You may be planning a journey to Norway and looking to enhance your trip by learning Norwegian, or at least some phrases in the local lingo.

Maybe you have a grandparent who was part of the wave of Norwegian settlers who migrated to North America between 1890 and 1930 and want to connect to those roots through language.

You may be an expat living in Norway, like my Canadian-born wife, Gabrielle, who is keen on better integrating into Norwegian society and professional life while preparing for permanent residency or citizenship.

There are countless reasons to embark on the journey of learning Norwegian. From practical benefits to deeply personal connections, the rewards of learning this Scandinavian language extend far beyond basic communication. My partner for this blog post is Speak Norsk, a Norwegian-language education platform offering both in-person and online learning with a modern approach.

 

👉  Most Popular Course: Viking Offer for Beginners (A0 to B2)

 

For the Traveller

You absolutely do not need to learn Norwegian in order to travel to Norway. But isn’t it fun to order a kaffe og kanelbolle instead of a coffee and cinnamon bun, if you can? Or navigate the signs in a fjord village without pulling up Google Translate?

Most Norwegians speak English, and especially in the cities, their English proficiency is excellent. However, like in any culture, Norwegians appreciate visitors who make an effort to speak the local language, which can open doors to experiences or connections you might otherwise miss. Just be prepared to end up speaking English anyway! If a Norwegian detects an American accent, we’ll often switch because we also like to practice our English!

 

For the Heritage-Seeker or the Norway Aficionado

Are you a fan of Norwegian literature? Reading Ibsen or Knausgård in their native language inevitably brings you closer to their great works; even the best translations couldn’t possibly capture every nuance of the writing in its original form.

For those with Norwegian backgrounds, learning the mother tongue of your ancestors is a powerful way to connect with your roots. Every Norwegian word you learn brings you closer to understanding the records or love letters that make up your family’s history.

For the Expat

You can live in Norway and get by using English alone; in fact, many do. But it is undeniable that learning the local language where you live and work offers a richer experience for the expat. Learning Norwegian makes participating in society smoother when accessing banking, social security benefits, and healthcare.

I remember Gabrielle noticing that socializing and making friends became much easier as her Norwegian improved. There were certainly professional benefits to becoming fluent in Norwegian—suddenly, many more jobs became available to her.

Understanding Norwegian is also an important key to appreciating Norwegian culture. Being able to follow the news and attend poetry readings, concerts, and protests all form the basis of understanding a local culture and truly integrating into Norwegian society.

Not to mention that at some point you might like to apply for permanent residency or citizenship, for which you’ll need a certain level of Norwegian. (Speak Norsk can help you prepare for the Norwegian Language Exam for immigration, more on that later!).

For the Language Enthusiast

Norwegian offers a melodic challenge with its distinctive sound. The tonality, the shapes that mouth has to make to pronounce our å, ø, æ sounds are unlike English. “Norwegian sounds like yodelling!” and “I don’t think it’s possible for a Norwegian to sound angry; they sound like they are singing all the time!” I always laugh when tourists share their impressions of my mother tongue.

Norwegian is not the most common language to learn, with only 5.6 million speakers in Norway (and about 6 million worldwide), but that might be part of the appeal. Give your vocal cords a challenge—learn Norwegian just for the fun of it!

How long does it take to learn Norwegian?

While language learning is individual, Speak Norsk estimates that in general, it takes:
• 1-2 months to reach A1–A2 level (Beginner)
• 3-4 months to reach B1 level (Intermediate)
• 4-6 months to reach B2 level (Advanced)
• 1-2 years to reach C1 level (Fluency/Professional)

With consistent effort (3-5 weekly lessons), most learners can reach the B1/B2 level within 3-5 months.

👉  Most Popular Course: Viking Offer for Beginners (A0 to B2)

 

Is Norwegian Hard to Learn?

If you already know English, you already have a head start. The Foreign Service Institute classifies Norwegian as a Category I language, meaning it’s among the easiest languages for English speakers to master.

When Gabrielle started learning Norwegian, we were amazed at how quickly she picked it up. The key was conversation. Whenever we were with my family, we would only speak Norwegian, and at her workplace, she worked in Norwegian. Using the language at this early stage (despite making plenty of mistakes with vocabulary and grammar) meant that she embraced communicating imperfectly rather than not communicating at all.

This approach aligns perfectly with Speak Norsk’s emphasis on conversation in its courses. Instead of students listening to a teacher and quietly writing in a workbook, Speak Norsk pioneered the “Grammar/Conversation Split” in its courses—the first language school in Norway to do so.

 

 

 

Learn Norwegian Online or In-Class with Speak Norsk

Speak Norsk’s language school offers Norwegian courses both in person and online. That means you can start learning long before you travel to Norway. Their Viking Offer (A0-B2) is a comprehensive course package designed to take you from complete Beginner to Advanced in about 6 months. The Viking Offer is available in both classroom format if you are already living in Oslo and online for distance learners.

In both formats, you have access to highly experienced teachers for interactive learning. Lessons are also available pre-recorded, giving students complete flexibility. This means you can study Norwegian with Speak Norsk anytime and anywhere.

A significant advantage is their up-to-date learning materials (launched October 2024), which focus on practical topics relevant to real-life conversations in today’s world, not outdated textbook examples.

What about learning Norwegian for free?

If you want a little taste of their learning materials, Speak Norsk has a free course available. If you are planning a trip soon, their downloadable guide “Hvordan introdusere seg på norsk” is a nice little introduction to how to introduce yourself in Norwegian with English translations. Also available is a free e-book with essential words and phrases in Norwegian. This teaches you common greetings, numbers, days of the week, common verbs, adverbs and adjectives and more, all for free.

 

Beyond Travel: Continuing Your Norwegian Journey

For many learners, what begins as preparation for a two-week fjord adventure often blossoms into a lifelong love affair with the Norwegian language and culture. As your skills progress beyond basic travel phrases, you might understand Norwegian music, follow Norwegian news, or even dream in Norwegian.

For expats in Norway, you might consider fulfilling the language requirements for your Norwegian permanent residency or citizenship application sooner or later. Speak Norsk offers comprehensive training specifically for the Norskprøven (the Norwegian language exam), backed by a 100% success guarantee.

 

In closing

Whether you’re planning your first trip to Norway or dreaming of deeper connections with your Norwegian heritage, learning the language opens doors that remain closed to most visitors.

👉  Most Popular Course: Viking Offer for Beginners (A0 to B2)

Ready to start your Norwegian language journey? Speak Norsk’s courses are a golden opportunity to expand your horizons through language.