10+ The Best Ways To Learn Norwegian
Original blog post: https://ling-app.com/no/best-ways-to-learn-norwegian/
There are one thousand and one reasons why Norway is simply breathtaking. Apart from the popular fjords, northern light, and unique midnight sun, Norway is home to the Norwegian language, a fantastic and interesting language. And since you landed on this post, we bet that you are also interested in this and looking for the best ways to learn Norwegian. Well, we got you covered! Read this post to learn how.
Learning Norwegian is a great investment and will open countless opportunities locally and in some parts of the world. However, it can prove difficult to learn Norwegian if the right resources and learning processes are not in place.
In this article, we’ve come up with the best ways to learn this epic language, so get set because we are about to explore some really helpful ways to help you in your Norwegian learning process. Without further ado, let’s get right into it.
What To Know About The Norwegian Language
Before we go into the main deal, it is best to familiarize yourself with some useful Norwegian language facts. Its vocabulary and sentence structure will likely differ from your native language, and it is important to take note of those differences.
- Like other European languages, the Norwegian language is a North Germanic language that descended from Proto-Indo-European Language, and it is one of the Scandinavian languages spoken around the world.
- The Norwegian language is a pitch-accent language. That means that native speakers use different pitches to differentiate two-syllable words with identical pronunciation
- There are 29 letters in the Norwegian alphabet that use the Latin alphabet system. So, you will find Norwegian letters easy and understandable if your native language also uses the Latin alphabet
- There are two official written Norwegian: the Bokmal and Nynorsk. These two forms are only applicable to written Norwegian but not to spoken Norwegian.
- Norwegian uses three genders: Masculine, Feminine, and Neuter. So, it is important to keep that in mind.
Is Norwegian Language Hard?
We get this question a lot, but you have to understand that learning a foreign language may look hard because of the unfamiliar vocabulary, words, and grammatical rules. It happens to everyone in the initial stage. However, Norwegian is one of the easiest languages to learn, and even the Foreign Service Institute says so. The FSI categorized the Norwegian language as a Category I language when it comes to its difficulty level, which means it is one of the easiest languages to learn alongside Italian, French, Danish, and others.
Therefore, with the right resources and the right mindset to learn, your Norwegian language learning journey will be seamless.
That takes us to the core of this article: the best ways to learn the Norwegian Language.
Best Ways To Learn Norwegian
1. Have The Right Disposition
Often neglected by a lot of language learners and courses, it is really important. Having the right disposition and believing in yourself to master a new language makes everything else easy. If you have the right perspective about Norwegian and you decide to see Norwegian as a language you are capable of learning, it will make learning Norwegian much easier and more enjoyable. Ensure you always maintain a positive mindset when learning Norwegian
2. Find The Right Resources
There is a lot of ‘learn Norwegian Online’ courses and materials out there, making it overwhelming to choose the right resources. Fortunately, there are different types of resources that are at your disposal. However, we will advise that you determine the type of learning method you enjoy.
Why do I say that? Okay, people learn differently. Person A may prefer learning with video courses, while person B will want a physical tutor with whom he or she can interact. Therefore, it is important to determine your preferred learning method and stick to it.
Getting a physical tutor is one of the best options, but if you cannot get one, then the best option is to learn Norwegian online. Fortunately, there are a lot of online resources and language-learning apps where you can take Norwegian lessons and learn basic vocabulary.
I believe getting the right resources supported by a worthy language learning app, such as the Ling app, will help you become a fluent Norwegian speaker in no time.
3. Set Language Goals
Your Norwegian learning goals will keep you going when the going gets tough. It is always advisable to create clear goals of what you want to achieve before setting out to do anything new. Therefore, ensure you have a clear goal for learning Norwegian. You should ask yourself three questions:
- Why do you want to learn Norwegian?
- When do you want to become a fluent speaker?
- How do you want to learn?
Answering these questions will help you navigate your learning process and give you a clear vision of your language learning goals. One last thing, do not forget to break your goals down into daily, weekly, and monthly goals. Having subgoals under your ultimate goal is a great way to keep you on track and keep the process in view. So, have goals for your daily practice, weekly goals, and monthly goals.
4. Create An Actionable And Practical Study Plan
Want to learn Norwegian Fast? You must embrace effective study planning. Study plans look too serious and boring, but they are effective. When creating a study plan, ensure that it is realistic and it is something you can easily follow. An effective way to stay loyal to your new language study plan is to get an accountability partner. That brings us to our next point.
5. Find A Study Or Accountability Partner
An accountability partner is someone that ensures that you stick to your goals and achieve your commitment. When we realize that someone else is keeping us accountable and will ‘scold’ us for being relaxed, humans tend to sit up and be focused. Get an accountability partner that is committed to your language growth. It may be a language exchange that a Norwegian speaker is learning other languages or fellow Norwegian learners. Ensure you find language partners you can stay committed to.
6. Practice Speaking
There is this initial fear of speaking that language learners face. They are always conscious of making a mistake or getting the Norwegian pronunciation wrong that they don’t even bother attempting. While it may not be easy as I am saying it, try as much as possible to practice speaking Norwegian You can decide to speak Norwegian to yourself or to your Norwegian friends. Even if your pronunciation doesn’t sound beautiful, keep speaking. Practice makes progress perfect, and it is important to keep speaking. Also, don’t wait until you become fluent in speaking. If you learn a new vocabulary or a new word, ensure you try using them in sentences.
In conclusion, speaking Norwegian is one of the best ways to learn Norwegian fast.
7. Watch Norwegian Movies
I love movies, and I hope you do too. One best way to learn Norwegian quickly is to soak yourself in Nordic movies. Fortunately, there is a subtitle option where you can understand what they are saying in your language. Watching Norwegian movies is one of the fastest ways to catch up with their basic vocabulary, learn new words and become familiar with Norwegian pronunciation. So, whenever you get the chance, make sure you are watching some interesting Norwegian movies.
8. Learn With Everything
Don’t limit yourself to your online course. Try to learn with everything you can see. For example, you can decide to translate all the gadgets in your house to their Norwegian words or create sticky notes that show you different nationalities and their Norwegian words. Ensure you keep learning every time. For example, you can decide to try communicating in Norwegian or translating a sentence you saw in an online newspaper into Norwegian. At the end of the day, we are saying that don’t limit your learning process to your learning materials.
9. Keep A Language Diary
Just learned a new word when watching a Norwegian movie? Write it down. Were you speaking with a native, and she said something you didn’t understand? Write it down. Keeping a language diary fastens up the language learning process, and when periodically revised, it helps those words stick. As I said, don’t forget to keep a language diary.
10. Visit Norway
If you have the chance to visit Norway, please do! And if you are already living in Norway, good for you! Visiting Norway gives you that wholesome experience, and seeing locals speak Norwegian will motivate and inspire you to keep learning Norwegian. Not just that, Norway is a stunning country with warm and happy people. You will enjoy your time there.
11. Never, Ever Be Afraid To Make A Mistake
Making mistakes is part of the learning process. Never be so conscious of making mistakes that you don’t even attempt to try. Speak Norwegian often so that the locals will know that you are trying to learn Norwegian and may even correct you sometimes. Remember, mistakes are part of the process, so keep pushing and learning Norwegian even if you make many mistakes.
We Hate To End Here
I feel like continuing the useful ways to learn Norwegian, but sadly, we have to take a break here. To recap, ensure you have the right dispensation to learning, get useful resources, and find an accountability partner, preferably a fellow Norwegian learner. Not just that, make sure you keep a language diary, practice speaking, watch movies, learn everything, and never be afraid to make a mistake.
As I mentioned earlier, getting the right resources for learning Norwegian is super important. Therefore, I have included a language learning platform, the Ling App, where you can start your Norwegian learning journey.
Learn Norwegian With Ling
Ling App is a language learning platform that moves you from a language amateur to a fluent speaker by teaching you everything you need to know in just 10 minutes a day or less. The Ling App covers intuitive grammar lessons, quizzes, tips, and loads of epic resources to make learning worthwhile and enjoyable. Just by subscribing to a free account, you get access to over 60+ languages, including Norwegian.
So, what are you waiting for?! Download the Ling App on Playstore and Appstore today!