Summary

There are some things so important, and with so much material, that they almost deserve their very own language course. Take, for example, going to the doctor’s or understanding your child’s illness. That’s where the online, introductory course Sundhedsdansk comes in. While we think this is a fantastic idea, there are some issues with the course. Since it only uses Danish, it can be challenging to work out exactly what the new language means. Pictures and videos help you out, but even so, we frequently had to turn to Google Translate. Moreover, we were unconvinced by the choice of – at times astonishingly simple or tangential – vocabulary. For example, in the lesson on “infections,” we wonder if vocabulary such as “door handle,” “hug,” and “pencil” could have been replaced with words like “bronchitis,” “antibiotics,” and “wet cough.” We also felt that the course would have benefited from vocabulary on additional topics, such as “broken bone,” “lump,” and “take the pills twice a day.” In fact, this course at times seems more concerned with teaching immigrants basic hygiene than how to communicate with a medical professional. While there are some useful phrases, expect to still feel quite confused when you visit the doctor’s – especially if they give you instructions about medicine, self-care, or medical procedures.