Sprogland, a digital platform to fight isolation & promote language training

An online service providing 1:1 video-based language skill training for immigrants and refugees in Denmark. The service is provided by Red Cross volunteers working from their own home and when it fits their calendar.

In the first weeks of the Covid19 2020 spring lockdown in Denmark the Danish Red Cross launched an online video-based visitation service to people suffering from isolation called “SnakSammen” (TalkTogether). From launch 150+ digital visits were made weekly and almost half of the beneficiaries were immigrants or refugees. Thus, Danish Red Cross identified the need for a similar 1-1 video based service focused on providing training in the Danish language for immigrants and refugees as the language schools had been suspended during the lockdown

“Sprogland” (Language land) – as the online language skill training service is called – was launched June 1st, 2020. Following the launch it was quickly evident that there is and will be a great demand for the online language skill training also post-corona19.

Sprogland is a free browser-based service that provides language skill training to immigrants and refugees through 1:1 video calls with Red Cross Volunteers. For both the volunteers and the end-users the online service is very flexible and easy-to-use. The volunteers are trained and onboarded by the Red Cross but work from their own home and through the system they offer timeslots for the end-users when it suits their calendar and plans. The end-users browse the website to find an available and suitable timeslot and book it. 

End-user and volunteer receive a confirmation by e-mail and text message. Five minutes before the video call both the volunteer and the end-user receive an e-mail and a text message with a direct link to the videocall. The service works on computers, tablets and smartphones. No installations needed.

Danish Red Cross delivers the service nationwide in cooperation with a company called Boblberg with whom Danish Red Cross has a formal strategic partnership regarding a citizen-to-citizen-platform with 350.000+ users. Boblberg and Red Cross share GDPR-responsibilty and co-own userdata. The Sprogland-technology is developed by Boblberg and the Danish Red Cross and is built as an add-on-service to the citizen-to-citizen-platform.

Sprogland was launched June 1st, 2020. This was a silent launch without marketing or press release. But through the first six month after launch more than 1.400 online language skill training sessions have been booked and completed without external marketing or PR. 

Sprogland was launched as a minimal viable product (MVP) and will be further developed, scaled and marketed with add-on services and functionalities throughout 2021 in an agile and user-oriented framework. 

On a strategic level Sprogland is part of a portfolio of digital services that hopefully will make the Danish Red Cross meet the needs of more beneficiaries, facilitate new business models and engage volunteers in new ways.