Information on Learning Icelandic

Compiled by Hallveig Broddadóttir
 

Introductory Icelandic Lessons
The Icelandic Canadian Club of British Columbia has information on Introductory Icelandic Lessons. Each Lesson Set consists of a one-hour Tape Cassette or Audio CD, plus printed lessons so that you can start learning to read, pronounce and spell in Icelandic. The lessons are clearly recorded and proceed in a manner that allows you to repeat what is being said. An easy & enjoyable experience for the whole family. Price $12.00 CDN per tape lesson set (Cassette). More information at http://www.inlofna.org/ICCBC/Tape_Lessons.htm Phone: Helga @ (604) 434-9513

Free Icelandic Lessons Online 
Icelandic Online - the University of Iceland's free online beginner course in Icelandic. It is a fully automated self-instruction course in Modern Icelandic. The materials contained in the course will, when you master them, give you skills roughly equivalent to a first-semester college or university course in Modern Icelandic. The course is free to all individual users and does not grant any credit. http://www.icelandic.hi.is/coursetest.php

Distance Learning Courses
The www.vefskoli.is and www.namsflokkar.is offer distance learning courses in Icelandic. They offer a beginner's course and also courses at level 2, 3, 4, 5 and Composition. In the beginners course the main emphasis is placed on the alphabet and basic daily vocabulary. The course involves the equivalent of 34 teaching hours. Students have to use a dictionary or the help of on-line dictionaries. All courses take 10 weeks and cost 19.700 ISK or approximately $394.

Online Dictionary
This website features an English-Icelandic and Icelandic-English dictionary with 130,000 headwords. The dictionaries are uniquely modern, because in addition to the traditional vocabulary, they also contain thousands of new words and terms that have entered the language in recent decades. Individual's subscription for 12 months costs ISK 2,500 ($45), and for 6 months it costs ISK 1,500 (27$). Before you start your subscription you can get a free trial subscription for 15 days. http://www.ordabok.is/english.asp

Online Conjugation of Icelandic Verbs
This site contains verb conjugations for hundreds of languages, ranging from national and international languages to regional and even extinct languages. http://www.verbix.com/

Summer Course in Icelandic in Iceland
The Sigurður Nordal Institute, in cooperation with the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Iceland, organizes every year an International Summer Course in Modern Icelandic and Icelandic Culture. The course is primarily intended for university students of language and literature, but anyone interested in Icelandic and Icelandic culture is welcome to apply. The applicants' residence must not be in Iceland. http://www.nordals.hi.is/ens/Courses/summer.html

The University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba has link to various recourses for learning Icelandic. http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/icelandic/IceCan/language.htm

 

Recommended Books from University of Manitoba

Colloquial Icelandic - The Complete Course for Beginners by Daisy Neijman. Other Editions: Paperback | Audio CD ISBN: 0415207088. Available from: www.amazon.ca, University of Manitoba Bookstore (www.umanitoba.ca/campus/bookstore/)

Tergesen's in Gimli - (204) 642-5958

Learning Icelandic by Auður Einsdóttir, Guðrun Theodórsdóttir, María Garðarsdóttir and Sigríður þorvaldsdóttir. ISBN: 9979319194. Available from: Mál og Menning (www.edda.is)

Teach Yourself Icelandic - A complete course for beginners by P.J.T. Glendening. ISBN: 0340268824. Available from www.amazon.ca, Tergesen's in Gimli - (204) 642-5958 

Learning Icelandic Listserv
These you will have to sign in to Yahoo to use these groups and then request a membership to the group, but this is easy to do.

Learning Icelandic
Learning Icelandic is designed for people learning the Icelandic language. Mutual encouragement is the primary aim of this group, which includes absolute beginners and those whose skills are fairly good. Hopefully members will share information and resources. There are several Icelanders on the list who kindly help out. This group is open to children as well as adults. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LearningIcelandic/

Icelandic-Grammar 2
In this group Icelandic grammar will be discussed with a view towards learning and/or improving writing skills in Icelandic. Grammar learned will also be applied to spoken Icelandic. Open to all.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Icelandic-grammar2/

Icelandic Beginner Chat
This is a group for those who are beginners in learning the Icelandic language. The intent is to provide a place for learners to become more comfortable "conversing" in the language, and discussion is mostly in simple Icelandic. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IcelandicBeginnerChat/