dansk: Help Me Learn Danish!
October 27, 2007 9:32 PM Subscribe
Children's books in Danish? Books on CD? I need Danish language resources!
I'm looking for materials to assist the process of learning Danish and I'm looking for something like children's books (maybe something similar to Tintin in French), or books on cd that I can order. I'd like to buy some resources and start a lending library for the lower classes at my university, since our library only lists 9 children's books in Danish and doesn't physically have them (only available through interlibrary loan).
Can you suggest any titles, places to order materials, or online resources like streaming talk radio? I'm pretty good at puzzling through context while reading, but my production sucks (I blank out on word order when trying to write) and ohmygod I have a tin ear. I can't understand a thing when it's spoken at normal speed and I'd like to try to fix that. Books on cd might be a good place to start. Even if the level is beyond me, it would help me to hear spoken danish. In English I'm fond of things like Bill Bryson's "In A Sunburned Country" (read by the author) and This American Life on NPR.
The resources I currently have are all class materials: Jokeren, a VERY slim booklet; a teeny little British English to Danish dictionary; and Retskrivningsordbog which gives the genders of various words and (I think) conjugations. This simply hasn't been enough for me. The verbal part is killing me too. I've only got class two days a week and that's just not enough time to hear and speak. For reference, I'm about a month into a 100-level university course on Danish.
Any suggestions? I'd love to go to Denmark this summer to take a language class, but I have to schedule a total hip replacement in the next six months, so I'm not sure traveling is going to be possible this year, financially or timewise (I'm in school full-time).
Tak skal du have to anyone who can point me in the direction of some good resources. I'm deadly serious about learning this language. I want to move there some day.
I'm looking for materials to assist the process of learning Danish and I'm looking for something like children's books (maybe something similar to Tintin in French), or books on cd that I can order. I'd like to buy some resources and start a lending library for the lower classes at my university, since our library only lists 9 children's books in Danish and doesn't physically have them (only available through interlibrary loan).
Can you suggest any titles, places to order materials, or online resources like streaming talk radio? I'm pretty good at puzzling through context while reading, but my production sucks (I blank out on word order when trying to write) and ohmygod I have a tin ear. I can't understand a thing when it's spoken at normal speed and I'd like to try to fix that. Books on cd might be a good place to start. Even if the level is beyond me, it would help me to hear spoken danish. In English I'm fond of things like Bill Bryson's "In A Sunburned Country" (read by the author) and This American Life on NPR.
The resources I currently have are all class materials: Jokeren, a VERY slim booklet; a teeny little British English to Danish dictionary; and Retskrivningsordbog which gives the genders of various words and (I think) conjugations. This simply hasn't been enough for me. The verbal part is killing me too. I've only got class two days a week and that's just not enough time to hear and speak. For reference, I'm about a month into a 100-level university course on Danish.
Any suggestions? I'd love to go to Denmark this summer to take a language class, but I have to schedule a total hip replacement in the next six months, so I'm not sure traveling is going to be possible this year, financially or timewise (I'm in school full-time).
Tak skal du have to anyone who can point me in the direction of some good resources. I'm deadly serious about learning this language. I want to move there some day.
oooh oooh oooh! Asterix for the win! Also, the works of carl barks, especially the uncle scrooge stories. The scrooge stories are derived from The clan of disney ducks, this should jog your memory if you don't know or remember.
http://duckman.pettho.com/tree/v_danish.html
it's even in dutch!
posted by wuzandfuzz at 11:20 PM on October 27, 2007
http://duckman.pettho.com/tree/v_danish.html
it's even in dutch!
posted by wuzandfuzz at 11:20 PM on October 27, 2007
English - Danish Dictionary
Danish - English Dictionary
The above two on cd-rom.
Free e-books.
Search the site for more.
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 1:34 AM on October 28, 2007
Danish - English Dictionary
The above two on cd-rom.
Free e-books.
Search the site for more.
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 1:34 AM on October 28, 2007
Best answer: Danish newspapers:
Politiken
Berlingske Tidende
Weekendavisen
Ekstra Bladet
DR is the Danish national broadcaster, like the BBC in the UK. There is netradio on the front page and here is a page with links to podcasts.
Good luck.
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 1:01 AM on October 28, 2007
Politiken
Berlingske Tidende
Weekendavisen
Ekstra Bladet
DR is the Danish national broadcaster, like the BBC in the UK. There is netradio on the front page and here is a page with links to podcasts.
Good luck.
posted by DelusionsofGrandeur at 1:01 AM on October 28, 2007
Best answer: Saxo.com is the first and largest Danish internet bookstore. They have a large selection of
books for children.
You may also be interested in Børneavisen, a monthly newspaper for children 9-14.
posted by iviken at 12:34 PM on October 28, 2007
books for children.
You may also be interested in Børneavisen, a monthly newspaper for children 9-14.
posted by iviken at 12:34 PM on October 28, 2007
Good advice from everyone above. I just wanted to point out that TinTin is also available in Danish. There is a comprehensive title list and possibly also purchase links (?) on the Danish wikipedia page (I also can't quiet read Danish yet).
posted by zem at 12:55 PM on October 28, 2007
posted by zem at 12:55 PM on October 28, 2007
Response by poster: Thanks so much guys! Saxo looks fanstastisk. Free e-books even! The links to the papers are really useful. I'll start with Børneavisen and work my way up. ;)
Wuzandfuzz--That's very cool that they've got Danish translations of Asterix. I'll definitely have to check that out.
posted by tejolote at 12:58 PM on October 28, 2007
Wuzandfuzz--That's very cool that they've got Danish translations of Asterix. I'll definitely have to check that out.
posted by tejolote at 12:58 PM on October 28, 2007
Best answer: Try Danmarks Radio's podcasts and news clips.
posted by Harald74 at 1:35 PM on October 28, 2007
posted by Harald74 at 1:35 PM on October 28, 2007
You've got to listen, that's the most important thing. I speak some swedish and thought Danish would be a doddle. Reading, sure, not much of a problem, but it's got to be the most impenetrable spoken language I ever tried. The sounds bear almost no resemblance to what you think they will sound like based on the writing. Even when you've got that down, it's still like talking with a mouthful of potatoes. As they say, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish are the same language, it's just that the Norwegians don't know how to spell it and the Danes don't know how to pronounce it! Good luck!
posted by conifer at 1:59 PM on October 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by conifer at 1:59 PM on October 28, 2007 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by tejolote at 9:36 PM on October 27, 2007