DANSK. Danish log by kristiness.

[kristiness]

I don't learn Danish for a particular reason which mean i choose to learn it, not NEED it. I just was always fascinated by Danish Language and culture so this summer after the last visit to Copenhagen i started to take a class at the local swedish centre in my city.
I didn't have a bunch of time so i thought taking a class once per week would have been useful. For sure we didn't achieve mush just the basics conversations and several grammar rules. The classes definitely lacked STRUCTURE and i found myself sometimes being frustrated to find later on, after the class that there IS some structure and rules inside the topic that was taught as "just remember that'.
So i decided to take responsibility and now, while i have enough time, i'll try to study on my own while still visiting that class once per week:)
I hope that this forum will help me with that.

[kristiness]

Week 1.
I decided not to use the book "Aktivt Dansk" which we use at class in order not to spoil my classes to the end.
The resources i'm using right now are:
DANSK (КАРРО publishers). A lovely new course published in Russia.
Pimsleur Danish.
Colloquial Danish.
Some random phrase book i found on sale at the local bookstore.
"Dansk udtale" by L.Thorsborg.
This week i focused on L.Thorsborg book on pronounciation (which i still found the most difficult part about learning Danish),
i've done a new chapter of DANSK (a chapter on HJEMM).
I have already tried the Unit 1 of Pimsleur Danish several weeks ago so today i went to the gym in the morning and after an hour of lifting weights i went on elliptical machine which i usually found boring and spend a 40 minuts there!:))) Found that even in that simple leson i come across some basic words i don't know yet such as: så, helt.

[kristiness]

Today i continued with "HJEMM" Unit, which i found pretty useful being a structural engineer myself ("Bygningskonstruktør", ha!)
.
Following the "How to learn any language" book i print out this article: "Politikere vil gøre det nemmere at sætte altaner op i København" from politiken.dk as well no surprise about the chosen topic taking my professional interests into account:)) read it with much interest, which gave me again the idea that the most important idea of learning any language is a big interest in WHAT is written using that language.
I also watched a few shows on DK1, understand almost nothing, but trying to get myself the exposure to the language as much as possible.

Would be really interested in to talk over with someone the importance of setting up a balcony for Copenhagen citizens:))

[Montmorency]

Hi Kristiness,

I haven't checked to see if it is still there, but when I was studying Danish actively, I used (among other things) podcasts from Copenhagencast.com.

The podcasts were free, but you could subscribe to get transcripts and a few extras. It wasn't exactly a formal course, just a nice Danish lady talking (and writing ) everyday Danish. She was a language learner herself, and maybe a teacher as well.

Did you ever get to see the political drama "Borgen"? That was shown here in the UK, and was popular among the niche audience here that likes subtitled drama There was a documentary follow-up (sort of) on Danish TV called (I think) "Tillbage Borgen" - i.e. Behind the scenes in (the real) Borgen. Not the drama, but the real politics. I watched most of it when it was available, not really understanding much, but getting a lot of "gist". The inside of the real "Borgen" didn't look quite like the fictional one, although the debating chamber where the members of parliament sit did look very similar and the "Speaker" or Presiding Officer looked very similar to the fictional one!