English speakers can find Danish particularly challenging to learn, out of all the Scandinavian languages, due to its monotony, flatness, quickness and softness. However, despite this, Danish does offer a little bit of help in that grammatically it’s not as difficult as some other European languages.
So, are you thinking of learning Danish? Or are you already deep into your Danish language-learning journey and you’re finding that you need some help? Whatever the case might be, if you’re looking for a bit of Danish assistance, you came to the right place.
Podcasts are an excellent resource for those learning Danish. They are a particularly good complement to Danish language-learning courses that are a bit more formalized, whether online or in person.
While podcasts can’t provide a total learning experience, they do provide good practice, and also will help you develop your listening comprehension skills. Plus, you can listen to them any time or anywhere, conveniently and often for free.
If you’re looking for a Danish language-learning podcast, check out the eight options below.
Podcasts for Beginners
Beginners will want to start out with the most basic of podcasts, those that teach you very simple Danish vocabulary words and sentence structure, and that do so in the English language, so you can follow along with ease. There’s no prior knowledge required and all you have to do is sit back, listen and learn a little Danish while you’re at it.
DanishClass101
DanishClass101 provides listeners with an array of podcast episodes geared toward language learners of varying stages, but there are quite a few episodes that are suitable for beginners.
You’ll be able to easily pick out the episodes that fit your skill level when you sort through the episodes, which are uploaded on a regular basis. In addition to episodes that teach basic things like vocabulary words and grammatical concepts, there are also episodes that focus on cultural aspects of the Danish language, so that you can learn more about the context of the language.
Most of the content and resources for DanishClass101 are behind a paywall, meaning you’ll need a subscription to access them, but plans are pretty budget-friendly. If you’re interested in learning more, you can read our full review of DanishClass101.
One Minute Danish
This short, 10-episode podcast series is a limited series with no more episodes being uploaded, but it does come in very handy for those who want to learn a little bit of Danish, even if they’re not really interested in becoming very fluent in it. The podcast is more suited for travelers and business people who need to get the basics of Danish under their belt in order to move through Denmark with ease. The episodes are hosted by a Danish teacher, Karin, and are all relatively on the short side.
Learn Danish with Copenhagencast
This older podcast is no longer active, but it does include several dozen episodes, all on different topics, to teach you various vocabulary words and common Danish phrases, as well as cultural lessons. The free podcast episodes are accompanied by pdf lesson notes, so you can follow along and compare your comprehension to the notes in front of you.
Intermediate
So you think you’re getting a handle on this Danish stuff? Well then push your language learning skills to the next level, with some intermediate podcasts.
Denmark 101 with Alex Berger
Don’t just learn about the Danish language. Embrace the Danish culture as well. If you’re going to become fluent in the language, you’re going to want to know the context around it, too. Podcast host Alex Berger takes you on an exploration of Denmark and its culture as viewed through an expatriate lens, with tips and tricks for visiting or living in Denmark included.
How to Live in Denmark
A similar podcast, How to Live in Denmark is presented by an American host living in Denmark as a foreigner for more than a decade. The podcast covers Danish current events and provides tips on navigating your way through Denmark, finding people to talk to and even basics like finding something to eat while traveling through Denmark. The podcast is updated once monthly.
Advanced
One of the best ways to move into advanced Danish speaking and listening skills is to jump right into listening to podcasts that are entirely spoken in Danish. You’ll soon find out whether or not you’re ready for the experience and, at that time, decide if you want to go back to the intermediate-level podcasts or press forward. Here are a few advanced, fully Danish podcasts to consider.
Entrepreneur Podcast
This podcast follows Danish entrepreneurs and their stories and experiences worth sharing. You’ll hear from these Danish businesspeople about their histories and learn their best tips, all spoken in Danish.
Dansk Komponist Forening
If your interests lie toward music and art versus entrepreneurship, then you might prefer to tune in to this podcast produced by the Danish Composers’ Society. The podcast focuses on professional creators of art and music, crossing all genres. Each episode is about half an hour long and focuses on a different artist. The podcast updates relatively infrequently and currently has a half-dozen episodes to choose from.
Radio Jazz Copenhagen
If you enjoy jazz music, and you’re pretty confident in your Danish listening comprehension skills, then you’ll find this Danish podcast to be right up your alley. It features unique pieces of jazz music, with commentary, and is all in Danish. While most of the hour-long podcast is music, you’ll be able to test your listening comprehension during the commentary portions of the podcast.
Final Thoughts
Learning Danish can definitely be challenging, that’s true. However, with the right tools on your side, you can make your language-learning experience a little more enjoyable and a little bit easier, too.
Do you know of a Danish language-learning podcast that we didn’t include in our list above? Let us know about it in the comments!