The method that works with your brain
SELECT A DANISH COURSE THAT’S RIGHT FOR YOU
About Danish
Danish is spoken by around 5.9 million people primarily in Denmark, but also by smaller population groups in Northern Germany, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.
Danish is a key member of the North Germanic language family. With its roots in Old Norse, Danish shares close linguistic ties with Norwegian and Swedish, making it a vital part of Scandinavia’s rich cultural and historical tapestry. The similarities between the Scandinavian languages allow speakers of Danish, Norwegian and Swedish to communicate directly with each other using their own languages.
Historically, Danish was written in runes. Modern Danish uses the Latin alphabet, just like the English language but with three additional letters: æ, ø, and å. Unlike English, Danish has no direct word for “please.” Similarly, some Danish words, such as “hygge” (a cosy and relaxed atmosphere) and “arbejdsglæde” (satisfaction derived from work), have no exact English equivalents.
If you are already a fluent English speaker, you may be surprised by how many words in everyday use come from Danish. Words like cake, window, knife and sky are all derived from Danish (or its historical forms).
Learning Danish gives access to Denmark’s rich culture and storytelling tradition, including the works of renowned authors like Hans Christian Andersen, as well as popular films and TV series such as Borgen.
The Michel Thomas Foundation Danish course will guide learners through Danish pronunciation, vowel sounds, grammar, and key vocabulary, providing a solid foundation in the standard variant of the Danish language.
Start Danish
LISTEN, ABSORB AND SPEAK DANISH NATURALLY
This 1-hour audio-only Danish ‘taster’ course is for beginners who are new to the Michel Thomas Method. The Michel Thomas Method works by breaking a language down into its component parts and enabling you to reconstruct the language yourself. From the very beginning, you will be able to construct simple phrases in Danish by listening and thinking out answers for yourself. The course will take about 3-4 hours to complete, pausing and repeating where necessary, and is available to stream online or download to the Michel Thomas Method Library app. It is the first hour of the Foundation course.
Anne Grydehøj
Originally from Denmark, Anne Grydehøj has since 2010 lived in the UK, where she has worked at different universities teaching Danish language and culture. In 2016, she joined the Scandinavian Studies programme at University College London, where she now teaches on a wide range of courses including Danish language, linguistics, translation, and literature. With over two decades of language teaching experience in both Denmark and the UK, she is dedicated to promoting Danish language and culture, both in the classroom and beyond. She holds degrees from University of Aarhus (MA and BA), and a PhD from the University of Kent on contemporary French and Scandinavian crime fiction and has published widely on this topic. She has also co-written Danish Tutor – Grammar and Vocabulary Workbook (Hodder and Stoughton, 2018).
Foundation Danish
LISTEN, ABSORB AND SPEAK DANISH NATURALLY
This 8-hour digital audio-only Danish course will give you a solid understanding of Danish with no books, exercises, memorizing or homework. You will actively engage with the live lesson and your brain will start to make the connections necessary to build a strong foundation of the Danish language. The Michel Thomas Method works by breaking a language down into its component parts and enabling you to reconstruct the language yourself and as such you will see rapid and significant results in your Danish language learning. Within the first hour you will be able to construct simple sentences. By the end of the course, you will have the confidence to understand and speak basic Danish. It will take about 20-30 hours to complete the course as you learn at your own pace, pausing and repeating where necessary. This course is available to stream online or download to the Michel Thomas Method Library app.
This course incorporates the Start course.
Anne Grydehøj
Originally from Denmark, Anne Grydehøj has since 2010 lived in the UK, where she has worked at different universities teaching Danish language and culture. In 2016, she joined the Scandinavian Studies programme at University College London, where she now teaches on a wide range of courses including Danish language, linguistics, translation, and literature. With over two decades of language teaching experience in both Denmark and the UK, she is dedicated to promoting Danish language and culture, both in the classroom and beyond. She holds degrees from University of Aarhus (MA and BA), and a PhD from the University of Kent on contemporary French and Scandinavian crime fiction and has published widely on this topic. She has also co-written Danish Tutor – Grammar and Vocabulary Workbook (Hodder and Stoughton, 2018).