Back in November, the Little Viking had an official Danish language assessment. It was just days before I re-sat my own language exam. However, unlike me, he didn’t know it was coming; there weren’t any study sessions or hours spent memorizing presentations. No sleep was lost. His daily life was his prep. Realistically, after 1 year in vuggestue (nursery) and 6+ months in børnehave (kindergarten), he walks, speaks and dresses like a Dane. According to one of my closest friends, when he speaks Danish, he doesn’t have a Canadian or Irish/British accent from his dear parents. Instead, he’s heavily influenced by the classic Copenhagener accent, with the added charm of the occasional mispronunciation of vandet as “wandel” instead of “vandel” (water).
His assessment involved an iPad which he was presented in a playful manner with various objects that he needed to identify correctly. The appeal of an iPad (in our home, it’s a novelty strictly reserved for long airplane rides) and the added comfort of his regular pedagogue made for a happy child simply ‘playing a game’. The results were very positive; he’s thriving (“all in the green”) with zero concerns. No need for additional support or language specialists. His full immersion since he turned 2 has paid off. It was quite clear to us that the transition to børnehave further catapulted his language into overdrive. He’s in a group of 3- to 6-year-olds, and let’s be honest…they talk a lot! He’s now officially bilingual and not afraid to correct his parents as they fumble daily to find the correct Danish words or struggle with pronunciation.
His assessment encouraged me to reflect on our combined language journey thus far. Both are learning at the same time, at very different ages and stages of life. One in full immersion with play as his guiding light, and the other, trying very hard to understand the basics of semi-academic Danish grammar, while digging deep for the courage to speak in public and trying not to take myself too seriously. His confidence and can-do attitude are incredibly admirable. He switches between languages, often blending them, and reacts in a classic Danish manner when surprised with “nååå!”, “ej!” and “øv”. One week, he formulated most of his sentences with kun (only), then the next week it switched to bare (just). One day, I asked him if they had sung any songs at børnehave, and he instantly belted out a song about the days of the week, in Danish, of course. Zero hesitation.
Through my own weekly lessons, I’ve been able to keep partial pace with his language development, while often translating for my husband. But to be honest, I feel like I’m just barely nipping at the heels of his learning. Feeling encouraged by his results, I went on to re-sit and thankfully pass my module 3.3 exam. Just in time for us to head back to Canada for Christmas. Leaving me to wonder, what will full English immersion be like for him? Will it impact his Danish? Will he find it difficult or frustrating? Will our family understand him? Only time would tell. But if this entire experience has taught me anything so far, it’s to trust the process with unabashed humility.
