AAU offers a structured language journey for international staff, supporting the development of Danish language skills from beginner level to a level where Danish can gradually be used for teaching, supervision and assessment.

The language journey consists of internal Danish language courses at AAU, managerial support and the opportunity to supplement these with municipal Danish language education. Together, these elements support the gradual development of employees’ Danish language skills.

Beginner’s Course in Danish
As a newly employed non-Danish-speaking assistant professor, associate professor or professor, you must register for AAU’s Beginner’s Course in Danish no later than one year after employment. The course is typically completed during the first two years of employment and focuses on building basic everyday language skills and developing confidence in using Danish in both social and work-related contexts.

Danish in an Academic Context
After completing the Beginner’s Course at AAU, you continue with AAU’s course Danish in an Academic Context. The course focuses on using Danish in an academic context, including supervision, assessment, teaching and academic communication. It supports the language development needed to gradually use Danish in work-related tasks at the university.

Municipal Danish Language Education – Danish Language Tests 2 and 3
Alongside the Danish in an Academic Context course, you can make use of the municipal Danish language education programme. The two programmes complement each other: AAU’s course focuses on Danish in an academic context, while the municipal programme provides the opportunity to work towards the official Danish language tests, Danish Language Test 2 (PD2) and Danish Language Test 3 (PD3).

The Beginner’s Course at AAU provides a solid linguistic foundation, which may allow you to be placed at a higher level in the municipal Danish language programme and thereby skip some of the introductory modules.

Passing PD2 can be used to meet the language requirement for permanent residence, while PD3 can be used as documentation of Danish language skills when applying for Danish citizenship. For employees residing in Denmark, the municipal programme is generally free of charge during the first five years of residence.

The purpose of the Danish language courses
The aim of the programme is for international staff to gradually develop the language skills needed to contribute to parts of teaching in Danish – for example through supervision, assessment or teaching activities with support from a Danish-speaking colleague. For some, this will be possible earlier in the programme, while for others it may happen later, depending on their language development and specific work tasks.

This figure shows the overall language journey and the expected timeline from employment to the first teaching tasks in Danish.

Target group for the Beginner’s Course
The Beginner’s Course is mandatory for newly employed non-Danish-speaking assistant professors, associate professors and professors at AAU.

Teaching staff and PhD students in fixed-term positions can also participate by agreement with their manager. Participation is voluntary but recommended as part of their language development and integration at AAU.

The course is aimed at participants at beginner level. It is therefore a prerequisite that you speak no Danish or only have very limited Danish language skills. Participants are not divided into groups according to language level, but teaching and group work are adapted to participants’ different linguistic backgrounds and starting points.

Target group for Danish in an Academic Context
The course Danish in an Academic Context builds on the Beginner’s Course and is aimed at employees who can already understand and use Danish in simple everyday and work-related situations.

As a general rule, you must have completed the Beginner’s Course to participate in Danish in an Academic Context. An exemption may be granted if you have already acquired basic Danish language skills through other language training or previous residence in Denmark. 

Contact
If you are unsure which course is appropriate for your level, or whether you can be exempted from the Beginner’s Course and start directly with Danish in an Academic Context, please contact Team Trivsel og Udvikling at trivselogudvikling@adm.aau.dk. 

You are expected to participate actively in the course and prioritise the course as part of your work. The courses take place during working hours, and your immediate manager supports your participation by providing time and the right conditions for your language development.

Language development is an ongoing process, and progress will vary from person to person. The most important thing is therefore not to reach a specific level quickly, but to continuously develop your Danish skills and apply them in practice when relevant.

The Danish language courses are designed to give you the language skills and confidence you need to use Danish more easily in your work and everyday life at AAU. The aim is not for you to be able to do everything from the beginning, but to gradually develop your Danish skills and apply them as your language skills progress.

The courses will, among other things, support you in:

• becoming more confident using Danish in both social and work-related situations
• having better opportunities to participate actively in the university’s professional and social communities
• feeling better equipped to collaborate and communicate with colleagues and students in Danish
• gradually being able to use Danish for supervision, assessment and teaching activities when relevant
• building a strong foundation for continuing your language development through the municipal Danish language programme and working towards the Danish Language Test 2 (PD2) or Danish Language Test 3 (PD3)
• strengthening your opportunities for professional development and career progression at AAU.

You can register for the beginner Danish course in Plan2Learn here.

After registering for the beginner course, you will receive practical information and course materials on an ongoing basis via HF&VUC NORD’s Teams channel.

The course Danish in an Academic Context will be offered for the first time in 2027. Once registration opens, information about the course and a registration link will be available here on the page.