Being fluent in Danish can be a real game-changer for an International’s experience in Denmark.
“(I knew) the only way I would feel comfortable in Denmark was to buckle down and learn Danish.” – Kathryn Larsen
5 years. That’s how long Kathryn has lived in Denmark. In 2015, she packed her bags in the US and started a new life in Slagelse, Denmark. From knowing zero Danish, today she is an Architectural Technologist who is FLUENT in Danish at work every day.
How did she step out of her comfort zone to speak Danish in different aspects of her life? How did she learn Danish through a seaweed project? What are some tips and tricks she can give? That’s exactly what we will share with you here.
A rough start to learning Danish
Like most newcomers, Kathryn attended Danish language school when she first came to Denmark. But passing level 5 (out of 6) did not really get her anywhere. It did not teach her anything about the Danish culture that would help her to integrate better. After two years, “I still couldn’t have a conversation with Danes,” she said.
The desire to connect with Danes
Knowing your motives is the first step to success in learning any language. The strong desire to connect with Danes motivated Kathryn to learn Danish well.
Learning Danish helps with social integration. “You can’t live in a place without knowing the language,“ especially a place that she called “home,” Kathryn recalled the stress she felt by not understanding her surroundings.
It was also important for her to be able to communicate with her Danish husband’s family. After all, she chose to stay in Denmark because she loved it here; it only made sense for her to put in the effort to learn Danish.
Speaking Danish connected her with clients at work. Having high Danish proficiency was essential for her to perform daily tasks in her job and be successful in the architecture industry in Denmark.
She explained that “If I did not spend so much time learning the Danish language, history, and culture, I would not have been able to connect with clients and create a building that matches their needs. I consider it a really important part of my job.“
As we all know, language and culture are intertwined, not just in the social but also in the work context. With the desire to connect with Danes both socially and professionally, Kathryn went ALL IN to learn Danish well!
A hardcore decision that became a milestone
After 2 years of not really learning much…Kathryn made a hardcore decision to herself when she got an internship as part of her studies. “Here is where I am gonna learn all the Danish I can, to be able to work in my industry!” Since the internship is a place to learn, she took advantage of the opportunity to pick up the vocabulary in her field. However, the beginning is always difficult.
“In the first 4 weeks, I came home crying every day,” she recalled.
It was frustrating not to be able to express herself in Danish or understand what other people said. One time a colleague was showing her how to click on a button in Danish. She was confused because of the language barrier, and he eventually took the mouse over and clicked for her. It was an embarrassing moment that she still remembers today.
She could have chosen to just stick with English when living in Copenhagen, but thank goodness, she pressed on! She knew that “the only way I would feel comfortable in Denmark was to buckle down and learn Danish.”
An embarrassing moment: Rør vs Røv???
Sometimes, our language-learning journey isn’t complete without making a few “funny” mistakes, or some “what did you just say?!” moments. Kathryn shared one as well.
One time when talking with a Danish client about the empty pipes in her renovation project, she said “røv” (which means “ass” in Danish) instead of “rør” (“pipe” in Danish). Needless to say, the client was very confused with the “empty asses” that Kathryn was describing. It was not until she sent her drawings of the pipes that finally cleared up the confusion.
These stories are funny when you look back but utterly embarrassing at the moment. With lots of trial and error and perseverance, Kathryn’s Danish level had gradually improved. She proudly told us that since around the 3-year mark, “I have never really spoken English at work (again).” It is all because of the important decision she made back when she first started the internship.
The confidence to cross that line
For many of us language learners, it is certainly not that easy to one day cross that invisible line and just switch entirely to the language we are learning. Kathryn shared two things that helped her gain the confidence to cross the line.
First, she recognized that the internship was a safe environment for her to transition over to Danish. “I knew I wouldn’t be punished if I made a mistake.” She is right- we need to give ourselves rooms and mercy for that.
Second, she was thankful that her colleagues were patient with her. She realized that “the fear of judgment was just all in my head,” and it helped her to gain confidence.
Stepping up the Danish game further
Another milestone is when Kathryn began a seaweed project a few months after that internship. But it started off as a challenge because “most resources and information online on that topic were exclusively in Danish only.”
Back then, she still felt a lack of technical vocabulary in the field to research her seaweed project. Google translate wasn’t helpful enough either. However, she was determined not to let language become a barrier to the research that she was passionate about. She knew that “the more Danish I could pick up, the more research I could do and read.”
As she learned more Danish, she was able to understand the history of the seaweed houses and how they were built in Denmark. With hard work and determination, she completed her thesis on this seaweed project. Till today, she is still implementing this project with her current job as an Architecture Technologist!
Unlike other people who learn Danish to find a job, her job helped her to learn Danish. She is now not only able to talk in Danish at work, but she also has knowledge of technical vocabulary that will help her thrive in the industry.
Tips & tricks on learning Danish
Besides telling such an inspirational story, Kathryn also shared some advice on different things that helped her become fluent in Danish:
1. Learn Danish through various media
Firstly, Kathryn really put in the effort to learn Danish through various media. When she watched TV and movies, she would put on Danish subtitles and try to shadow what they say as a practice. She would also keep a “vocabulary journal” with new words that she learned along the way.
2. Combine art and language-learning
Secondly, as a creative person, Kathryn tried to combine art and language-learning. On her sketchbook, she would label different elements of buildings in Danish to help her learn new words. Linking words to drawings worked particularly well for her in learning some types of buildings that she had never seen back in the U.S.
3. Chat real-time on Reddit in Danish
Another interesting tip she shared was to make posts on Reddit in Danish. “It was a great way to have a conversation with people in real-time.” A real-time online chat gave her a sense of urgency to respond immediately and helped to improve her Danish conversational skills.
4. Celebrate small victories
Lastly, she emphasized the importance of celebrating small victories. To her, ordering a cup of coffee in Danish is already something worth celebrating. “As long as you try, you are doing more than most people. We should not be too hard on ourselves on the many defeats we will experience.” Becoming fluent in Danish is not just about passing an exam. It is all the little steps that help to make the transition easier.
Final notes: Becoming fluent in Danish is not a linear curve
“People don’t realize that language-learning is not linear but an exponential curve! There is a point where your brain is just passively sucking up more vocabulary. It’s REALLY hard to get that momentum when you learn everything from scratch in the beginning. So, people often get discouraged…Danish is hard, but it will get easier and easier. It took me 2 YEARS to just begin to pronounce Danish.” – Kathryn Larsen
It was a pleasure to talk with Kathryn and hear her inspirational journey in becoming fluent in Danish. (Thank you so much for letting us interview you, Kathryn!) Her story shows us that we can learn a language successfully as long as we have the right mindset and never-give-up spirit.
Even though there are times where we don’t see visible progress, we are still learning. It comes in waves, and it’s different for everyone. The bottom line is to never give up. It will get easier as we keep on learning!
P.S.: If you are interested to see more of Kathryn’s seaweed project, you can check out: https://kathrynlarsen.com/
Swap Language can help you with Danish AND Danish culture!
Earlier, Kathryn had shared that part of the reason she stopped attending traditional Danish school was that it failed to teach about the Danish culture. She had no idea how to present herself and connect with Danes after 2 years. This points to a problem that Swap Language is determined to overcome.
In Swap Language we believe that language and culture are inseparable twins. Therefore, the language partners (free) you can find on SwapLanguage.com are all native speakers who are willing to not just teach you the language, but also incorporate the cultural bits as well.
Besides that, our free weekly live Danish lessons can help you enrich your Vocabulary, polish your Grammar and understand the Danish culture. And all these, with the help of a native teacher. A Dane etching you how to speak Danish in the most fun way.
The social aspect and YOUR motivation are always on our mind. We want to help you break down language and cultural barriers! In case you want to know more about Danish Culture, check out this article.
