Vladimir Georgiev: Denmark and Learning Danish
Today I'm talking to Vladimir Georgiev, a Bulgarian national who ventured on to Learn Danish and even live in Denmark for an extended period of time.
January 9, 2015 · 42 min
EP 44: Vladimir Georgiev: Denmark and Learning Danish
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Vladimir Georgiev
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Hello everyone and welcome to episode 44 of the actual fluency podcast, the podcast for language learners and language enthusiasts. I'm back here and today the topic is Denmark and Danish. And probably in the other order to be honest, it's more about the Danish language than is the Danish culture, but of course they're intertwined.
And of course, the reason that I wanted to bring you a Danish episode is that, as you might know, I am from Denmark, so I felt it was a good idea to talk about. And I've seen a lot of people interested in learning Danish recently, and I thought I'd give you an interview with a guy from Bulgaria who has successfully learned Danish and actually he speaks now so well that people on the street don't even switch to English immediately, which, you know, happens for many learners of Scandinavian languages.
So, this is kind of an episode where I talked to a foreigner learning Danish, and then in an upcoming episode in the future, I'll sort of do a a more thorough technical episode just talking, probably just myself. Maybe I'll invite another Danish guy on to talk about the Danish language. And, yeah, that'll be it.
In terms of the news this week, and of course, if you're listening to this in the future, this doesn't apply, but it's around January 9th. The Italki New Year's Language Challenge, new year's language challenge, is on, and I will be participating, and the rules are quite simple. You just join the challenge. It costs 100 italki credits, which is $10 in the conversion, and you are in the challenge, and all you have to do is take 20 lessons or 20 hours of language learning between January 15th and February 28th. So, basically, you, you're pledging to take 20 lessons in about a month and a half.
And the advantage of this is, of course, that you get a lot of motivation to do, to learn a language. I mean, 20 lessons is a lot of language learning, and it really power boosts the language that you're choosing to do the challenge in, and I would recommend it to, to most people. I haven't done an Italki challenge before, but I've definitely done challenges before, and the results in my language learning have been quite staggering.
So, if you want to join that, Italki language challenge, you can go to actualfluency.com/challenge. And as I said, it's 100 italki credits to join, but those will be given back to you at the end along with a bonus for completing the challenge. And if you don't complete, of course, you won't get the bonus, but I'm looking at it this way, even if I don't complete the challenge, 100 italki credits or $10 is a very small price to pay for a ton of motivation. You know, even if you just complete 15 lessons, 15 lessons in, in what is equivalent to about five weeks, you know, or six weeks. I mean, that's fantastic. That's so much learning that you're getting, and you wouldn't have done it if you hadn't thought about this challenge.
So, I would just encourage you, everyone, to go check out the Italki New Year's Challenge. actualfluency.com/challenge will send you directly to the registration page for that. And if you're joining it, be sure to mention in the comments of the show. This is episode 44, so actualfluency.com/44. I'll be happy to hear what you're working on.
I'll be doing Russian mostly. Probably, maybe even exclusively. I haven't decided quite yet. I'm still working on Russian, my, sort of my language, but it's been a very interesting journey now 10 months in, and I feel quite comfortable in the language now. You know, I couldn't go to Russia and just land in, but I understand so much more than when I started. I can produce most meanings that I want to convey, and I understand how the grammar works and everything. So, it, it's truly a wonderful feeling to be learning languages, and I can only thank you guys for sort of being there for me, you know, as much as I produce this content for you out there to motivate and inspire. I definitely also use it myself to keep on track, and every time you send me a message or an email, it really makes my day and wants me to, gives me the desire to work even harder and, you know, sort of be the detective and give you guys the results and the findings that will improve all of our lives basically.
So, that's it. And regarding this Danish coming up, I am working with a friend on a Danish project. So, if you're interested in learning Danish, um, I'm giving away a free 30-page grammar guide. And it's basically just a short introduction to Danish grammar, talking about some of the most important things you need to know. Absolutely free PDF. All you need to do is sign up, and you go to actualfluency.com/danish, and the PDF will be sent to your email, and then you'll also be notified when my new learn Danish website goes on, and I'm really excited about that.
I'm excited about giving back to the polyglot community, giving back to the language learners for all that you've done for me to improve my life and, um, yeah, everything. So, I just want to design a kick-ass, learn Danish website and just use my sort of unfair advantage as a Danish person to really help you guys learn the language if you're interested. You know, I understand if you're not interested in learning Danish. It's the smallest of these Scandinavian languages, and a lot of people say, well, they all speak fantastic English, so why should I learn it? And I totally understand that perspective, but some people really like the sound of it. Some people might have some kind of history with Denmark, might have a Danish parent, what do I know?
But anyway, if you are interested, yeah, actualfluency.com/danish, and you'll be sent to the form, and you'll be instantly receiving the 30, I think it's about 33 pages now, we've added a bit to it, PDF with an introduction to grammar, and it, and it will cost you absolutely nothing. So, it's my little treat to you, and now for the interview with Vladimir, and we're going to talk about Danish and Denmark. Danish edition of the podcast. I'm talking to Vladimir Georgiev from Bulgaria, and Vladimir's been learning Danish, and not only that, he's actually been living in Denmark as well. So, he's a prime person to talk to about learning this, uh, wonderful language, I would say, in my, uh, biased opinion. But, uh, Vladimir, how are you doing today?
I am doing fine. How about you?
Oh, fantastic. I'm glad I'm inside because there's a storm brewing here in, in Denmark.
Really?
So, it's nice to be inside.
Yes, it is. Uh, the weather in Denmark can be very often rainy or there are also storms. So,
Yeah.
Maybe we can talk about the Danish weather in a moment. But first, um, can you share with the listeners how you were first sort of got the interest for, for learning Scandinavian language and Danish in particular?
Uh, I just started to get interested in the languages, so, I didn't have a very, very specific reason to start learning languages. I was just, uh, looking at different websites, trying to get more information about different languages.
And, uh, maybe the reason, uh, my interest for learning languages get, uh, uh, sparked in the eighth grade when I had, uh, really great, uh, German teacher, and, uh, and after half a year or eight months learning German, I felt, uh, I felt that I am, uh, have a good level of German, and I started to look, to get interested in another language, to see different grammar systems because, uh, maybe because I like the German grammar, since it's very logical and, uh, and in that way, I could understand how a language works.
Mhm.
And maybe I got, maybe I choose the firstly Scandinavian languages because they are, they, uh, have very similar vocabulary to the German.
Yeah. And you wanted to learn a Scandinavian language, uh, did you want to, uh, live in Scandinavia or was it just because of the language that you were interested?
Uh, as a starting point, I, I was interested to study in the, to study in my Scandinavian language, Scandinavian studies in my home city. But, uh, I also considered the option to go to Scandinavia.
And, uh, in order, and I made a research what kind of programs, uh, there are in Scandinavia, and I found out that, uh, as a foreign student from an European country, I can choose, uh, I, I have to choose an English, uh, taught program, and I need to pass, uh, exam in English. And, uh, this was, uh, at that point, this was one of my problems, since, uh, German was my primary language in high school, and my English was not very great.
And, uh, in 2011, I passed an IELTS exam and again, my result wasn't that, wasn't that great, but, uh, with, uh, but it was enough to get in some schools in Denmark, because in, in, at that moment, uh, Sweden, uh, there started to come more and more international European students to Sweden, and then, and they, uh, changed the requirements for the English level, which didn't happen in Denmark, so, so with, uh, with the result of, uh, 6.0 in IELTS, I could, uh, I could only apply for a Danish university, the for a Danish school.
All right, great. And, yeah.
And, uh, then again, and, uh, I also, but until the end of the, the first, the first term of the 12th grade in the school, I didn't really know if I am going to study abroad, so I also made a research about, uh, about, uh, this subject in the university, language studies, Scandinavian studies.
And, uh, I went to, uh, a couple of events organized for the people who have, who are in the circle, and I tried to meet the people and to ask them what is the program all about, what do they feel,
Hmm.
And, uh, and I remember there was one, uh, one woman who was just graduate from this study, and she said that, uh, she, she would recommend me to, to instead of, uh, going for language study in the Sofia University to choose for, to go to, to go to study in a Scandinavian-speaking country. So that, uh, so that I don't, uh, study the language but, uh, have to speak it.
Right. And, and you found out that Denmark because of the, the requirements were lower, so you went to Denmark.
And, uh, because, and because the, the system for application in Sweden was more complex, and I wasn't really sure how to, what to do, and how to proceed.
Mhm. And, and when did you start learning Danish? As in, you know, starting your first experience in Danish?
Uh, I can't tell you the exact date when I first heard it.
Oh.
And this was the Friday, 27th of November, 2009. I, I was actually looking for a song in Dutch, uh, to hear how Dutch sound, but instead, I found a song in Danish. And this song was, uh, it's called "No Du Hvem Er Mig," and her author is Celina Ree.
Mhm.
Have you heard about this singer?
No, but I'm the worst to talk to about Danish singers, so. It's natural.
And, uh, then I had, uh, I had, uh, some notebooks where I, I wrote, uh, some words, try to make some sentences, and to, study the, the regular and irregular form of the verbs.
But this, and, and in the, in 2012, when I knew that I will, uh, go, that I will study in Denmark, I signed for, uh, for a Danish course in, uh, in my city. This was a private school, and the teacher was, uh, a person who also graduated from, uh, who has also just graduated from Scandinavian studies.
Mhm. And how did you find that course? Did it help you?
Uh, I, I think that, uh, yes, I learned, uh, it, it helped me, but we were a small group of, uh, three persons, but later on, one of the, one of the women, one woman wasn't, woman wasn't really satisfied with the course because she wanted to, she wanted to speak, uh, from day one.
And at that moment, I was happy with, uh, with, uh, the teaching methods of my teacher that he gave us, uh, homework, word list, word list about different topics and also to write exercises. And, uh, for me, at that moment, this was, uh, okay. And at the end, I had an exam, which I passed with, uh, 98%.
Wow.
That's a good, good course. Uh, and, uh, yeah, as an ending point, I, uh, should have the level of, uh, A1 or A2.
Mhm. And, and what did you do after? Did you study, after the course, I mean, did you study at home on your own or did you then go to Denmark and do some study in there?
Uh, then, uh, I, uh, then I had to study for the exam, so I didn't really do much, and then, and then I got the acceptance letter for, from, uh, from the Copenhagen Business Academy from the school where I studied. Mhm.
And, uh, I found out that, uh, and even from that period, I found out that, uh, Denmark is, uh, is a country where you, where you have to, uh, to do everything by yourself, especially when you are a foreigner coming to Denmark.
Mhm.
And so, I also had to apply for, to search for a room by myself, and, uh, I tried to, to contact the owners in Danish by written mails.
Mhm. How did that go?
Uh, I don't, uh, the people were, also answering in Danish if I contact them, but I also find out, at one point, I found out that, uh, there are in the website, there are many, uh, students from different countries who don't know Danish, who post, uh, their advertisements.
And, uh, the problem wasn't, the language wasn't that problem. The problem was that, uh, there was a huge competition for the rooms.
Right, yeah. It's normal in Copenhagen, yeah.
Yes, and for some cheap rooms, there were, uh, 200, 200 people competing for one room.
Yeah, that's incredible. So, what did you, what, once you've, uh, sort of got into Danish and the language, what kind of things do you think that are hard for new Danish learners, and, and did, did you have anything that you found particularly challenging when starting to learn it?
Uh, maybe in the very first month in 2009, when I first heard it, uh, I was, uh, maybe the pronunciation shocked me a little bit.
But later on, when I read more articles about it, I figured out how the different letters are pronounced, and, uh, and, uh, I started to, and I started to get used to it, to try to replicate it, quickly, and, uh,
So, that's the tip for people if they're struggling with the, with the Danish pronunciation, which can be tricky, is to listen and try to replicate.
Maybe also to listen or, or to try to, or to try to, uh, also to read information and also to, to try to somehow, uh, just to get more, uh, exercise.
Maybe, uh, the best solution, the best solution will be if they have, uh, person who is, who is patient and who will, and who will listen to them.
Mhm. And, and did you have any other challenges? What did you think of the grammar, for instance?
Uh, the grammar, uh, wasn't, uh, that difficult. Uh, some, uh, this aspect of, uh, putting the articles at the end of the word, isn't, uh, hard at all for me because, because it's the same way the, the nouns, uh, the nouns are inflected in Bulgarian.
And, uh, and generally, the, the grammar is, uh, not, is not that hard at all. So, uh, uh, maybe the, the only thing that, uh, people have to remember is how to do the, how to do the sentences with, uh, and, uh, for the, and, uh, other, uh, conjunctions which require that you put the adverb after the subject.
Mhm.
Maybe this is the only thing that, uh, people can be confused. Right. Only the most difficult part that can confuse people.
So, you'd still recommend people to try learning Danish. It's not scary.
Uh, yes, it's, uh, well, I also, it, at the first moment, I also thought that, uh, I will never learn the pronunciation, but later on, I learned it.
But, uh, but, uh, I've seen that, uh, that, uh, most people, maybe 99% of the foreigners who are coming to Denmark, uh, come without speaking, uh, any word of Danish. And, uh, and I see how they become scared by the pronunciation.
Mhm.
And by the fact that they don't understand anything from what people talk in the street.
Right. So, you recommend that if you're going to stay in Denmark, do some studying, uh, at home, particularly on the pronunciation before you go.
Yeah, yeah, I think that, uh, it is, uh, it is recommended to, if you are planning to, uh, to study or to live in Denmark for an extended period, I recommend that, uh, the people are going to, uh, learn Danish before leaving.
Hmm. Yeah, that's a good tip. And, um, let's, uh, switch the focus a little bit from the language to the general, sort of, culture. What did you experience when you first came to Denmark? And did you know anything about the Danish culture, uh, from your course, maybe, that you found out was true, or did something surprise you about the Danish way of life?
Uh, I didn't, maybe, uh, my teacher explained, uh, some, uh, some things when he explained us the rules, but I generally, I didn't know much about, uh, the, about the life in Denmark. I also, I also had, uh, contacted some people who live there to ask them how it is life, but, uh, generally, I didn't know much about the lifestyle in Denmark.
And, uh, at, at the, and in the beginning, in the very first day, despite of, uh, having a, uh, having, uh, elementary level of Danish A2, I, I wasn't able to understand what people are talking on the street, the very first day.
All right. Was it because it sounded different from what you had heard previously, or was it, were they speaking too fast, or?
Yes, maybe because they were speaking, uh, they were speaking, uh, fast.
Right. Did you get used to it, uh, or did you go home and practice with, uh, the news or something?
Uh, after, after three weeks, I started at least to, I started to try to, uh, to use only the menu in Danish on my mobile phone and to try to read the different letters which I received and to contact the persons in Danish.
But as a newcomer to Denmark, uh, one thing that a person, a person has to deal with different complicated situations, like getting a residence permit, opening a bank account, and, uh, finding, uh, maybe finding, uh, housing, or maybe some stuff which, uh, which require that, which, uh, require, uh, a better language level, or which require that, that you are somehow, that you are behaving as a grown-up and not as a child, not as a child or a person who is struggling to learn the language.
And due to the fact that, uh, I came together with my aunt, and, uh, and I was around many international students, I also, I also had to deal with the, the peer pressure to speak in English.
Hmm. How did you, did you find that if you tried to speak Danish to people that they switched to English?
Um, I think that, uh, this depends on the, it, it depends on the situation, uh, I didn't have that many, uh, I had, of course, negative experience, but they happened mostly in places where, uh, another, uh,
Was it? Hello?
Uh,
Are you there?
Yes, I am here, just my mother came inside to take, uh, lunch.
Okay, no problem. So, you were saying about, you had some problems with people switching to Danish.
Uh, people switching to English, no.
Oh, sorry, yeah.
I thought the other would be nice. I mean, uh, it, if, uh, I mean, it mostly in a situation, in places where another international people go, or in a situation where, in social situation where it's somehow clear that I am, that I am a foreigner or that I have the etiquette of the, the level of the foreigner.
And, uh, and also at some places has, uh, have, it has happened to me that, uh, that a Danish person start, uh, start to talk to me directly in English, but, uh, I don't know, after, after two, after I have lived two years and a half, maybe some place, or when I need to go a person or to go to some place to, to, uh, to do things I need, or, and I speak in Danish. They, they answer in Danish, and they, and they don't, they don't ask me if I am, if I am a foreigner or if I am not.
I know that, uh, maybe I don't have the, uh, the best, uh, the best, uh, language, uh, the best language skills, but, uh, and the best accent, but the people, but the people are able to understand what I am saying, and I am also able to understand what they are replying in Danish.
Yeah, that's, uh, that's the goal of the learning, isn't it? That we can communicate. That's the first objective. And you, you also, we met also in Berlin at the polyglot gathering. Um, why did you decide to go to the gathering and, uh, how did you hear about it?
Uh, how did I hear about the polyglot gathering? Because, um, in 2000 and, uh, in Berlin, I found, I started to find, uh, to find out more about, uh, polyglotry in the, in the internet. I found firstly the blog of, uh, Benny Lewis. And then I found his, uh, video clips, and then I found out the materials of Luca Lampariello, Richard Simcott, and, uh, the other famous names in the polyglot world.
And, uh, and I found out, and later on, I found out that, uh, they will organize a polyglot gathering in Berlin, so I, and I was, uh, and I was, uh, very interested to meet, uh, these people in person, and, uh, and because of this, I, uh, I decided to go to the polyglot gathering.
Unfortunately, when I, uh, tried to register on the website, the, the, it was fully booked, and there was not no seats. But at the end of May, of May, one of the polyglot groups, uh, you, uh, Maya announced that there are some, some free spots, and I, and I reserved the spot for one day.
All right.
I wasn't able, because of my exam, I wasn't able to do it for a longer time, so I just for the last day only.
Right. And what did you think about it? Did you have a lot of fun there?
Uh, I met interesting people, but I was also, I was also somehow, uh, under the pressure to, to take out the most of it during this one day. And as many people as possible, and to meet, especially Benny Lewis or and, uh, and another famous, and other names that I've heard from the internet.
Mhm. So, yeah. And you recorded a video for Benny's blog with Lauren.
Yes, and in fact, in fact, this is something that I completely didn't expect. They just, they just came into the room with the microphone, and, uh,
Speak, speak Esperanto.
and Lauren asked me if I, if I speak Esperanto, and I said in Esperanto that I don't speak Esperanto, and, uh, and
That's funny.
And I decided to record the, the conversation.
Right. So, what is your, what do you think of Esperanto? If you, you say, if you say you don't speak it, how do you, how did you know how to say you don't speak it in Esperanto?
Uh, I also, I also have done a very little study on it.
Mhm.
Not that much, maybe.
Right. Do you wanna bring that level up or?
Uh, maybe in the future, I don't know. It's not one of my first priorities, but maybe in the future, I will learn more.
Right. What's, what's the first priority then for the next language?
Uh, the next language, the first priority is, uh, is, uh, Romanian language, since I am going to the country for, uh, seven months after, after I am done, and I am almost done with the education in Denmark.
All right. So, what, what are you gonna do in, uh, Romania?
Uh, I am going to be, uh, to be a volunteer on an EVS project, and, uh, the, and the project will imply that, uh, we will be very, it will be about, uh, outdoors activities for kids, and we will be very engaged in the local community. And I think that we will need to deal with, uh, people who don't, uh, who are not necessarily open-minded to international people or speak English.
Right. So, you want to learn some Romanian to, uh, do it better.
I have, uh, since I, since I, I have, uh, already, uh, learned for, uh, for more than, uh, one year, since, uh, but, of course, I, I just, uh, continue, I, I just, uh, continue after I learned, after I found out that I am selected for this project. I continue to study.
Great. And, uh, do you have any plans in 2015 to go for the other polyglot gathering, the Berlin and New York one?
Uh, for Berlin, yes. For New York, I'm not sure.
Right. But you're coming for more than one day in Berlin this time?
Uh, I guess so. It depends on, on my work schedule.
Right. But you'd like to, I guess.
Yes, I, I will be able to come for, I have booked the whole period, but I will come for sure for two days, but maybe it will be great if I can come for the whole period.
Yeah, I, I think it's a really good experience, and it's a lot of fun to hang out with everyone. And there's a lot of good talks as well.
But, don't you think also that, uh, the polyglot gathering is organized so that, uh, it is, uh, simply impossible to, to meet even one, even the half or even 1/3 of the people, because there are coming so many people to this.
Yeah. Exactly. You just have to go several times, so you can meet new people every time. That's the only way to do it, I think. But anyway, enough talk about the conferences. Um, I think we've, uh, discussed, uh, talked a lot about, uh, Danish that people might be interested in, in hearing. So, before I, I let you go back to your, your, the rest of your Friday, uh, do you have any kind of tips or tricks for people who want to learn, uh, maybe Danish in particular, but also just in general language learning tips that you've come across to that has helped you, that you think you is worth sharing?
Maybe I will, I will start to say, to, I will talk more a little bit about my experience meeting international students in Denmark and also about other, and about, uh, learning in general. I have seen, uh, that, uh, most international students come with zero knowledge of Danish. And, uh, almost all of them, uh, continue to, uh, make a whole education in Denmark in English without, uh, without learning, uh, any Danish.
And, uh, this is because every, and I guess this is because everything in the university, in the university is in English. And, uh, because they stay together in dormitories with another international people, and the few Danish people who are there are also somehow more open-minded to meet international people, and they have, and they speak perfect English.
So, uh, and in particularly to students who are coming to, to Denmark, uh, and people who are coming to Denmark to work, I recommend that, uh, if they plan they are coming in advance, and I'm sure that they will not, uh, decide from today to tomorrow to go to Denmark. I will recommend them that, uh, they, they start to look for, uh, Danish music, or to look for a Danish tutor on italki. Or to use another sites for language learning. And, uh, so that they will be prepared, they will have a little bit knowledge when they come to Denmark.
And about other languages, I also think that, uh, that, uh, you, that maybe it's a good idea to meet a teacher who will help you from early stage to get into the language and culture. Because when you have, when you, it's likely that when you start a new language, you will have people from this country who can't speak your own language or English, and they might not be that helpful.
But. So, find a teacher possibly on italki as well. Um, there's a, italki New Year's Challenge going on, so, you know, that's always a good opportunity to get started.
Yes. I, I also have registered in italki as a tutor, but due to my limited, uh, schedule, I, I haven't even tried to find the students.
Right. Yeah, it's the, we're all missing the time. That's, uh, the biggest, uh, lack in language learning. Finding the time, isn't it?
Um, maybe yes, but, uh, I think that it's most, that it's also most important to, to find materials, materials which interest you. Maybe, maybe you can also recommend for the student, uh, what they, uh, for students who already have a little graph of language, some Danish programs which can, uh, which they can find interesting.
Yeah, exactly. There's lots of, particularly if you're into crime stories, uh, the Danish crime stories on television has kind of boomed in the last five years. So, there's lots of crime stories, uh, detective stories. And, uh, I can put some links to those in the, on the blog if people are interested.
Maybe can you put about, uh, something which is, uh, easier, which is some kind of, uh, humoristic, uh, some kind of interesting YouTube channels in Danish, or, uh, some typical, uh, Danish movies which are, which are even, which are not that that hard, maybe which which are even funny. Right. Can you also?
I'll see if I can, uh, I can put some resources. If you have any, just be sure to send them to me. But, uh, but, but, uh,
I already have the most, the, the most resources that I used were, the, were the people who are living there. I didn't use many more.
Yeah, I want to make my own resources, but that's a whole another story. Uh, but for now, Vladimir, I just want to say, uh, thank you for taking the time to, uh, to share your experience of learning Danish and moving to Denmark with us, uh, with me and the listeners. And, uh, I'm sure I'll, I'll see you in Berlin.
Yes, we'll, we'll see in Berlin.
All right. See ya.