To you who are learning Norwegian

I’ll try to summarize all the things I think and feel about you who are learning Norwegian. There’s an ocean of experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Still, I want to try to share a few of them with you here.

The first thing I want to say is: Don’t be so hard on yourself.
You’re learning Norwegian because you want to live your life in Norway, and it’s important to remember that learning a language takes time. Yes, some people can learn quickly if they study non-stop—but who can really live like that? Life involves so much more: work, food, sleep, taking care of family, cooking, doctor’s appointments, making friends, maintaining your own language… When are you supposed to find “enough time” to learn Norwegian?

You need to give yourself that time.

Norwegian is not a language that is learned quickly or easily. Most people need more time than they think—and definitely more than they would like.

The second thing I want to say is: It’s worth going to classes.
They don’t need to be intensive—it’s enough if they give you structure, guidance, and clear explanations. Because when you learn without guidance, it’s very easy to learn things the wrong way. And when you repeat a mistake many times, it eventually starts to feel correct. That’s why it’s important to have a teacher who corrects and explains.
“Unlearning” something incorrect takes more time (and is more painful) than learning it correctly from the start.

When I teach, I try to focus on making learning Norwegian fun and enjoyable! When you find the right balance and study methodically, with clear explanations, everything becomes much easier. And when you have patience, kindness toward yourself, and understand that language learning takes its time, then everything becomes more manageable.

When you look at learning the language with a more optimistic perspective, you also learn faster.

I hope you enjoy the experience of learning Norwegian.
We’ll get there together!
The path is made as we walk it—and as we live.
And let’s never forget: we are here to LIVE.