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LEARNING NORWEGIAN

A language expert’s three top tips for learning Norwegian

Learning Norwegian can seem like an intimidating prospect. The Local asked Norwegian language expert Tor Mæhre for his top three tips to help you learn Norwegian more efficiently. 

Published: 3 March 2023 15:59 CET
Updated: 9 May 2024 15:01 CEST
Pictured is somebody learning.
Here is a Norwegian language expert's top tips for learning Norwegian. Pictured is somebody learning.Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

While the sheer number of fluent English speakers in Norway and the existence of jobs where Norwegian won’t be the primary working language means that it is entirely possible to get by in the Nordic country with a limited grasp of the local tongue. 

However, learning the language can considerably improve your life in Norway, boosting your career prospects, helping you feel more settled and making it easier to make friends with the locals. 

Unfortunately, learning a language can seem like an incredibly daunting ordeal, and the fear of plunging into the deep end only grows the longer you leave it. But, it doesn’t have to be that way, as language expert Tor Mæhre told The Local. 

“My advice is to start small. If you’re in Norway, just speak with the shop staff: “Hei” or “god dag” is a good starting point. If you’re not in Norway, you can try looking for a tutor on different teaching platforms or with a local teacher. Just a 30-minute lesson will be a huge leap when starting out,” he said. 

Mæhre is perhaps better known among language learners as the man behind Norwegian with Tor, the online platform he set up to help teach Norwegian online to students of all ability levels. 

After starting teaching Norwegian five years ago, Mærhe has grown a social media following, with over 60,000 followers on Instagram, while also sharing videos on TikTok and Youtube. 

Getting to grips with a new set of grammar rules can be one of the most intimidating challenges when learning a new language. Although, the language expert, now based out of Bergen on the west coast of Norway, explained that compared to other languages, Norwegian is relatively straightforward. 

“I will say that starting out, you’ll see that Norwegian grammar is surprisingly simple. It’s only at a higher level (A2 level +) you’ll be confronted with confusing clauses and conjugations etc. So, for beginners, Norwegian is probably the best choice if you are allergic to grammar,” Mærhe explained. 

He also shared three expert tips for learning Norwegian with The Local. 

Tip one: Listen carefully

“My first piece of advice is to listen carefully. The pronunciation is probably the most confusing part of the language since written Norwegian (bokmål) is not the same as spoken Norwegian. This is due to all the dialects in our country and also due to odd rules regarding specific words,” the language expert said. 

Tip two: Don’t get overwhelmed 

“My second piece of advice is to not get overwhelmed. Don’t listen to difficult podcasts or watch movies without subtitles at the start. Secondly, we have hundreds of dialects here. So, begin easy and learn, for example, southern (Oslo dialect). Learn the fundamentals here, and later on, you can try out other dialects if you’d like,” Mærhe explained. 

Tip three: Do what works best for you 

“My third piece of advice is to find resources you’d like to learn Norwegian from. Some people like YouTube. Some like Duolingo. Some like Instagram. We’re all different. You find plenty of free resources out there. And when you’re ready to take the next leap, you can think about buying a book or potentially a language course,” Mærhe said. 

“When speaking of resources. I share videos and posts every day on my own Instagram page, where you can hear and read Norwegian on a daily basis. It’s an excellent start for you who are eager to start out,” he added. 

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FAMILY

‘Don’t let anything put you off’: How foreigners in Norway raise bilingual kids

Foreigners living and raising children in Norway, might want them to become native speakers of at least two languages. We asked our readers to share their tips and experiences.

Published: 9 April 2024 17:13 CEST
Updated: 27 April 2024 15:01 CEST
'Don't let anything put you off': How foreigners in Norway raise bilingual kids

Foreign residents in Norway with children spend a lot of time thinking about how to best make their offspring bilingual.

We recently put out a survey asking parents in Norway about their experiences with raising bilingual children, and many parents believed that raising their children to be bilingual or multilingual would help them succeed in life.

“I would like my son to become fluent in Norwegian from a young age so he can learn and flourish here,” Martin, who lives in Vestland, said.

While he is English, his wife is Lithuanian, meaning Martin and his wife hope for their one-year-old child to eventually be able to speak English, Lithuanian, and Norwegian.

He believed that his child would easily learn English and Norwegian and that he would attend a Norwegian language preschool once he was old enough.

However, he admitted that it would be harder for his son to pick up Lithuanian, as it isn’t taught in schools, and he would only have his mother to learn from.

Respondents also encouraged other parents to try their best to raise their children to be bilingual, especially as younger children can be adept at picking up languages.

“A child’s elastic brain can absorb languages, so it is always worth raising them bilingually or multilingually,” Russell, who lives in Oslo, said.

“Speak to your child in your native language, don’t let anyone or anything put you off,” he added when asked for advice.

READ ALSO: How to raise bilingual children: 7 language tips and tricks

Roxanne, who lives in Bergen, recommended prioritising the parents’ mother tongue, as children would absorb Norwegian just by living in the country.

Her daughter, who was 20 months old when they first moved to Bergen several years ago, is now fluent in English and Norwegian after first practising with a bilingual nanny and then attending a Norwegian preschool.

However, Roxanne and her husband also practised German, French, Spanish, and Farsi with their child, with English being the primary language at home.

Roxanne was one of several parents who said that one parent spoke to their child in one language while the other spoke in a different language. She said she was determined to raise a multilingual child to ensure that her daughter would always feel “seen and understood” by her family.

Daren lives in Bærum and moved to Norway with his three children when they were aged 8, 6 and 4. Now his kids are 21, 19 and 17 and fluent in Norwegian and English. He said that it took his children most of their childhood to master the language after moving.

He also said that going to a local school and his children making friends with Norwegian children and using the language conversationally boosted their skills.

“Try to integrate into the local community, sports teams, friendships, etc. Send your kids to local schools and avoid the international schools until VGS (high school),” Daren said.

He added that things are easier if the parents learn Norwegian, but in some cases, this is easier said than done, and he and his wife have yet to master the language.

Stef, who lives in Haugesund, warned that parents learning Norwegian alongside their kids may struggle to keep up with their children.

“Learn Norwegian as fast as you can because children will learn faster,” Stef said.

International schools are a popular option for many families who aren’t sure they will settle down in Norway, or only plan to live in the country temporarily, or who move with older children.

While many parents advised sending their children to a Norwegian school, some also pointed out kids could pick up the local language while attending an international school.

Ulrike, who lives in Oslo, said it was important that clubs and activities are in the local language.

“If they go to an international school, make sure they have extracurricular activities in Norwegian,” she said.

Her child attends the German School of Oslo, where German and Norwegian are spoken languages.

Gail, who lives in Australia but has taught at Oslo International School, recommended using a tutor and finding ways to make the Norwegian language fun.

“Use a tutor and ask the school your child attends what they suggest for integration and learning. Sports activities and social occasions help. Singing songs in Norwegian is a fun way to learn,” she said.

Paige, who lives in Sandefjord, suggested Norwegian television and language cafes to boost children’s Norwegian skills.

“If they go to an international school and they or you want them to develop their Norwegian language skills, find some programs on (Norway’s public broadcaster) NRK and watch them together, go to language cafes, go to local events, and take it one step at a time,” she said.

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