The Little Viking Saga – The Immersion Reset (Episode 11)

After spending the month of December in the Pacific Northwest of Canada, the transition back to the land of smørrebrød and hygge wasn’t quite as seamless for The Little Viking as I had hoped. The experience of English immersion for such a long period certainly benefited him by expanding his language skills in his native tongue. But it wasn’t without a temporary disruption to his Danish. Upon our return, he spent a good two weeks speaking a lot of English to some very confused friends and sympathetic pedagogues. 

I did, however, notice something interesting during our time in Canada; he would be chatting away to his cousin, then reach for a word and out would pop some Danish. It dawned on me that I think he frequently *thinks* in Danish. 

I’ve since returned to the next module of language classes, still struggling with word order and inversion, while my son is back at børnehave, not only speaking but singing in Danish. I do recognize that I’ve entered a new stage, as I’ve started to second-guess whether someone has said something to me in English or Danish. Or when I’ve read something and I can’t remember which language it was in. Whatever this stage is called (perhaps acceptance? Or delusion?), I’m very much in it. 

My comprehension is improving rapidly, but my speaking skills are lagging. Though admittedly, I keep waiting until my Danish is “good enough” before using it in the real world with adults (I’m aware this is the wrong approach, but it’s a tremendous mental block). Nobody wants to feel like a burden on others who are just trying to go about their day.

Fast forward to Spring and we’re finally back into the swing of things. Add in the appearance of the sun, snowdrops, and cheerful bird song, and suddenly the month of illness (February), an everlasting polar vortex, and endless dreary winter days have all been forgotten. Anything feels possible! Motivation has been restored! 

The other day I found myself cycling our cargo bike with my son and one of his friends aboard, while confidently asking them, “Har I en god dag?” (are you having a good day?), coupled with “Hvad har I lavet i dag?” (what did you do today?). Could I keep up with their responses? Nej. Their waterfall of words splashed off each other’s, interspersed with adorable giggles. But the satisfaction of being able to even slightly communicate was invigorating and the sound of their happy little voices made my heart swell. 

This is why I’m committed to learning Danish. 

So, while I keep treading water with each class, sitting alongside my well-spoken classmates, pondering how long I can “fake it until I make it”. My son is suffering zero long-term effects from a month of English immersion. He continues to speak Danish confidently and enthusiastically, day in and day out, unapologetically building his vocabulary alongside his friends.