Thread: Need help with Danish!!

Hello!
I am going to Denmark for a month this summer and I would really like to try and learn some Danish. I know that pretty much everyone there speaks english, but, you know. I love languages and I want to learn something new!
Being a native english speaker, I can actually understand written Danish pretty well. The thing that gets me is the pronounciation! I have tried teaching myself a bit from books, but I think what I really need is something with or completely audio because I just can't seem to make the connection between the written and spoken words.
I am a bit discouraged because I can't seem to find any good audio courses. Word is that the Pimsleur Danish is thrown-together crap that gives you a Swedish accent. I tried Bente Elsworth's course and it was alright...but too text-oriented for me. The tapes just sped right through the dialogues and I couldn't keep up. I hear Rosetta Stone isn't that great either...and I don't particuarly want to spend that much money. I don't know! I would greatly appreciate any help. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Shatzi

Word is that the Pimsleur Danish is thrown-together cr@p that gives you a Swedish accent.

Bwahaha, gives ya a Swedish accent... Know what, that means that course is bloody effective cos most others will not get you to lose your native accent at all.

Yeah, I'm learning German and was starting to learn Danish as well -- though, since I'm going to Russia this summer, I'm pausing Danish for Russian -- and the pronunciation is the hardest part of the language. Maybe spend a lot of time with some Danish films/shows/etc. The written language shouldn't be too hard (but still take time to build your vocabulary -- depending, of course, on how much you wanna know by the time you get there).

Try Norwegian instead, in written form it is almost identical to Danish, but the pronounciation is so much easier. We (Norwegians) actually pronounce our consonants

But then again, you don't want to be associated with Muhammed-drawing types of people.

uh...that was in

[quote=awb]uh...that was in

Originally Posted by BabaYaga

Ehm... yes...... so did you get anywhere with that Danish of yours?

hehe, not really.. was too busy with school when I got my materials, then I only had a little bit of time before I knew I was gonna start Russian.. but I have a Danish friend online from

[quote=awb]
hehe, not really.. was too busy with school when I got my materials, then I only had a little bit of time before I knew I was gonna start Russian.. but I have a Danish friend online from

[quote=BabaYaga][quote=awb]uh...that was in

In Norway we say they speak with a potato in their throats.

damn you guys
I'm danish and danish aint that hard :P (well Do'H)
If anyone is still interested in learning or just talking try adding me to msn

Heh heh, I find it amusing that I started this thread nearly a year ago and it didn't get a decent reply until well after I returned from Denmark!

Just to share my experience with you all, I ended up staying in Denmark for 6 months...quite an extention from the planned one-month stay! I didn't do so well preparing for Danish before I went, but quickly picked up the basics once I got there and gave Bente Elsworth's course another try...it was much easier after I was used to hearing the language a bit and could better understand the pronounciation. So I fell in love with the country and after the hawk/owl study I was working on ended, I moved on to a neighboring dairy farm and helped out on the farm and with their kids for room and board. I learned a lot more Danish on the farm...having to deal with a 4-year-old Danish girl necessitates it! Just watching english television programs and reading the Danish subtitles really helped. Also, watching 'The Lion King' like, 200 times in Danish didn't hurt, either.

A funny thing, there were a few Ukranians around town working on the farms, so I had the opportunity to practice my Russian (which was never very solid to begin with). It was actually my first time conversing with Russian speakers, and I found it hard to understand phrases that I myself could say with ease...just because I wasn't used to hearing it from another person. Or maybe the Ukranian accent threw me off...assuming they had one. Anyway, I was more focused on learning Danish, and I found as time went on it was harder and harder to speak Russian. The Danish took over my brain and Danish words would come out in my Russian sentences! Soooo, as of now my Russian is in pretty bad shape...I suppose if I work at it I can pick it up again without too much trouble. I'd like to hold on to the Danish for now though, as I plan to visit again this fall. :>

In order to speak Danish, di you have to do oral surgery?

Haha, nearly. Though I still can't properly pronounce 'r

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

In Norway we say they speak with a potato in their throats.

becouse it is truth! You can hear it