DENMARK - COPENHAGEN

Danish people of different generations prove again and again how widespread and advanced their high level of English is besides the national language Danish. As a student in Copenhagen, my social environment is very international. Through this the communication language after school does not change to Danish but rather stays in English, to be able to talk with everyone. In this way, it’s possible to make the experience of sitting at the table with one person each from China, Mexico, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Slovakia, France, and myself with origins in Austria and spend a pleasant evening. Although no one speaks the same native language, all can talk to each other in English. In appreciation of such fascinating moments, I would like to focus in the following blog on English as a foreign language.

One of the most exciting questions while spending a semester abroad is how am I coping with the foreign language? What is easier than expected, what are the difficulties, and what kind of strategies help to deal with it? To start from the very beginning, it was surprisingly easy to handle the initial interactions. Although I had some respect for how it would go with the language, I was able to get rid of this anxiety very fast.

From my perspective, I could see how, over time, a collection of words and phrases emerges that are used on a daily basis. That is an observation that I had for myself, but I think I could also notice these patterns of expression in my conversations with other Erasmus students. Of course, this collection grows with time and becomes larger. Nevertheless, I think the personal language begins to persist with some simple phrases that refer to specific regular occasions. This makes everyday situations very easy to handle and you can have casual conversations in a very relaxed way. While this is a step forward in increasing language proficiency, it can also discourage further improvement. So, it's hard to break out of that habit and ask yourself to expand the use of language. Some days you make it, others not so much because these moments where you go beyond your ordinary pool of words and phrases it becomes more difficult again. It’s again about stepping out of the comfort zone to make some progress. In that case, it helps to think about the following fact: What was new yesterday is already ordinary today and what is new today I will know tomorrow.

A strategy I personally do a lot and I think is a key to learning in a reserved way is listening to others. That means attentive listening and carefully following the words of others. Through that and by applying what you learned afterward helps to improve the language skills continuously. When it comes to communication differences, I see it as the most sensible approach to simply ask. Ask for repetition, another expression, or an explanation. Depending on the situation this might be unpleasant or requires some courage but for me, it is certainly the strategy from which you take away the most for future understanding. Through these straightforward strategies I can improve my English communication skills to speak more confidently.

I think the whole process of communicating in a foreign language sometimes includes being unprepared, improvising out of the comfort zone, listening, and asking questions and can be applied to different areas in life. It is a valuable asset to collaborate in the personal as well as professional life in today’s global world. But reflecting on myself as a communicator of another language makes me realize that communicating means more than just speaking. Therefore, communicating in a foreign language requires beyond the language skills, the willingness, openness, and awareness of cultural contrasts.