Danish at ISB

Danish at school

At ISB we respect Denmark as our host country and students take at least three hours of Danish each week starting in P1. At all levels, Danish is taught in two ways: Danish Language & Literature (primarily for students who have Danish as a home or family language) and Danish Acquisition (for students who are learning Danish as an additional language). Given that the two Danish subjects have quite specific objectives, they are not treated as two levels, but as two different tracks. It is possible, but rare, for students to move from one track to the other. You will find more information about Danish in the PYP here, and about Danish in the MYP here.

Danish at home

Families come to ISB with different expectations and needs regarding Danish language instruction, and we do our best to meet those needs while adhering to the requirements of the IB. While many of our graduates—both Danish and international—go on to secondary education in the Danish system, we must acknowledge that there are only so many hours in a day, and English is our language of instruction. Therefore, international families wishing for their children to achieve fluency may need to make an extra effort towards Danish immersion outside of school.

This can be achieved in a variety of ways. Most extracurricular activities in Denmark happen through community organisations, which is a great way to boost students’ use of Danish. Encouraging children to read and watch TV in Danish at home is also extremely beneficial. After graduation, students planning to continue in the Danish system will often choose to spend a year with other Danish students at an efterskole (boarding school) or grade 10 before continuing on to the next level. Both are very common options for the general population of students in Denmark.