Student, scout, and active participant in Danish language courses
Meet Valerie from the Netherlands who combines her university studies with Danish language courses and an active leisure time in the Danish Scouting movement. It is precisely the combination of the language course and her involvement in a local Danish organization that helps to strengthen both her language skills and her understanding of Danish culture and her sense of belonging to Danish society.
Valerie juggles studies in Human Nutrition at the University of Copenhagen, Danish language courses at UCplus, and an active scout life with The Danish Scouts on Holmen in Copenhagen.
Weekly lessons at UCplus Language Center
Valerie is passionate about nutrition and health, and she wants to contribute to solving global health problems. She also loves Denmark and was an exchange student at the University of Southern Denmark in 2023. She got a Danish boyfriend, which made her wish to continue her studies in Denmark even greater.
Now, she has moved from Maastricht to Copenhagen to pursue a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition.
Valerie juggles a number of things in her daily life. She not only follows lectures at the University of Copenhagen, she also wants to become proficient in Danish to make it easier for her to speak with her boyfriend and his family. So, she is happy that she can take the Danish language course for free, and she has chosen to attend classes at UCplus’ Language Center in Copenhagen.
“It’s fun to learn Danish here. There’s a very friendly atmosphere at the Language Center, and everyone in my class is very motivated to learn Danish. It’s good to be able to speak Danish for daily life, and it can give us more job opportunities if we want to stay here in Denmark.”
Scout life provides great experiences and improves language skills
Valerie has been active in the Dutch scouting movement for the last 11 years, where she also served as a scout leader for 3 years. She was very keen to continue as a scout leader in Denmark, so it didn’t take long before she became a member of a scout group at Holmen. Here, the scouts meet outdoors every Tuesday from 17.00 to 18.30. Together with the other leaders, she helps organize the activities the young scouts will try, which can range from cooking over an open fire to crime investigation games to canoeing.
Valerie’s university studies are conducted in English, so it is primarily during scouting that she gets the opportunity to practice the Danish she has learned at language school.
“At first, I was a bit nervous about speaking Danish, but the young scouts in my patrol are incredibly welcoming, and now I’m starting to feel more confident speaking Danish.”
The Official Danish Education helps you become proficient in Danish
UCplus offers the three official Danish language courses, which grant you access to official exams and a good start in Denmark. The education is offered at three levels, and each level consists of six modules. You will be offered to start at the level that matches the number of years of schooling you have and your qualifications.