Camilla and Anne from Implement are on a mission to help their international team members ‘put down roots’ and create exactly the thing that is vitally important to succeed as a consultant with Implement: Strong internal connections! Their work with Studieskolen to provide Danish lessons has a positive effect on this goal.
Head of human resources, Anne Livbjerg Roed, explains, “Our corporate language at Implement is English. However, it’s natural to switch to Danish sometimes, like for chats around the coffee machine. And I would like international employees to feel included and a part of Implement on a completely equal footing to their Danish colleagues. We don’t want to force anyone to learn Danish. We offer it as a gift.”
The person in charge of liaising with Studieskolen is HR consultant Camilla Oxlund Lessèl. In her view, one of the benefits to working with Studieskolen is that the classes are exclusively made up of Implement employees and that that the classes take place at Implement:
“Our consultants spend a lot of time out of house with our customers. But it’s incredibly important that they also feel a strong sense of belonging with Implement. Good internal connections are vital. The Danish classes have a positive and contagious effect, and it’s worth a great deal to us to have a member of our team that is thriving.”
The classes take place in small groups of 3 to 5 people divided according to level and with a continuous intake. If someone is at a level completely different from their colleagues, they are offered one-to-one classes. Studieskolen provides both the solo as well as the group classes.
How do employees at Implement experience the classes?
Lisa Barz works as a Management Consultant at Implement. She was hired in September 2022 after completing her master’s degree at CBS. When Lisa was told by her colleagues that there was an opportunity to learn Danish at Implement, she was immediately interested. Now, Lisa takes Danish classes once a week at Implement. She receives one-to-one teaching because there aren’t any classes at her level.
Expects to speak Danish with the customers in a year’s time
“I am confident that I will be able to speak Danish with our customers in about a year. I use the time with my teacher to practise speaking Danish. I have already gained a good understanding of Danish through evening classes. That’s why I want to strengthen my spoken language,” says Lisa.
At home, Lisa tries to speak as much Danish as possible with her Danish partner. Lisa is from Germany and also speaks fluent English and a little French.
We asked Lisa if she had a good tip to pass on to others who want to learn Danish: “I think you should try watching Danish TV series. Even if you don’t understand much in the beginning, it’s a really good way to listen to the language.”
Lisa also warmly recommends studying with Studieskolen’s motivational teachers. Before every class, Lisa’s teacher sends her an article in Danish. They use this as a starting point for a conversation in Danish. Lisa also prepares a small topic she can talk about every time. In this way, she can focus on things that interest her. Her teacher also goes through a grammatical point or a set phrase every time. Lisa finds that, in partnership with her teacher, she thoroughly covers all the things that can be challenging when you’re learning Danish as a foreign language.
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