The Danish language is spoken by some six million people, living mainly in Denmark and other Scandinavian countries. Denmark has a rich history going back thousands of years before the Vikings. Scandinavian kings controlled great trading empires and once governed their realms from Copenhagen. Danish Vikings fill the sagas and this part of the country’s history is a rich source of inspiration for many films and novels.
The Regions of Denmark
Although Denmark has several different regions, you should have no trouble being understood just by using the standard Danish spoken in Copenhagen. In some parts of the country, you might have more difficulty understanding the locals, especially older people but, with a few weeks or a few months of experience, this challenge is easy to overcome.
Benefits of Learning the Danish Language
The biggest benefit of learning the language is having the ability to then converse with the people. If you are on business and working in Denmark, then acquiring a knowledge of the language will open up many new opportunities for you and allow you to succeed even more. Business owners who take the time to learn Danish will find that the locals have a more favourable first impression at meetings the better their ability.
For students and researchers who are spending time in Denmark, there is a wealth of historical, literary, philosophical, biological, technological and scientific research, data and projects available to take part in. Although the general international language of scholarship and science is English, learning Danish will open up many more research opportunities for you. Not only will you have access to a vast range of resources from the Golden Age of Danish scholastic times in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, but you will also be able to understand early modern texts that are important to the development of economics, trade, commerce and technology.
Learning the Danish Language with Babbel
You can use Babbel to learn as much of the Danish language as possible before you leave. In the comfort of your own home and at your own pace, you can acquire exactly what you need from the language. Because of the flexible timetable, multimedia exercises, voice recognition to practice your Danish…; you will have all the resources you need at your fingertips.
Even if you are already on the road in Denmark, you can continue to use Babbel on your Internet-enabled device to help you on the way. There is no more need to carry around books and travel guides. You can use Babbel, a Danish dictionary and many other resources on your smartphone.
Danish Language for English Speakers
English speakers will find it easier to pick up Danish than other languages further away on the Indo-European language tree. There are many words with common origins and it can be easy to work out the rough meaning of a sentence when you have a basic grasp of structure, prepositions and a good English vocabulary.