Combitherm strengthens the language skills of their foreign employees

19. December 2023

Combitherm strengthens the language skills of their foreign employees

Since 2016, the Jutland-based company Combitherm has employed a group of Syrians in its production. The company is growing, and this requires optimization of work processes and effective communication. Consequently, Combitherm has started providing Danish language instruction to their Syrian employees, in order to improve their language skills and make it easier for them to communicate on a daily basis in the company.

The Danish lessons ensure that the Syrian employees become better at communicating with their colleagues, and they practice with many different types of conversational activities.

Danish lessons at the company improves daily communication

The small Jutland company Combitherm, which designs and produces energy-saving thermal solutions for protecting temperature-sensitive goods and processes in several different industries, is doing really well. This has led to a busy schedule for the company’s 33 employees, more than a third of whom are from Syria.

To handle the increasing number of orders, a process has begun to see how the company can reduce waste and streamline all production processes. This also involves a heightened focus on language, explains Combitherm’s COO, Torben Hallstrup.

“We are going through a process where it will be important for us to communicate effectively and precisely about what is happening in production. And we want all our employees, including our Syrian employees, to contribute to this process. Many of them have been working for us for several years now and have valuable insights into the specific work tasks, that we need to hear about.”

The Syrian employees can speak Danish but are often a bit reluctant to come forward and talk about professional topics. And Torben Hallstrup wants to do something about this.

“We need to help them, so they gain more confidence and can express what they have observed in production.”

Therefore, Combitherm has now made an agreement with UCplus’ Language Center in Silkeborg to organize a program that will strengthen the Syrian employees’ language skills through Danish lessons at the company three hours each week.

Focus on work-related language

Every Thursday afternoon, UCplus’ language consultant Jette Kaspersen turns up at Combitherm’s canteen, and instead of open sandwiches, the lunch tables are now covered with conversation cards and other objects that can get conversations started.

The lessons aim to strengthen and expand the Syrian employee’s linguistic competencies. Therefore, the focus is on increasing their vocabulary and making their pronunciation more precise, explains Jette Kaspersen.

“They practice talking about what they have done during the workday, and we focus on the special words that are relevant for them at the company. For example, ‘I was sewing on the overlock machine’ leads to us focusing on important words from the work tasks, besides, we practice pronouncing the Danish vowels, for example, ‘y’ in ‘sy’ and ‘å’ in ‘tråd’.”

We train common speech acts, such as what to say when asking for something or offering something. The oral language is supported by reading and writing exercises and the use of WhatsApp, where we take pictures of the machines and record what they are called.”

All this helps to expand the employees’ vocabulary and make it more precise, thereby improving communication throughout the workday, both when employees meet at the coffee machine or lunch table or when tasks are handed over at the large sewing machines.

Learning new words helps

Mustafa Mustafa and Abdul Rahman Mustafa both came to Denmark in 2015. They explain that the situation they came from with the civil war in Syria and the many relocations they had to go through to find safety as refugees in Denmark made it difficult to learn Danish at first. But they are happy that with the new language instruction they can become better at speaking Danish.

Abdul Rahman Mustafa explains that he becomes shy speaking Danish, especially if there are words he can’t remember. But the lessons help him get going.

“It’s good that we practice, and I hope that I’ll learn to speak more.”

And colleague Mustafa Mustafa agrees:

“It helps that we learn new words. It makes it easier to talk together.”

Help your international employees learn Danish

UCplus offers a range of flexible solutions for company Danish. Lessons can take place at the workplace, at the nearest language center, or through online instruction.

UCplus handles all coordination and provides skilled instructors who conduct Danish lessons at the employees’ level.

It is possible to apply for lost earnings if the lessons are held during working hours. UCplus also helps with the application process.

Holiday home rental agency helps foreign employees learn Danish

29. November 2023

Holiday home rental agency helps foreign employees learn Danish

The holiday home rental company Esmark has many foreign employees among their cleaning staff, including Ukrainian refugees. To help these Ukrainian refugees get started, Esmark has initiated a collaboration with UCplus’ Language Center in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality. UCplus arranges Danish lessons tailored to the specific needs of Esmark’s employees.

Here is the team that kick-started Esmark’s special Danish lessons. From left, Stephanie Dittrich, Esmark’s HR Business Partner; Annemette Knudsen, language consultant at UCplus; Iryna, a cleaning supervisor from Ukraine; and Hildigunn Graakjær, Esmarks head cleaning coordinator.

Esmark hires many foreign employees

“We love people” is Esmark’s slogan. The holiday home rental company aims to create great holiday experiences for guests and good working conditions for their employees. The numbers clearly show that they live up to these ambitions, as the company is growing. Each year, the number of families wanting to rent summer houses at Esmark increases. This means that more employees need to be found in a municipality where there is already high demand for extra hands. Esmark has over 4000 summer houses that need cleaning when guests flock to the West Coast in the peak season. Many of Esmark’s new employees are Ukrainian refugees. Even before the outbreak of the war, Ukrainians sought jobs in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality, but the war in 2022 brought even more. Esmark is keen to help them and has employed over 70 Ukrainian citizens in their large cleaning team.

Great enthusiasm for the Danish Lessons

Esmark started the collaboration with UCplus for Danish lessons in 2021, as the company prioritizes that their new foreign employees get off to a good start with language training and learn the Danish needed for their job and everyday life.

“When our foreign employees start without the linguistic prerequisites, it’s important that we offer them language training. Part of being an ‘Esmarkker’ is that we care for each other and help each other, and knowing Danish is an important part of everyday life when they work with us,” says Esmark’s HR Business Partner, Stephanie Dittrich.

Esmark offers their foreign employees the opportunity to enroll in the training program, which consists of four hours of instruction each week for ten weeks. The Danish lessons are scheduled in the winter half-year, when there is a low season in holiday home rentals, so cleaning staff have the time and opportunity to attend language school in Ringkøbing. The offer has been highly popular among the employees, with already 39 registered for the upcoming courses, making it the largest group to date.

Role-Play strengthens work-related language skills

UCplus specializes in developing industry-specific Danish lessons that give employees exactly the language they need. Annemette Knudsen, language consultant at UCplus and regular teacher of Esmark’s Danish courses, emphasizes that the employees always work with specific work-related situations.

“Some of the lessons take place in a holiday home, where we practice many different situations. The cleaning staff need to be able to follow directions like ‘go down the fourth crossroad, it’s the black house on the left, and you’ll find the key box under the eave behind the house’.

They need to be able to understand typical instructions such as ‘remember to use limescale remover in the bathroom’. And they need to be able to describe things themselves, so they can call the office for help, for example, if something is broken in the holiday home. It’s always harder to manage in a new language when talking on the phone, so they also get the opportunity to practice phone conversations together.”

Practice makes perfect, and Esmark can feel the difference when they invest in providing Danish lessons for their foreign employees.

“When it’s changeover day in the summer houses, there’s a very short time frame to get the houses ready for the next group of guests. It requires fast and efficient work, especially since we place great emphasis on our cleaning, like the rest of our service, being top-notch. It requires that the cleaning staff understand what is being said to them. And when they can, we get happy employees and better cleaning,” says Stephanie Dittrich.

Learning the language enhances integration

UCplus also finds that when employees learn Danish, which they can use both at work and in their daily lives, it strengthens their sense of belonging and contributes to stronger integration in Denmark. It’s not just about language, but also about cultural understanding and adaptation.

“Our goal is to create a learning environment where Danish is not only learned as a language but as a bridge to better integration,” says Karen Poulsen, Language Center Manager at UCplus.

Facts

UCplus offers a range of flexible solutions for companies that want to offer Danish lessons to their foreign employees. Lessons can take place at the workplace, at the nearest language centre, or through online teaching.
UCplus handles all coordination and provides skilled instructors who conduct Danish lessons at the employees’ level.
It is possible to apply for compensation for lost earnings if the training takes place during working hours. UCplus also assists in applying for this.

Holger’s Danish dream came true

16. November 2023

Holger’s Danish dream came true

Nurse Holger Hampe-Hecht was ready to do anything to live in Denmark. Along with his husband, he left his job, house, and daily life near Nuremberg in Southern Germany to pursue the dream of a life with a good ‘work-life balance’. In less than two years, his dream has come true. They both learned Danish, secured permanent jobs, and bought a house and two dogs. The recipe for success has been determination and great colleagues who continuously corrected Holger’s Danish.

Holger Hampe-Hecht is happy that he attended the Official Danish Education at UCplus’ Language School in Ringkøbing, and he got lots of help and support from his two teachers, Frank Henneberg (right) and Carsten Lund Christensen (left).

Learning Danish was a necessity

Holger Hampe-Hecht settled in Ringkøbing-Skjern Municipality with his husband in December 2021, and after just six weeks, Holger landed his first job as a cleaning assistant. He couldn’t speak Danish yet, and as a trained surgical nurse, Holger preferred a nursing job, but he was ready to take it one step at a time.

Shortly after, Holger also started Danish lessons at UCplus’ Language School in Ringkøbing, and through his network at the Language School, he got a job in April 2022 as an assistant at Hvide Sande nursing home.

“I knew that if I wanted a job as a nurse, I had to be able to speak Danish properly. And at the nursing home, I started using simple sentences, which was a good start. Fortunately, I’m not shy, so I just talk. And I’ve been so grateful that people have corrected me, so I learned the right way and didn’t keep repeating my mistakes.”

Learning about Danish culture was an extra bonus

Holger quickly discovered that the lessons at the language school weren’t only about learning Danish grammar and pronunciation. There was also a focus on understanding Danish culture and how Danish society functions, which Holger found to be an extra bonus.

“The teachers have been really good, and I think we have worked with relevant and interesting topics. It’s important to gain a deeper understanding of how things work in the country you want to live in.”

It’s often said that Danish is hard to learn, but that wasn’t Holger’s experience. He found the first three to four months a bit tough, but because German and Danish have similarities with the same alphabet and some words that resemble each other, it didn’t take long to get started. And one of his teachers gave him advice that really helped him improve his reading comprehension.

“My teacher Karsten recommended that I start by reading books I had already read in German. And when I knew what the story was about, I could focus on learning new words.”

Friendly people and a good life

Overall, Holger and his husband have had a good experience settling in Denmark. Holger’s husband has a job, and now Holger has also landed his dream job as a nurse at Gødstrup Hospital. They are happy to be able to work and that Danish work life also gives them time for things other than work, something they felt they lacked while living in Germany. They spend their newfound free time outside, and they enjoy being close to the sea and beach, where they walk their two dogs, Ignaz, a French Bulldog, and Grace, an English Cocker Spaniel.

“We find Danes to be very friendly and relaxed, and we have a good life here.”

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.

Navigating New Horizons with Danish: Vindya’s Path from CBS Student to Corporate Success in Copenhagen.

19. September 2023

Navigating New Horizons with Danish: Vindya’s Path from CBS Student to Corporate Success in Copenhagen.

It’s been three years since Vindya from Sri Lanka arrived in Copenhagen. At that time, she was one of the many international students who come to Denmark every year to pursue higher education. She began her master’s programme in ‘Economics and Finance’ at CBS – Copenhagen Business School, found a part-time job, and immediately after graduating, she secured a position in a major auditing firm. To thrive in her professional life in Denmark, Vindya has worked diligently to learn Danish. There have been challenges along the way, but she persisted. Read about her experiences and the advice she offers.

“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.

Charity’s language journey with UCplus: From nervous beginner to confident speaker

11. September 2023

Charity’s language journey with UCplus: From nervous beginner to confident speaker

When Charity first arrived in Denmark, she was apprehensive about speaking Danish with others. Three years later, she gave a graduation speech at UCplus, celebrating her impressive PD-2 exam result and her newfound confidence in addressing an audience in Danish. However, that’s not all she gained. Discover how she also found a sense of community and knowledge about Danish culture.

Nigerian-born Charity is delighted to have completed her Danish course at UCplus in Greve. She’s also pleased that her daughter, Chimamanda, is growing up in a society where equal opportunities exist for both genders.

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.