About Me
Hi! I’m Yanitsa – a non-native teacher in Swedish and Danish, and a Norwegian language enthusiast
Hi everyone, and welcome to Aurora Bo(ok)realis, a blog dedicated to the three Scandinavian countries Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, my travels there, and everything I love about them – their beautiful languages, rich cultures, and world-class literatures.
And I’m Yanitsa, a 28-year-old non-native teacher in Swedish and Danish, and a Norwegian language enthusiast.
Even as a kid, I’d always been fascinated by languages and knew that someday I’d study and work with foreign languages. I just thought they would be more classical languages like Spanish, Italian, or French. So, how did this whole thing with Scandinavian languages happen?
It all started about 15 years ago, when I was 13, and I discovered Danish music. With its weird sounds, the language felt kind of exotic, and it sparked my curiosity about Denmark and Scandinavia as a whole.
A linguist by heart, education and profession
Fast forward six years, I was already studying Scandinavian Studies at university, with Swedish as my first Scandinavian language, and Danish as my second. I got both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in it, and, alongside Scandinavian languages and linguistics, I also studied literature, history, geography, and culture of the Scandinavian countries.
While I was still working on my Master’s degree, I began teaching both Swedish and Danish at a school specialized in Scandinavian languages. I’ve had experience teaching people of all ages and levels, from beginners to advanced learners.
As I like to say, I’m a linguist by heart, education, and profession.
In addition to teaching, I’ve also created various supplementary language materials and language-, culture-, and travel-related content for the school’s website and social media profiles.
It’s been four and a half years since I became a teacher, and I’ve continued teaching Swedish and Danish while sharing my passion for Scandinavia with my students.
Probably one of Scandinavia’s biggest fans
However, at some point, I felt that wasn’t enough. I realized my love and passion for Scandinavia are too vast to be contained within the classroom. They needed a broader audience!
I believe I have a lot to share with you. And I’m probably one of the biggest fans of Scandinavian countries and languages!
Apart from my linguistic background and professional experience, I also travel to Scandinavia quite regularly and love to explore Scandinavian culture first-hand. In addition to regular trips to all three countries, I’ve also had two longer stays in Sweden and lived like a Swede! With my longer stays in Sweden and Swedish being my first Scandinavian language, I must admit that it is Sweden that is my weak spot.
To me, Scandinavia is one of the most unique and culturally vibrant regions, and its languages are simply beautiful. Every time I speak in one of the Scandinavian languages, read a Scandinavian book, or go on a trip to Scandinavia, I can’t help but fall in love with Scandinavia all over again.
Scandinavia offers the whole package, and so does, I believe, Aurora Bo(ok)realis: beautiful languages, rich culture, amazing literature, and unique destinations.
If you’re already head over heels for Scandinavia, stick around. If you’re not quite there yet, get ready to be! I promise there’s a lot to discover at Aurora Bo(ok)realis. Enjoy!