Learning Norwegian Guide

Do You Actually Need Norwegian?

In short: yes, eventually. Norway ranks among the highest in the world for English proficiency, and you can get by in Oslo without Norwegian for a while – especially in international workplaces. But for most jobs outside the tech/finance bubble, for dealing with authorities, neighbours, kindergarten staff, and daily life, Norwegian makes an enormous difference.

Most immigrants who struggled to settle in Norway cite language as the single biggest barrier.

What Level Do You Need?

• A1–A2 – Survive daily life, shopping, basic conversations
• B1 – Work in most Norwegian workplaces, understand meetings
• B2 – Required for most public sector jobs, university admission, and citizenship
• C1 – Comfortable in any context

Most immigrants aim for B1–B2 within the first 1–2 years.

Free Norwegian Courses

Who Is Entitled to Free Courses?

Certain groups have a legal right (and sometimes an obligation) to free Norwegian courses funded by the state:

• Refugees and those granted protection – entitled to 600 hours, sometimes more
• Family immigrants from outside the EU/EEA – entitled to 600 hours
• EEA citizens – generally not entitled to free courses, but some municipalities offer them anyway

Contact your local Introduksjonssenter or Voksenopplæring (adult education centre) to find out what you are eligible for.

Norskprøven

The official Norwegian language test is called Norskprøven, offered by Kompetanse Norge. It tests reading, writing, listening and speaking at levels A1–B2. You need this if you are applying for:

• Permanent residence
• Citizenship
• Certain jobs

Book at norskproven.no.

Paid Courses

If you are not entitled to free courses, options include:

• Folkeuniversitetet – evening and weekend courses across Norway, very popular with immigrants
• AOF Norge – similar to Folkeuniversitetet, good range of levels
• Private language schools – faster and more intensive, more expensive
• Online tutors – italki.com has many Norwegian tutors at reasonable rates

Typical cost for a semester course at Folkeuniversitetet: 3,000–6,000 kr.

Apps and Self-Study

Best Apps

Duolingo – Good for absolute beginners. Norwegian is one of Duolingo's most popular courses and is considered one of its better offerings. Free.

Babbel – More structured than Duolingo, better grammar explanations. Subscription required.

Clozemaster – Great for intermediate learners who want to build vocabulary in context. Free tier available.

Anki – Flashcard app. Use community-made Norwegian decks for vocabulary. Free.

Podcasts and Listening

• Slow Norwegian (Langsom norsk) – Short episodes spoken slowly, made for learners. Excellent.
• NRK Radio – Norwegian public radio. Challenging but great for advanced learners.
• Norwegian on the Web (NTNU) – Free structured course from a Norwegian university.

TV and Film

• NRK TV (tv.nrk.no) – Free streaming of Norwegian TV. Turn on Norwegian subtitles, not English.
• Valborg, Norsemen, Lilyhammer – Popular Norwegian shows on Netflix with Norwegian audio.

The key trick: always use Norwegian subtitles, not English. This trains your brain to connect spoken and written Norwegian.

Bokmål vs Nynorsk

Norway has two written standards:

• Bokmål – Used by around 85–90% of the population. This is what you should learn.
• Nynorsk – Used mainly in western Norway. You will encounter it on official signs and documents.

As a newcomer, focus entirely on Bokmål. You will pick up Nynorsk awareness naturally over time.

Dialects

Norwegians speak in dialects – and they are often quite different from standard Bokmål. Oslo dialect is closest to written Bokmål. Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim dialects are noticeably different. Northern Norwegian dialects can be challenging even for other Norwegians.

Do not panic. Norwegians are generally patient with learners and will switch to clearer speech when needed. The more Norwegian you hear, the faster dialects start to make sense.

Practical Tips

Speak Norwegian even when people switch to English. Many Norwegians will automatically switch to English when they hear an accent. Politely ask them to continue in Norwegian – most will respect this.

Read Norwegian every day. Set your phone to Norwegian. Read Norwegian news (VG, Dagbladet, NRK). Even 10 minutes a day adds up.

Join a language café. Many municipalities have free language cafés (språkkafé) where Norwegians volunteer to practise conversation with learners. Ask your kommune or library.

Accept that it takes time. Most people need 1–2 years of consistent effort to reach B1–B2. Be patient with yourself.

Useful Resources

• norskproven.no – Official language test
• norskkurs.no – Course finder
• folkeuniversitetet.no – Evening courses
• tv.nrk.no – Free Norwegian TV
• languagetransfer.org – Free audio course "Complete Norwegian" (beginner–intermediate)