Learning Danish

 If someone had told me 5 years ago that I would be learning danish I would have told them to stop taking drugs. Danish has around 6 million native speakers (less than my mother tongue Catalan) and is only used in Denmark. Before moving to Denmark in August 2019 I didn't even know how it sounded. But now, here I am. Module 4 and watching Borgen in the language of H.C Andersen.

If moving to Denmark was the best decision of my life, learning the language is probably the second-best. I didn't think it was worth it at first because, in my mind, English was enough to live in Denmark. And that is actually true as Denmark is a country where most people are fluent in English. But this does not mean that Danish is not the main language in the Danish society and that Danes do not speak it when they are not surrounded by foreigners. So, if you really want to feel at home in Denmark you need to learn the language.

Languages are not only a way to communicate. You can communicate yourself in English and live a normal life in English in Copenhagen but you will never get to know the danish society and you will lose many experiences and knowledge about the city, the country and the way of life of Danes. I might be especially sensitive to the language issue because my native language is Catalan. As all of you know, Catalan is a minorized language because of the strength and global influence of Spanish. Catalan speakers as myself believe that our language is part of our identity and we have great consideration of people that try to learn our language even if it is not so spoken as Spanish, Chinese, or English.

I decided to start with danish lessons when I started working at Gentofte Tennisklub and when I realized that it would be very hard for me to work with kids and to get integrated into the community without speaking a word of their language. I joined an academy called UCplus that gives lessons at my university. My teacher has been great from the beginning. I am lucky enough to continue my journey with him after almost one year now. My danish improved very fast thanks to my job and the fact that there, I didn't coexist with non-Danes. I felt that everyone started treating me in a more friendly way after I started saying my first words in danish.

What I can say about the language is that it is not easy but as everything in life it is possible with practice. The most tricky part about it is the pronunciation, it literally is very different from how you would expect it to sound when you read it. My teacher focused a lot on this issue since the beginning and luckily now I get people to understand what I say even if it probably sounds horrible. In the beginning, I thought that danish sounded horrible and it is actually a little bit true. Now that I am familiar with it I like it more but if you hear a Dane speak and compare it to a Norwegian you will think that the Dane is speaking with a potato in the mouth and the Norwegian sounds like an angel.

Besides going to classes two times a week and working in a Danish atmosphere, I have improved my skills by reading children's books at first and now by watching Danish movies and Danish series such as Borgen or Broen. Another way of learning is by listening to people on the street, trying to speak to strangers, and reading every word in danish that my eyes contact. Newspapers, signs on the street, food packs. Anything works. I also changed the language of my phone, apps, and computer to Danish. My friends laugh at me and think I am obsessed but these things are actually very useful.

After one year, I can say that I would do this over and over again and that I am really looking forward to continuing studying until I become fluent. Hopefully, it will help me find a job in Denmark and will allow me to continue traveling around the country, meeting new people, and learning more about this place that I have fallen in love with.

So don't be afraid and start now. Watch Youtube videos, use Duolingo, join an academy, and don't be afraid. You will not regret it. This applies to all of you that live abroad and think that English is enough.