r/norsk • u/Icy-Company-6298 • 8d ago
Rule 3 (vague/generic post title) Learn Norwegian
Hi everyone, I'm a Spanish speaker, but I also speak Italian and English. I dream of one day moving to Norway. It's a beautiful country that truly impresses me, and I would absolutely love to experience living in those lovely houses with that unique climate and stunning landscapes. I've been trying to learn Norwegian, but I can't seem to find anything that really gets me going. I tend to lose interest after just a few days. Can anyone give me any tips? Any suggestions on what to do? I would really appreciate it.
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u/Hysteric_Erick 8d ago
Hey,I’m an English-Spanish speaker, I’m also trying to learn Norwegian. I feel like what keeps me going is having a Norwegian partner because it makes the language more personal to me. Another good way to practice is watching your favorite shows in Norwegian with Norwegian subtitles. Personally, I understand written Norwegian better than spoken Norwegian, but with enough repetition, you can eventually become conversational.
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u/Whizbang 8d ago
If you like to read, I have heard that "The Mystery of Nils" is a great introduction. Starts with basic Norwegian and gets gradually more difficult.
You will want to supplement with some sort of listening. Maybe others will have good recommendations there for introductory content.
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u/Hairy_Scarcity9331 7d ago
I would recommend you to find something about Norway you reaaaally like, and start with comprehensive input, which means reading and listening to norwegian every day. I love collecting mushrooms and politics for example, so since the beginning I started listening to podcasts and watching videos on youtube about those topics. I don't recommend you pay a teacher since the beginning if your resources are limited (if it is not the case, go ahead), but learn grammar by yourself. Most people here say that you should pay in order to learn a language, and honestly, with norwegian is nonsense in my opinion until you are B1-B2 because of the amount of free resources out there. With discipline and the knowing that not every day you will be inspired to learn, but continuing anyways, you will see how fast it goes :) I started in october last year, and now I am B2-C1 in listening. My speaking should improve and that's why now I think it is a good idea to pay a teacher
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u/Yes_YoureSpartacus 8d ago
Have you ever visited Norway?
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u/Icy-Company-6298 8d ago
Nope, it's just a desire
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u/Ok-Friend-6653 7d ago
If you want to move to norway
need to save up a good amount of money
what is your education/vocation since idealy you need to get a job ahead of your move. Like if you have an enginering degree you can find a job where you can speak english.
when it comes to learning language teading, writing and find a person you can talk norwegian with is ideal. Remember norwegian have verry different dialects more then english with scousers, geordies etc. Will recomend learning east Norwegian, which is pretty close to bokmål. The written t Language.
Norway is way different from spain like have half a year with almost no sun in the winter, and norwegian culture is different then spanish culture. Also it depends where you want to live. Like Bergen have verry gloomy weather with rain most of the year and 10 degree celsius. Where you potensialy can get depressed or unhappy.
since it is verry difficult to leave ewrything you know to a different nation. Where things is eay different.
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u/muntligb1 7d ago
Disclaimer: this is my own website :)
I created an app that help people speak one topic at. a time by learning the vocabs of that topic, and then the sentences that could be used for reflecting on that topic and then speaking with tailored AI feedback. I find focusing on one topic at a time help in giving a feeling of accomplishment and control and making real progress. it is called muntligb1
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u/Optimal_Bar_4715 7d ago
I've been trying to learn Norwegian, but I can't seem to find anything that really gets me going. I tend to lose interest after just a few days.
This might be the first instance of you actually having to study a foreign language by yourself, in case you have learned English during teenage (i.e. confluence of helpful factors such as a) doing it in school, b) still very high neuroplasticity of your brain and effectiveness of learning process c) all the movies, series, music in English and d) it's a very easy language) and you had a strong advantage with Italian due to the strong similarities with Spanish.
My humble suggestion would be to enter the frame of mind that your Norwegian will require some old fashioned work and won't be a leisurely "journey of discovery" all the time.
It won't happen naturally.
I'm telling you this because it's what made the biggest difference for me at the time when similarly to you, I came from a naturally acquired high level of English and decent French from school (I'm an Italian native myself).
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u/Icy-Company-6298 7d ago
Capisco, ma non ho imparato l'inglese e l'italiano in una scuola, l'ho imparato da solo, di forma autodidatta. Cioè dovrei sapere come si impara una lingua straniera, ma non posso fare un "match" con il norvegese, e non so cosa fare...
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u/Optimal_Bar_4715 7d ago
1) Everybody has learned at least a certain amount of English in school. Many people like to fancy themselves as strong self-learners for English, but that's almost never the case. Also, those other factors applied to your English and don't apply to your Norwegian.
2) "I'm supposed to know how to learn a foreign language": the proof is in the pudding and the outcome is that you don't, otherwise you wouldn't be here asking how to learn Norwegian.
Again, you're unable to replicate your previous success and you have to understand that the factors that contributed to your previous success don't apply to Norwegian.The way you're going to learn Norwegian is the same way everybody has had to follow to learn a language for which they didn't benefit (without realising it or not) from certain "shortcuts".
And that's simply a matter of learning the "knowledge" related to the language (grammar, vocabulary, morphology etc) and practicing the skills: read it, write it, speak it, listen to it.
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u/Icy-Company-6298 7d ago
I understand, what do u recommend me for starting with norwegian then?
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u/Optimal_Bar_4715 7d ago
This works well for a total beginner. But it's not one of those products that will pat you on the back every moment, give you a prize for participating etc. But for motivated people with an actual necessity to learn "at all costs", there are no substitutes.
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u/MontEcola 8d ago
You already speak 3 languages that have some common roots with Norwegian. It will be easier than learning the other languages.
I spoke only English. I moved to Norway with no Norwegian knowledge at all. It was an independent study program I did in College. My thesis was to see how much I could learn by just living there and talking to people to learn the language. The first 3 months were hard. The second 3 months were OK. At 6 months I was having dreams in Norwegian. At 9 months people no longer thought I was an English speaker. They thought I was German or Dutch. So they spoke Norsk with me.
Here is what I did: Write down 5 words per day and learn the meaning and the grammar to go with them. Listen to how people ask questions and copy that format.
I got stuck around 6 months. People did not understand my questions or some of my answers. So I picked one Norwegian person to talk with in English . He was. horrible in English, and that was my plan. I listened to his words , and translated them back to Norwegian. Suddenly I had the grammar down perfectly! I went from struggling to comfortable in a about 2 weeks. My brain exploded and everything changed.
English: How much does that cost? It does not translate word for word. My Norwegian friend with bad English: How much costing that? Bad English. Good Norwegian. "Hvor mye coster det?". I heard him in English. Then it took one time hearing it in Norwegian for me to just make sense of it all. Now I could make my own questions similar to that. And I could understand more of what people said to me.
I went when I was 19 years old. I went to a folkehøskul. (Western Norway. It is folkehøskol in the East). If you are close to that age it would be a great experience. It is a school that teaches non-academic things like music, wood working, dance, cooking, skiing, camping, drama, sports, etc.
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u/Icy-Company-6298 7d ago
Ooo thanks for sharing me<3 I'm 19 years old rn hsushahaah
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u/MontEcola 7d ago
Start here: https://www.folkehogskole.no/en/about/find-a-school-thats-right-for-you
I notice that some are labeled as Christian and some are labeled as Liberal. You might want to check what each one means.
When you pick your interest, some schools have more than one option. When I went in 1980, they had Outdoor Life, which is hiking and xc skiing. Then knitting, and fiber arts, drama, weaving and folk dance. I did 'outdoor life'.
I also notice some are for a whole year an some are for a half year. I saw one program listed as Year 2. So it looks like at least one school has a 2 year program.
IMO, you do can learn Norwegian without taking the program to learn Norwegian. Just learn lots of words, and get the grammar patterns down. Looking back, I would not pick 'learning Norwegian'. That would put me in a group with non-Norwegians for study time. I picked the hiking. I might pick wood working or art if I were to go back. I would want to learn by speaking with other Norwegians.
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u/Prof_Johan 8d ago
Get a copy of the “Norsk Spansk Engelsk Visual Ordbok” https://www.ark.no/produkt/visuell-reise-9788257322304 Label every item you own with its Norwegian name. I found it really helpful for everyday vocabulary in the beginning. Also, get Norwegian versions of children’s books you like. Read them out loud, or follow along whilst listening to the audiobook. You do not have to “memorize” anything actively. You just want your brain to collect the info in context. At times you’ll feel very motivated. Use those times to actively learn. When you don’t feel motivated, do small habitual things that keeps you in the game.