The Danish language is undergoing rapid standardization: traditional dialects are
rapidly disappearing, and studies of language attitudes show that Danes strongly
favour standard language over non-standard varieties such as regional dialects. This paper looks at the values and attitudes attached to another type of non-standard Danish, namely that spoken by learners of Danish as a second language. It argues that the dynamic whereby social prestige is strongly associated with standard, or “fluent”, Danish, can cast immigrant second language speakers as the linguistic other on the margins of the standard/non-standard dynamic. The paper gives voice to the immigrants and Danes themselves, letting speakers from both groups assess the social meanings and potential emotional impacts of a certain linguistic culture clash: language switching, where Danish interlocutors switch into English when hearing Danish spoken with a second language accent. The analysis draws on responses to
two surveys, administered to first and second language Danish speakers. It finds that both groups of speakers are aware of the switches, and also that both are aware of the negative impact of switches on second language learners. Both groups mention that speaking “perfect Danish” can be essential for membership and belonging to Danish society, and are aware that switching from Danish to English as a response to second language speech can convey a sense of sociolinguistic exclusion and othering.