Setting Professional Growth Goals | Learn Danish in English

About This Lesson

Use Setting Professional Growth Goals to practice Danish conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Jeg vil gerne sætte tydeligere mål for min professionelle udvikling i min nuværende rolle.

yai vel GAIR-nuh SED-duh TOO-theh-lee-air-uh mohl foh min pro-feh-shoh-NEL-luh OOD-vik-ling i min NOO-vair-nuh ROH-luh. I want to set clearer professional growth goals for my current role.

Start med at identificere én styrke og én svaghed.

stahd meh uh ee-den-tee-fee-SAIR-uh ain STUR-kuh oh ain SVEH-ehth. Start by identifying one strength and one weakness.

Min styrke er at organisere opgaver, men jeg har en tendens til at undgå at præsentere idéer.

min STUR-kuh air uh or-gah-nee-SAIR-uh OH-gah-vuh, men yai har en ten-ENS til uh oon-GOH uh preh-sen-TAIR-uh ee-DAIR. My strength is organizing tasks, but I tend to avoid presenting ideas.

Så ville præsentationsteknik være et nyttigt område at udvikle.

soh VIL-guh preh-sen-ta-SHONS-teh-NEEK VAIR-uh ehd NUH-dee OHM-roh-thuh uh OOD-vig-luh. Then presentation skills would be a useful area to develop.

Skal jeg bede om en mentor eller øve mig under teammøder?

sgel yai BAY-thuh om en MEN-toh EL-uh UR-vuh mai OON-uh TEEM-mur-thuh. Should I ask for a mentor or practice during team meetings?

Begge dele kunne hjælpe, men vælg først et mål, som kan måles.

BAY-uh DAY-luh KOO-nuh YEL-buh, men vel furst ehd mohl, som kan MOH-luhs. Both could help, but choose one measurable goal first.

Mit første mål bliver snart at give en kort opdatering på et teammøde.

mit FUR-stuh mohl BLEE-wuh snaht uh GEE-vuh en koht op-deh-TAIR-ing poh ehd TEEM-mur-thuh. My first goal will be to give a short update in a team meeting soon.

Det er specifikt nok til, at vi kan vurdere det senere.

deh air speh-see-FEEKD nok til uh vee kan VOOR-day-ruh deh SAY-nuh-ruh. That is specific enough to evaluate later.

Jeg vil også gerne have feedback på tydelighed, ikke kun selvtillid.

yai vel OH-soh GAIR-nuh HAI-vuh FEED-bak poh TOO-theh-leet, IK-uh koon SEL-teh-leeth. I also want feedback on clarity, not just confidence.

Tydelige kriterier gør mål for professionel udvikling mere konkrete og praktiske.

TOO-theh-lee-uh kree-TAIR-ee-uh gur mohl foh pro-feh-shoh-NEL OOD-vik-ling MAIR-uh kon-KRAY-tuh oh PRAK-tis-kuh. Clear criteria make professional growth goals more concrete and practical.

Word by Word

Jeg Jeg means “I” in Jeg vil gerne sætte ... and identifies the speaker as the person who wants to set goals. It is used as the subject before a verb, as in Jeg vil gerne ... when talking about your own wishes at work.

vil In Jeg vil gerne sætte ..., vil expresses the speaker’s desire, while the whole phrase vil gerne means “would like to.” Use vil gerne before an infinitive when politely stating something you want to do, as in vil gerne sætte.

gerne In vil gerne sætte, gerne helps express a polite or willing desire, so vil gerne sætte means “would like to set.” This combination is useful before an infinitive when stating a wish or intention, such as vil gerne sætte.

sætte Sætte means “set” in sætte tydeligere mål, referring to establishing goals. The dialogue uses sætte with mål, a useful pattern when describing the goals someone wants to establish at work.

tydeligere Tydeligere means “clearer” in sætte tydeligere mål, describing goals that are easier to understand or define. It is used before mål to compare the desired goals with less clear goals, especially when refining plans.

mål Mål means “goals” or “targets” in sætte tydeligere mål and mål for min professionelle udvikling. It is useful for naming something measurable or planned, and the dialogue later returns to et mål, som kan måles.

for For connects mål with the area they concern in mål for min professionelle udvikling, meaning “goals for my professional development.” This pattern is useful when specifying what a goal relates to.

min Min means “my” in min professionelle udvikling and shows that the development belongs to the speaker. It is used before the noun phrase describing the speaker’s own area of work or growth.

professionelle Professionelle means “professional” in min professionelle udvikling and describes development connected with work or a career. It combines with udvikling in the dialogue to name the area of growth being discussed.

udvikling Udvikling means “development” in professionel udvikling, referring here to growth in a work role. The phrase mål for min professionelle udvikling is useful when setting career-related goals.

i I means “in” in i min nuværende rolle and places the speaker’s development within a current work role. Use it before a phrase naming the role or situation in which something applies.

nuværende Nuværende means “current” in min nuværende rolle, identifying the role the speaker has now. It is useful before a noun when distinguishing the present role from another possible role.

rolle Rolle means “role” in min nuværende rolle, meaning the speaker’s present position or set of responsibilities at work. The phrase is useful when discussing goals connected with a person’s job position.

Start Start tells another person to begin in Start med at identificere ..., so it functions as a direct instruction. The pattern Start med at ... is useful when giving the first step in a process.

med In Start med at identificere ..., med introduces the activity that should be the starting point, giving the meaning “by” or “with.” The construction Start med at ... is useful for recommending the first action in a task.

at At introduces the infinitive identificere in Start med at identificere, so the phrase names the action to begin with. After Start med, use at before the action being recommended.

identificere Identificere means “identify” in at identificere én styrke og én svaghed, meaning to recognize and name specific points. It is useful when beginning an assessment by identifying relevant strengths or weaknesses.

styrke Styrke means “strength” in én styrke, referring to a personal ability that helps the speaker at work. In the dialogue it appears with identificere, a useful pattern for discussing one ability in a self-assessment.

og Og connects the two items in én styrke og én svaghed, meaning “one strength and one weakness.” Use it to join two comparable items in a list or description.

svaghed Svaghed means “weakness” in én svaghed, referring to an ability or area that needs improvement. It is used alongside styrke when discussing both positive and challenging aspects of someone’s work.

er Er links the subject and its description in Min styrke er at organisere opgaver, meaning “my strength is organizing tasks.” This pattern is useful for naming an ability or activity that represents a personal strength.

organisere Organisere means “organize” in at organisere opgaver, describing the activity that is the speaker’s strength. It follows at in the phrase Min styrke er at organisere opgaver, which is useful for describing an ability.

opgaver Opgaver means “tasks” in organisere opgaver, referring to pieces of work that can be arranged or managed. It is used as the object of organisere when discussing workplace responsibilities.

men Men marks a contrast in ..., men jeg har en tendens til at undgå ..., connecting the speaker’s strength with a difficulty. Use men to introduce information that differs from or limits what was just stated.

har In jeg har en tendens til at undgå ..., har means “have” as part of the expression “have a tendency to avoid.” This pattern is useful for describing a recurring inclination or habit.

en En introduces the singular noun tendens in en tendens til at undgå, meaning “a tendency.” It appears before the noun when describing one tendency or inclination.

tendens Tendens means “tendency” in en tendens til at undgå, describing a repeated inclination rather than a single action. The reusable pattern tendens til at ... names what someone tends to do.

til In tendens til at undgå, til links tendens with the action that follows, introducing what the tendency is toward. The phrase til at undgå is part of the pattern tendens til at ... for describing an inclination.

undgå Undgå means “avoid” in at undgå at præsentere idéer, meaning to try not to do the following activity. In the dialogue it is followed by at præsentere, a useful pattern for naming the action someone avoids.

præsentere Præsentere means “present” in at præsentere idéer, referring to presenting ideas to other people. It is used after undgå at when describing a presentation activity the speaker tends not to do.

idéer Idéer means “ideas” in præsentere idéer, the content that the speaker avoids presenting. It functions as the object of præsentere and is useful when discussing ideas shared in a professional setting.

Så Så means “then” in Så ville præsentationsteknik være ..., introducing a conclusion or recommendation based on the previous weakness. It is useful at the start of a sentence when drawing a practical consequence from what was just said.

ville Ville helps frame Så ville præsentationsteknik være ... as a possible or tentative recommendation, meaning “would be.” The pattern ville være ... is useful when suggesting what could be suitable in a given situation.

præsentationsteknik Præsentationsteknik means “presentation skills” in præsentationsteknik være et nyttigt område at udvikle, referring to the ability to present effectively. The dialogue treats it as an area that can be developed through a professional growth goal.

være Være means “be” in ville ... være et nyttigt område, linking presentation skills with the description “a useful area.” It follows ville in this suggestion, as in ville være ..., when describing a possible choice or recommendation.

et Et introduces the singular noun område in et nyttigt område, meaning “a useful area.” It appears before the noun phrase when presenting one possible area for development.

nyttigt Nyttigt means “useful” in et nyttigt område, describing presentation skills as helpful for the speaker’s development. It is placed before område to evaluate the area being recommended.

område Område means “area” in et nyttigt område at udvikle, referring to a particular skill or subject for improvement. The phrase område at udvikle is useful when identifying something that can be developed.

udvikle Udvikle means “develop” in et område at udvikle, referring to improving a skill or area over time. It follows at in this phrase, which names the area the person should work on.

Skal Skal begins Skal jeg bede om ...?, a question asking whether the speaker should take a proposed action. Use Skal jeg ...? when asking about whether you ought to do something.

bede Bede means “ask” or “request” in bede om en mentor, referring to requesting a mentor. The dialogue uses the pattern bede om followed by the person or thing being requested.

om In bede om en mentor, om completes the request expression and introduces what is being requested, meaning “for.” The pattern bede om ... is useful when asking someone to provide help, support, or an item.

mentor Mentor means “mentor” in bede om en mentor, referring to an experienced person who could support the speaker’s development. It is the object of the request in the workplace question.

eller Eller connects the two alternatives in en mentor eller øve mig, meaning “or.” Use it to present a choice between two possible actions or options.

øve Øve means “practice” in øve mig under teammøder, referring to practicing the relevant presentation skill. It appears with mig here, so the expression describes the speaker practicing.

mig Mig means “me” in øve mig, identifying the person who practices. Together with øve, it forms the expression øve mig, useful when talking about practicing a skill oneself.

under Under means “during” in under teammøder, placing the practice within the time of team meetings. Use it before an event or period when an activity takes place.

teammøder Teammøder means “team meetings” in under teammøder, referring to meetings involving the speaker’s team. It is used after under to identify when the practice could happen.

Begge Begge means “both” in Begge dele kunne hjælpe, referring to the two options just mentioned: asking for a mentor and practicing. Use Begge when referring to two alternatives that are both relevant.

dele In Begge dele kunne hjælpe, dele refers broadly to the two things under discussion, so Begge dele means “both things” or “both options.” This expression is useful when both previously mentioned alternatives are being considered together.

kunne Kunne means “could” in Begge dele kunne hjælpe, expressing that both options have the potential to help. The pattern kunne hjælpe is useful when describing a possible benefit without presenting it as certain.

hjælpe Hjælpe means “help” in kunne hjælpe, describing the possible benefit of the two options. It follows kunne in this sentence, and the combination is useful for discussing what may be useful.

vælg Vælg tells the listener to choose in vælg først et mål, so it functions as a direct recommendation or instruction. The pattern vælg først ... is useful when advising someone to select an initial priority.

som Som links mål with the description kan måles in et mål, som kan måles, meaning “a goal that can be measured.” It introduces information that specifies which kind of goal is being recommended.

kan Kan means “can” in som kan måles, expressing possibility or suitability for measurement. It is followed by måles here to describe a goal that is capable of being measured.

måles Måles means “be measured” in som kan måles, describing the required property of the goal. The phrase et mål, som kan måles is useful when choosing a target that can later be assessed objectively.

Mit Mit means “my” in Mit første mål, identifying the goal as belonging to the speaker. It appears before the phrase naming the speaker’s selected goal.

bliver Bliver means “will be” in Mit første mål bliver snart at give ..., presenting the speaker’s planned first goal. The pattern mål bliver at ... is useful for stating what someone’s goal will involve.

snart Snart means “soon” in bliver snart at give, placing the planned update in the near future. It is useful with an action or event that is expected to happen shortly.

give Give means “give” in at give en kort opdatering, referring to delivering or providing an update to the team. The dialogue uses give with opdatering, a useful workplace pattern for reporting information.

kort Kort means “short” in en kort opdatering, describing an update that will not be lengthy. It is placed before opdatering to specify the intended length of the contribution.

opdatering Opdatering means “update” in give en kort opdatering, referring to a brief report of current information or progress. The phrase is useful when describing what someone will share in a meeting.

på På means “at” or “in” in på et teammøde, locating the update at a team meeting. This pattern is useful for saying that an activity or announcement happens during a meeting or event.

teammøde Teammøde means “team meeting” in på et teammøde, referring to the specific meeting where the speaker plans to give the update. It is used after et in this singular event expression.

Det Det means “that” or “it” in Det er specifikt nok, referring back to the goal just described. It is useful for commenting on a previously mentioned plan, action, or situation.

specifikt Specifikt means “specific” in Det er specifikt nok til ..., describing the goal as clearly defined. It combines with nok to express that the goal has sufficient detail for later evaluation.

nok Nok means “enough” in specifikt nok til, indicating that the goal is specific to a sufficient degree. The pattern adjektiv nok til at ... is useful when saying that something has enough of a quality for a result or action.

vi Vi means “we” in at vi kan vurdere det senere, referring to the people who will evaluate the goal together. It appears before kan in the clause describing the later evaluation.

vurdere Vurdere means “evaluate” in vi kan vurdere det senere, referring to judging the goal after the update has happened. It follows kan, and the pattern kan vurdere det is useful when discussing a future assessment.

senere Senere means “later” in vurdere det senere, placing the evaluation after the present discussion or event. It is useful when referring to a later stage of a plan or process.

også Også means “also” in Jeg vil også gerne have feedback, adding another thing the speaker wants. It is useful for introducing an additional request or consideration.

have Have means “have” in gerne have feedback, referring to receiving or obtaining feedback. The phrase vil også gerne have feedback is useful for politely stating that you want feedback on something.

feedback Feedback means “feedback” in have feedback på tydelighed, referring to comments or evaluation from other people. The dialogue uses feedback på followed by the aspect being assessed.

tydelighed Tydelighed means “clarity” in feedback på tydelighed, referring to how clear the speaker’s presentation or communication is. It is used after feedback på to identify the specific quality on which comments are wanted.

ikke Ikke means “not” in ikke kun selvtillid, marking a restriction or correction to the request. Together with kun, it helps express that clarity is wanted, not confidence alone.

kun Kun means “only” or “just” in ikke kun selvtillid, limiting what the speaker does not want to focus on exclusively. The pattern ikke kun ... is useful when adding another consideration beyond the first one.

selvtillid Selvtillid means “confidence” in ikke kun selvtillid, referring to the speaker’s confidence while presenting. It is contrasted with tydelighed in the request for feedback, so both the delivery and the clarity matter.

Tydelige Tydelige means “clear” in Tydelige kriterier, describing criteria that are easy to understand and apply. It appears before kriterier when explaining how clear standards make goals more practical.

kriterier Kriterier means “criteria” in Tydelige kriterier, referring to standards used to judge or assess a goal. The phrase is useful when defining what will be checked later.

gør Gør means “make” in gør mål for professionel udvikling mere konkrete og praktiske, describing how clear criteria affect the goals. The pattern gør ... mere ... is useful for saying that something causes another thing to become more of a quality.

professionel Professionel means “professional” in mål for professionel udvikling, describing development connected with work or a career. Together with udvikling, it identifies the type of goals being made more concrete.

mere Mere means “more” in mere konkrete og praktiske, marking an increase in the qualities of being concrete and practical. It is useful before an adjective when describing how something changes.

konkrete Konkrete means “concrete” in mere konkrete, describing goals that are clearly defined and tangible enough to assess. It is paired with praktiske after gør to explain the benefit of clear criteria.

praktiske Praktiske means “practical” in mere konkrete og praktiske, describing goals that can be applied or used in real work. It is coordinated with konkrete to give two qualities of well-defined professional goals.

Grammar Points

tydelig → tydeligere

et tydeligere mål

ehd TOO-theh-lee-air-uh mohl

a clearer goal

tydeligere is the comparative form of tydelig and means “clearer.”

Passiv: måles

Målet måles specifikt.

MOH-leh MOH-luhs speh-see-FEEKD

The goal is measured specifically.

måles is the passive form of måle and shows that the goal receives the action.

Danish Vocabulary

identificere verb

ee-den-tee-fee-SAIR-uh to identify

at identificere én styrke

mål noun

mohl goal

Gender: neuter

professionelle udvikling i min nuværende rolle

nuværende adj

NOO-vair-nuh current

min nuværende rolle

opgave noun

OH-gah-vuh task opgaver

Gender: common

organisere opgaver

organisere verb

or-gah-nee-SAIR-uh to organize

at organisere opgaver

professionel adj

pro-feh-shoh-NEL professional professionelle

min professionelle udvikling

rolle noun

ROH-luh role

Gender: common

min nuværende rolle

styrke noun

STUR-kuh strength

Gender: common

én styrke

svaghed noun

SVEH-ehth weakness

Gender: common

én svaghed

sætte verb

SED-duh to set

sætte tydeligere mål

tydelig adj

TOO-theh-lee clear tydeligere

tydeligere mål

udvikling noun

OOD-vik-ling development

Gender: common

professionelle udvikling

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

current

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nuværende

development

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udvikling

to identify

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identificere

to set

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sætte