The Danish-Scottish Society is pleased to announce the return of the Danish Language School for Children, Den Danske Skole, on a trial basis in the school year 2025/2026!
This course is intended for P1-P3 children with a good understanding of the Danish language. Ability to speak Danish is not required. Each session will have a theme which children will explore through playful activities, rhymes, stories and songs. Reading and writing will be limited at this stage, instead focusing on building friendships and learning about Danish culture.
The price covers venue hire and learning materials for 4 sessions. This will take place from 10.30-11.30 at 6VT Youth Cafe in Edinburgh on 7 September, 5 October, 2 November, and 7 December.
Q&A
Will the children have different 'levels' in Danish when starting, i.e. some children will already be fluent in Danish, and some will not be used to speaking in Danish?
It's very likely and expected. Children can join however much Danish they currently speak and we expect they will all get a lot out of the school. Please do prepare them for the teacher to be communicating entirely in Danish (apart from specific situations where an important word needs explaining). Children don't have to speak in Danish - they are encouraged to contribute however they wish, and when needed, the teacher will repeat a word/phrase in Danish to reinforce language learning.
What can we do as parents/carers to help our child to speak more Danish?
Speak Danish with your child. If this isn't something you usually do, you can set aside specific times to speak Danish, without pressure. If your child doesn't reply in Danish, you can repeat their answer in Danish. Introduce your child to Danish culture, be it books, recipes, speaking to grandparents, or watching Danish TV together (in the UK, you can still access some programmes on dr.dk, e.g. as part of 'Minisjang' and 'Ramasjang'). We hope that through Den Danske Skole, we can also give parents more tools and prompts to continue the conversation at home.
Will you follow the curriculum for schools in Denmark?
No, at present there are no plans to follow Fælles Mål. It requires much more time and more pupils, and currently we are unable to offer Den Danske Skole more frequently than once per month. We will, however, look at some of the topics/goals in our planning.
My child has special needs, can we talk to you before they start?
Yes, please do get in touch with us to make sure we give your child the best support for learning.
Will the children be required to complete homework?
This hasn't been planned yet, but if there is something, it will be very 'light touch' for now. Families will be encouraged to continue the conversation in class at home, and we will aim to provide kids with prompts and props you can use at home between lessons to keep up the Danish.
What if my child is older than 7?
At this time, we're unable to offer more than one class as we aim to build up a cohort of kids at a similar age and stage to help target the teaching. Hopefully in the future we can expand the offer, but meanwhile you could explore some of the linked resources we have come across online:
School Level Danish - Danes Worldwide courses for children living abroad:
https://www.danes.dk/en/danish-language-courses/danish-courses-divided-into-three-levels/school-level-danish/
Dansk 0.-9. klasse - Dansk i Hele Verden:
https://danskiheleverden.dk/dansk-0-9-klasse-2/
Frequently asked questions from bilingual parents:
https://www.bilingualism-matters.ppls.ed.ac.uk/parents-questions/frequently-asked-questions/