tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post8064128041240917134..comments2023-03-23T10:55:47.989+01:00Comments on Us and Them: Kan du snakke norsk?JThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13014815674632911662noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post-16520093450600588312009-09-03T17:02:43.475+02:002009-09-03T17:02:43.475+02:00Mrs, I have an English mann as well, and he had th...Mrs, I have an English mann as well, and he had the same approach and now conducts most of his daily life på norsk. And you are so right about Norwegians speaking English back. I do believe it is done with good intent to help a struggling foreigner out, but it makes it all the more difficult to learn. I'm resolved, though, and apologies ahead of time to those poor Norwegians I shall practice on!JThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13014815674632911662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post-57254307865315591142009-09-03T12:14:17.248+02:002009-09-03T12:14:17.248+02:00My husband is English (I'm Norwegian) and when...My husband is English (I'm Norwegian) and when he moved to Norway 20 years ago his biggest problem with learning Norwegian was that everyone here kept on speaking English to him! But he just refused to speak to people in English. He stuggled in the beginning but after a few years he was not onlt fluent - his vocabulary is better than most Norwegians! He holds a senior position now in one of the biggest companies in Norway. And I promise you, even though you can (slightly) hear that he might come from England, ALL his meetings are in Norwegian! Everything he writes is in Norwegian.<br />One of the best ways to learn Norwegian is to not speak English when you are with Norwegian people. Not even when they speak English to you.<br />Learn to say: SNAKK NORSK!!<br />And read books. Books you've read in English before. It will make learning so much easier!<br /><br />Mrs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post-8169163948587856722009-08-29T19:59:23.560+02:002009-08-29T19:59:23.560+02:00I'm very impressed that you are brave enough t...I'm very impressed that you are brave enough to sit through meetings in Norsk. My breakthrough was having a baby, barselgruppe and barnehage plass - maybe not a method that would suit all ;) - but I would only now, after almost five years of self-teaching, using the newspaper and now daily conversations at the BH, start to feel confident enough to use it in a workplace. My accent is still dreadful, but Norwegians are easily impressed by foreigners who try to speak Norwegian it seems so getting to conversation level without major understandings has been great for my ego! You can do it and it really, really is worth it as it opens up a whole new world of genuine friendships.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06840475795135915167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post-64098990642378288392009-08-25T13:23:33.466+02:002009-08-25T13:23:33.466+02:00H, I figure little guy and I might be on the same ...H, I figure little guy and I might be on the same learning level when it comes to Norsk. Never mind that he is only weeks old and I am just... old. ;-)<br /><br />EL, you are SO right about the dialects! Just when I feel I have a grasp on Stangerske, out come thirty two new pronunciations and slang. Cripes!JThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13014815674632911662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post-19311816250742564722009-08-25T13:12:27.086+02:002009-08-25T13:12:27.086+02:00Delighted by your explanation of meetings på norsk...Delighted by your explanation of meetings på norsk... dette var også det same for meg! Nothing more embarrassing than being treated like the disabled person when they stop to ask if you "got it". I usually would use that as an opportunity to say I understood the person speaking "fjord norsk" but not the gentleman to the side that was speaking "arktisk norsk" and that I was struggling with the lady pratering the "fjell norsk" but I think I understood her point. He heELnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post-36855499457596894432009-08-25T09:38:34.326+02:002009-08-25T09:38:34.326+02:00Good blog J. I know what you are capable of... And...Good blog J. I know what you are capable of... And if you are to communicate with my little boy along the way, you need some skills in the native tongue... :) HenrietteAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post-14273815933380412822009-08-20T17:06:20.112+02:002009-08-20T17:06:20.112+02:00Anon@2.42, you're absolutely right - resistanc...Anon@2.42, you're absolutely right - resistance is futile. I think I just needed some time to realize that!<br /><br />JEDA, if you're at the 2min/20% place, I bet you'd be fine in lectures. There are a lot of programs offered in English, and usually, even if the lectures are in Norwegian, you can ask to submit your coursework in English. I'm sure you are more than clever enough!<br /><br />American, you are most definitely smart for jumping into the language straight away. I think this is the biggest piece of advice an 'old' expat can give to new ones. I'm just sorry it took me so long to practice what I preach!JThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13014815674632911662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post-80435377082211695622009-08-20T16:01:26.653+02:002009-08-20T16:01:26.653+02:00Hey.. Believe me... when it comes to living in Nor...Hey.. Believe me... when it comes to living in Norway... I can be the most negative person E V E R.. (depends on the days...) There are a lot of things I am not willing to bend on & say Screw Em if they don't like my "American-ess" however language wasn't one of them... <br />The first thing I did when I moved here was hop into learning the language... <br />Not because I am a clever person... I was just paranoid & wanted to know if people were talking about me... (I know, I need to get over myself) But look at it this way... You NOT learning Norwegian doesn't hurt anyone but YOU... :) If I can do it... YOU can sure as hell do it.. Good luckAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15669318430348189265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post-87583889896098500862009-08-20T15:28:47.939+02:002009-08-20T15:28:47.939+02:00Dude--I'm totally in your choir! Me and the n...Dude--I'm totally in your choir! Me and the norsk just do not get along. I might be a teensy bit ahead of you...sort of like 2 minutes late and maybe 20% off topic...but still, I get where you're coming from. I've developed such a chip on my shoulder about learning norwegian that even now that I've finally committed to moving past it, I'm finding all but impossible to actually move past it.<br /><br />Good luck on your quest to assimilate. Me--I'm just trying to decide if I'm clever enough to fake fluency enough to go back to school...but then if all the professors are like you....maybe not such a big deal after all....hmmmm<br /><br />JEDAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2364483236154043152.post-61874765705517543982009-08-20T14:42:59.740+02:002009-08-20T14:42:59.740+02:00it takes years of fighting it before you realise y...it takes years of fighting it before you realise you just have to give in and learn it - personally, i think that it gives you a better appreciation for the language after you've mostly mastered it!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com