Online English lessons for children in Denmark: from year 0 to confident speaking

How does English fit into school in Denmark?

English is part of school life in Denmark from the first years. Children start school with a reception year, called year 0 or børnehaveklasse, at about six, and English lessons follow early in their school career. The exact year, the number of lessons and what each class covers can differ between schools, so your child's school is the best source for what their class is learning right now.

Early school English tends to be playful: greetings, songs, colours, animals and simple questions. That is the right start, but in a group lesson each child gets only a short turn to speak. Children often understand far more than they can say, and the gap closes fastest when someone listens and answers them one to one.

What do Danish-speaking children find easy, and what is harder?

Danish and English are related languages, and many everyday words look or sound alike. That gives children a confident start: they can guess words, follow simple stories and pick up phrases quickly. The tricky parts are the places where the two languages part ways.

• The letter j. In Danish, j sounds like an English y, as in ja. English jam and jump need a new sound, and children may say yam at first.
• V and w. English uses two different sounds for v and w, and children may swap them, so west and vest can sound the same for a while.
• Spelling. English spelling is less regular than many children expect, and the same letters can make different sounds. Phonics teaches those patterns step by step.
• Word endings. In English, small endings like -s and -ed change the meaning, as in cat and cats, walk and walked. They are easy to drop when speaking fast.

There are false friends too. The Danish word gift means married, while an English gift is a present. Children usually find these swaps funny, and a joke is a good way to remember them. Make a list on the fridge and add to it whenever your child spots a new one.

Does watching shows in English help a child in Denmark?

It helps with listening, but it does not replace speaking. In Denmark, films and series for older viewers are usually shown with subtitles, while programmes for young children are usually dubbed into Danish. So a seven-year-old may hear little English from the screen, while an older child meets more of it with subtitles underneath.

If you want to use screens for English, choose short programmes made for your child's age, watch together when you can, and talk about what you saw afterwards. Keep it balanced with play and reading. Our guide on online lessons and screen time explains how a live lesson differs from watching a video: your child has to think, answer and ask, which is what builds speaking.

What should English lessons look like at each age?

Children aged 4 to 12 can all enjoy English when the lesson fits their stage. The aim changes as they grow.

While your child is learning to read Danish at school, it helps to keep English reading separate and clear, with its own sounds and rules. Our guide to English at 6 and 7 goes into more detail on this stage.

Is one short lesson a week enough?

For most young children, a short, regular lesson works better than a long one now and then. A 25-minute lesson keeps attention high, and the habit of meeting the same teacher builds confidence. One lesson a week gives steady progress; two give faster progress if your child enjoys them.

What happens between lessons matters too. A few minutes of English on most days, through a song, a picture book or a game, keeps new words fresh. Pick a fixed lesson slot that suits your family's week, after school or at the weekend, and treat it like any other club or activity so it becomes routine.

How can I help at home if my own English is rusty?

You do not need perfect English to help. Your role is to keep English friendly and part of everyday life, not to teach grammar.

• Ask your child to teach you one new word or phrase after each lesson.
• Read English picture books together, and keep reading Danish books as well, since strong reading in one language supports the other.
• Play quick games such as I spy or guess the animal, using English words.
• Sing simple English songs in the car or while tidying up.
• Praise effort and ideas, not perfect pronunciation.

If your child goes quiet when asked to speak English, that is normal. Our guide to a child who is shy to speak English has gentle ways to help.

How would CurioKids lessons work for a family in Denmark?

CurioKids gives children aged 4 to 12 live, 1-to-1 online English lessons with a real teacher, 25 minutes each, in the CurioKids online classroom with video, an interactive whiteboard, lesson slides and games. Most children start with Phonics Starter; a child who already reads can be placed straight into a CEFR-based level after the free first lesson. Phonics Starter is our 52-lesson reading course, from letter sounds to reading sentences. Teachers can't teach until our team has confirmed a background check and they have signed our teaching agreement. Lessons happen only inside the CurioKids classroom, and your child's teacher gives feedback after lessons. See our levels and safety pages for more.

For a child in Denmark who is learning to read Danish at school, Phonics Starter gives English reading its own set of sounds and rules, so the two spelling systems stay clear.

Visit our Denmark page to see how lessons work, what your child will learn and how we keep children safe. If lessons for families in Denmark haven't opened yet, the page has a waitlist: leave your details and we'll let you know when you can book your child's free first lesson. Plans for families in Denmark are priced in Danish kroner: see the prices for Denmark.