School Immersion in Denmark

School Immersion in Denmark – 14 -18 years old – 1 semester or 1 academic year

Our High School programme in Denmark is aimed at all students aged 14 to 18, motivated to study for 1 semester or 1 academic year in this country reputed to be the coolest in the world, and to live an unforgettable experience!

You will attend a Danish high school and share the daily life and lifestyle of your host family. This programme offers a real linguistic and cultural immersion in the heart of Danish life.

No previous knowledge of Danish is necessary (beginners accepted), but a good level of English is required.

Denmark is a great place to live and its people are reputed to be among the happiest in the world! What better way to enjoy an extraordinary experience, off the beaten track, and experience ‘Hygge’!

Why study in Denmark?

An excellent education system, encouragingcritical thinking and individual reflection
A high quality of life
The land of‘Hygge‘, the Danish art of living well
Environmental protection and sustainable development are an integral part of the Nordic way of life
The Danes are cheerful, warm-hearted people who have a very close relationship with nature. They enjoy outdoor sports and activities all year round
Everyone speaks English

Denmark

Population: 5.8 million
Capital: Copenhagen
Defined as one of the happiest countries in the world by the United Nations World Happiness Report
A country where cycling reigns supreme with 12,000 km of cycle paths – 75% of the population cycle even in winter
A seaside country where it’s impossible to be more than 52 km from the sea
Renowned the world over for its design, which is omnipresent in the daily lives of all Danes: the Copenhagen School of Design is one of the most sought-after in the world
Home of the creator of the famous LEGO® toy
The Danish spirit: “Hygge” (pronounced “hhugueu”) or the recipe for well-being and friendly sharing

Placements take place all over Denmark. The student can therefore be placed in a large city or in a more rural area.

All Danes speak English, but High School classes will be taught in Danish. It is therefore strongly recommended that you prepare for your stay by taking online Danish courses before you leave.

You will attend a gymnasium, which corresponds to the last 3 years of secondary school (1st, 2nd and 3rd). The choice of school depends on where your host family lives.

You will be placed in 1st or 2nd according to your age, level and availability (no placement in 3rd, which is an exam year). The choice of class is determined by the school headmaster. You will be taught in a class of 20 to 30 students, allocated for the year. This will give you the chance to make friends with your classmates, whom you will see every day.

The school year is divided into 4 terms. The year starts in mid-August and finishes at the end of June/beginning of July. Classes generally start at 8.00 am and never finish later than 4.00 pm. All courses are taught in Danish, with the exception of language courses.

Students generally take 9 subjects (the same subjects throughout the year), the number of subjects varies depending on the school. Some subjects are compulsory, such as maths, English, Danish and history. The others are chosen according to your language level, academic orientation, school results and availability.

Thechoice of subjects is varied: foreign languages, Danish, history, social sciences, economics, art, music, etc.

Sports generally practised in Scandinavian countries: football, hockey, handball, floorball, skiing, etc

Danish courses

It is strongly recommended that you start taking Danish lessons before you leave and continue on arrival to help you integrate more easily. Your host family and your local correspondent will be able to advise you on the best options.

In Denmark, schooling is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16. From 16 to 20, young people attend a gymnasium (the equivalent of the lycée in France or the last 3 years of secondary school in Belgium). The gymnasium prepares students for university and offers a general education.

The Danish education system is renowned for its excellence and encourages critical thinking and individual reflection. It also gives students a great deal of freedom. Teachers are generally very open and relaxed, and the relationship between teachers and students, which is much more informal than in Denmark, is based on mutual respect and trust. On the other hand, this freedom implies greater responsibility on the part of the students, who have to discipline themselves to hand in their homework on time, without strict supervision.

Extra-curricular activities and hobbies are not practised within the schools, but in sports clubs, organisations or independent associations. We recommend that students take part in at least one activity outside the classroom and their host family. This is a good way of meeting people and gaining a better understanding of Danish society.

The school holidays take place according to the following schedule: 1 week in October/November, 2 weeks at Christmas/New Year, 1 week in February, 1 week in April.

Host families are undoubtedly the most important element of the programme. That’s why we attach such importance to selecting them.

Danish host families are volunteers. They choose to host students because they want to show and share their way of life and their culture, and because they want to find out more about the young people they host and their country.

The family will choose you on the basis of the description you give in your application and if they feel you will fit in well with their way of life.

You will be considered a full member of the family. Families are generally small, and the Danes prefer an intimate and stable family life.

Daily tasks are divided equally between all family members. As a full member of a Danish family, you will also be responsible for certain tasks (such as helping with the cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.) and you will have to tidy and clean your room.

The local correspondent is an experienced person who selects the host families and stays in regular contact with the students. As he or she is able to act quickly in the event of a problem, he or she is your key contact during your stay.

He or she will be on hand to answer any questions you may have once you arrive and to help you with any formalities. Regular communication will be established with your host family and the school to ensure that your experience goes as smoothly as possible.

Finally, you will be given an emergency number so that you can contact someone if you have an urgent problem.

A 3-day/2-night orientation course at the beginning of your stay is included in the programme.

This compulsory course gives you the opportunity to get to grips with Scandinavian life and culture and to meet the other foreign students taking part in the programme. Visits are also included in the programme!

The orientation course in August takes place in Copenhagen.

Accommodation is in a youth hostel in a shared room.

The course price includes

2 nights’ accommodation in a youth hostel
2 breakfasts and 2 dinners
Guided walking tour of Oslo or Copenhagen
Airport/youth hostel transfers
Pre-stay preparation sessions

Does not include

Lunch
Transport from Oslo or Copenhagen to the nearest station/airport to the family’s place of residence
Personal expenses

Must beat least 14 years old at the time of departure and no more than 18 years old on the last day of the programme
Have a good level of conversational English, if no knowledge of Danish
Have achieved good academic results over the last 2 years
Demonstrate the motivation, maturity, adaptability and open-mindedness that are the keys to a successful stay

Do you meet the conditions for participation?

Fill in the pre-registration form as soon as possible
When we receive it, we’ll send you a provisional confirmation, including the total cost of the stay, a request for payment of €100 (for the language test and motivation interview), and the full application form for the chosen programme. We will also ask you to send us a copy of your school reports for the last 2 years.
We then invite you to come and take the language test and interview at our offices in Brussels or Paris. This costs €100 and is payable on receipt of the pre-confirmation. This amount is non-refundable, but can be deducted from the balance of your stay if you are definitively enrolled and accepted on the programme. Part 1 of the application form must be completed and brought with you to the interview.
We will confirm the result no later than 8 days after our interview
If the interview is positive, we ask you to pay a deposit of 25% of the total cost of your stay (with a minimum of €1,500) and to complete all the elements of your application, including letters of recommendation from your teachers and other information needed for us to study your application on site. As soon as your application is complete and we have received payment of the deposit, we will forward it to our partner.
Final acceptance to the programme is given by our partner
Once your application has been accepted, our partner begins the search for and selection of a host family and school

The deadlines for submitting applications to our partner are :

30/04 for an August departure
30/09 for a January departure

Please note: late registrations will be accepted subject to availability, but a supplement will be applied.

The online booking form must be received at least 3 weeks before the application deadline.

Medical assistance/accident/repatriation/individual civil liability insurance is compulsory. Langues Vivantes offers you a complete insurance, all information here.

We will inform you of the airport/place of arrival once we have received the details of the host family.

The participant is met on arrival at the airport/station closest to the family’s place of residence.

For participants in the orientation course: plan a flight to Copenhagen.

Dates 2024-2025

Orientation course: August 2024 and January 2025 (exact dates to be announced)

School year: August – June
1st school term : August – January
2nd spring term : January – June

Prices 2024-2025

Tuition, homestay & full board, registration fees included
Duration	Price
1 Academic Semester	€ 7.795
1 Academic Year	€ 8.695

The above prices include:

Pre-application interview
School registration fees
Accommodation with a host family, half board during the week and full board at weekends and during school holidays
Assistance, support and follow-up from the local correspondent throughout the stay
Monthly contact and evaluation reports
Official certificate of participation
Orientation course on arrival (3 days/2 nights)
Return transfer from Copenhagen airport to the course venue
Reception on arrival and transfer from the airport/station closest to the family’s place of residence to their home

Not included:

The outward journey to the location of the orientation course, the journey from the course to the airport/station closest to the family’s place of residence and the return journey at the end of the stay
Local transport
Lunch in the school canteen
Pocket money: allow for a minimum of €300/€350 per month
School books (it is often possible to borrow them)
School supplies and other school expenses such as locker fees
Extra-curricular activities
Return transfer (often paid for by the family)
Any additional costs associated with Covid (e.g. quarantine, tests, etc.)