Determined to learn the language
I moved to Denmark in January 2001 to live with my Danish girlfriend. Not being able to speak Danish when I arrived was a big obstacle in getting a job. I feel that Danish is a hard language to learn, not only because of its unfamiliarity but because the Danes are so good at speaking English. I now have a job working in software, which means reading a lot of documents from American companies, so I don't get as much practice in reading Danish as I should, either.I found that spending time with my girlfriend's nieces (who are 6, 10 and 13) has helped my Danish a lot, as, although they understand English quite well, don't want to speak it. Also, when my confidence gets high enough, I start speaking Danish in shops and when ordering in bars or cafés. But sometimes I have to fall back into English if it gets too much as the bar staff can't always give language lessons. I've ended up ordering the wrong thing by mistake on occasions! I'm determined to learn the language. My employers have been very helpful in arranging private Danish lessons for me. Next year, I'm starting an advanced course along with another English ex-pat. My aim is to take the state Danish language tests in the next couple of years.
Sent by: Daen
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