg.

Madara became a church singer in 2018, both because she needed an income alongside her teacher studies and because she saw it as an opportunity to pursue music while meeting more Danes and improving her Danish. It turned out to be a very good decision because not only did she quickly become proficient in Danish, but she also found love at the church where she sings, and she is getting married to her chosen one in August.

Learn Danish at UCplus and unlock new opportunities

Madara’s determination and perseverance in learning Danish have given her opportunities she never expected.

You can also give yourself a good start in Denmark, and UCplus can help you along the way.

We offer the three official Danish Language Programs, and you start at the level that corresponds to the number of years of schooling you have and your qualifications.

You also have the opportunity to learn Danish online.

Read more and sign up here.

Abi and Suriya are diligent online Danish students at UCplus, and they practice their Danish in many ways, both on walks in and around Sønderborg and at handball matches.

Online Danish lessons provide flexibility to learn Danish alongside demanding jobs

When Suriya came to Denmark in 2018 to work for Danfoss, he was initially at the factory in Nordborg. Here he met colleagues who had been employed by the company for many years, but who were not so fluent in English. Suriya wanted to talk to them, so he was very keen to get started learning Danish. But because his position involved a lot of travel, it was often difficult for him to attend the weekly Danish lessons. A colleague recommended that he contact UCplus, which offers online Danish lessons, and it turned out to be the perfect solution for him and his wife Abi. In fact, UCplus, at the request of a group of Indian employees at Danfoss, has created a class exclusively for Indian employees.

“The advantage of UCplus’ online Danish is that I can participate even when I’m traveling. And our teacher, Pernille, has been so supportive the past 2 years by helping me understand the Danish language with a cultural perspective, ” says Suriya.

Abi, Suriya’s wife, did not have a job when she moved to Denmark in 2022. Like Suriya, she thinks it is important to learn Danish, so she started taking online Danish classes soon after she arrived in Sønderborg.

“I have learned about written and unwritten rules in Danish society, and it is helpful that we learn about Danish traditions. We did not know all the holidays in India, but when we learn about them, we understand what they mean to our Danish colleagues, and then we can say happy Easter, for example.”

All in with the social scene in Sønderborg

Suriya and Abi are going “all in” to integrate themselves into Sønderborg:

“We don’t just want to read up on Danish language and culture, but also experience life in Sønderborg,” says Suriya.

They use every opportunity to get out into the nature around Sønderborg, going for walks in the forest or going to the beach. At the beach, Abi saw how even very young children jump into the water. She couldn’t swim herself, but was inspired to learn, and last season she started on a swimming team for adult beginners.

Suriya plays volleyball three times a week at the Sønderborg Volleyball club and has also participated in tournaments in Løgumkloster and Kolding.

“I really enjoy playing volleyball, and Denmark has good and strong sport clubs.”

Suriya and Abi have also embraced the archetypal Danish sport of handball. They do not play themselves, but they follow the games from the sidelines when Sønderjyske plays.

Before coming to Sønderborg, they were not familiar with handball because it is not a sport that is common in India, but now they have learned the rules, and Suriya can mention several player names from Sønderjyske’s men’s team.

Learn Danish with UCplus

UCplus offers the three official Danish Language Courses that provide access to official exams and a good start in Denmark. The courses are offered at three levels, each consisting of six modules. You will be offered the level that fits your years of schooling and qualifications.

Would you like to learn Danish online? Read more and sign up here.