Norwegian belongs to the northern group of Germanic languages. It is very close to Swedish and Danish and is also related to English, Dutch and German.
The Viking influence that gave Britain a new social and legal system and new cities like York (Jórvík) and Derby (Djorabýr) is still preserved in the English language – in everyday words like egg and leg, take and trust, and they and them and even they are. A millennium or so later, the languages have moved further apart, and so you might like to learn modern Norwegian yourself.
There are several ways of learning Norwegian in the UK, from full-blown degree courses in London and Edinburgh to part-time evening courses, private tutors and self-study. See information elsewhere on this website.
The language courses are usually accompanied by a set of CD/DVDs, audio-cassettes, or Linguaphone or interactive CD-ROMs. For a quick-fix introduction to the language, you might want to try 'Instant Norwegian' by Dot Publications, available from W.H. Smith, Grant & Cutler, Amazon.com.
A selection of books, CDs and tapes is also available from the Anglo Norse Society in London, tel. 020 7235 9529. A wider range is kept by the international bookshop Grant & Cutler, 55 Gt. Marlborough St., London W1V 2AY, tel. 020 7734 2012.
New Grammar Dictionary
Written by two experienced language teachers and published by Fagbokforlaget in 2007, the 'Norwegian Grammar Dictionary' is a description of grammar points in dictionary format, in English, for students of Norwegian. For further details about the book and how to order it, please click on this link.
Norwegian Language Test - ’The Bergen Test’
Folkeuniversitetet Adult Education Association is responsible for administering this Norwegian language test for foreign speakers. See www.fu.no – or telephone 00 47 22 98 88 22 for further information about the possibility of sitting the exam in London.
Universitetet i Bergen
Section for Norwegian as a second language
Sydnesplass 7
5007 Bergen, Norway
Telephone: (+47)55583543
Telefax: (+47) 55582535
E-mail: gerd.vatne@nor.uib.no
http://www.hf.uib.no/i/nordisk/ana/default.shtml
Norwegian Government-sponsored language scheme
To qualify for the government-sponsored language scheme for foreign residents in Norway, you must have obtained a residence permit valid for more than 3 months and be employed by a Norwegian (not foreign) company. Note that this no longer applies to UK citizens who have received their Resident's Permit after 01.09.2005.
In Oslo, you should contact the local education authorities as follows:
Skolesjefen i Oslo
Postboks 6127 Etterstad
0602 Oslo
Tel. 2266 7070
For other counties or municipalities, you will need to establish whether or not the particular local authority is participating in the scheme. Information about this can be obtained from the National Education Office:
Statens utdanningskontor
Postboks 8105 Dep.
0032 Oslo
Tel. 0047 2200 3800
E-mail postmottak@su-oa.sri.telemax.no
Norwegian Classes in Oslo for foreign speakers
Folkeuniversitetet/
Adult Education Association
Christian Krohgs gate 34
N - 0186 Oslo
Tel. +47 22 98 88 00
Website: www.fu.no
E-mail: info@fu.no
Rosenhof Voksenopplæringssenter
Dynekilgt. 10
N - 0569 Oslo
Tel: +47 22 38 77 00
Website: www.oslovo.no/content/view/25/100/
E-mail: irpro@online.no
Language Power Centre
Dronningensgt. 23
7. etg. , 0154 Oslo
Tlf.: 22 47 86 50
Fax: 22 42 11 85
Website: language.power@online.no
NSI
Kongens gate 9
N - 0153 Oslo
Tel. +47 23 10 01 10
Website: http://www.nsi.online.no/
E-mail: post@nsionline.no
University of Oslo
Institute of Linguistics
P.O.Box 1102 Blindern
N - 0317 Oslo
Tel. +47 22 85 67 34
Website: www.uio.no/studier/evu/spraak/norskfremmed.html
E-mail: gunnar.geirhovd@ilf.uio.no
Aftenskolen i Oslo og Bærum
Kirkegt. 32
N - 0153 Oslo
Tel.: +47 22 42 67 67
Website: www.aftenskolen.no/oslo/Webskjemaer/kategori_spraak
E-mail: oslo@aftenskolen.no
For private tutors, please look up the Norwegian Yellow Pages on: www.gulesider.no.