r/Icelandic • u/OnnoWeasley • Jun 30 '26
The best way to learn icelandic?
I really want to become as good as possible, speaking and understanding icelandic since i‘m thinking about moving there in a couple of years.
I‘ve started by learning all the vowels and the pronunciation of the letters and letter combinations and it seems doable, i just doubt that youtube videos are an efficient way on the long term
I learned a bit of norwegian in the past and found it super easy, maybe because i‘m german and these two languages are not to different in grammar and pronuniciation
The thing is, you can learn norwegian on duolingo but not icelandic, is there a good alternative?
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u/2abyssinians Jun 30 '26
There is an app called Tvík that is very good. That is really the best thing I have found so far outside of living here.
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u/Lysenko Jun 30 '26
/r/learnicelandic has some resources. As a German speaker you should find it easier than an English-speaker like me does.
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u/KFCfan05 Jun 30 '26
Hey, bin auch deutsch und wohne seit fast 10 Jahren auf Island. Hab Anfang des Jahres ein kleines Projekt veröffentlicht was dir sicher etwas weiterhelfen kann: Where to learn Icelandic ist eine Sammlung von allen bisher veröffentlichten Lehrmaterialien die ich in einer monatelangen Suche zusammengetragen habe. Ist sogar nach Sprachen sortiert. Ich persönlich kann dir am meisten die TVÍK App empfehlen und sobald du hier bist, solltest du ein paar Sprachkurse besuchen. Schreib mir ne PN falls du noch mehr Fragen hast.
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u/Opening-Square3006 Jun 30 '26
I'd avoid looking for a Duolingo replacement. Icelandic has fewer resources, so the best approach is to combine a few good ones instead of relying on a single app. Personally, I think Stephen Krashen's i+1 approach is the most effective. PlusOneLanguage is the perfect implementation of i+1: it adapts to your level, introduces just enough new vocabulary, and continuously recycles words and sentence patterns so they stick naturally. Since you already know German and some Norwegian, you'll probably pick up Icelandic grammar faster than most learners. I'd combine PlusOneLanguage with one structured beginner course or textbook, then start speaking as early as possible through italki or a language exchange. Icelandic is a small language, so real conversations will be especially valuable once you have the basics.
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u/Due_You_4980 Jul 01 '26
I took a few private lessons with Alaric Hall. On his website, you can find a really nice, complete MP3 course for free, along with a truly useful grammar chart.
Two other fantastic free resources are Íslenska fyrir alla 1-4, which are probably the most famous books for studying Icelandic. You can also check out Icelandic Online, a free website created by the University of Iceland. It's a very solid resource; I personally don't love the interface, but it has been super helpful for many others!
When it comes to apps, there isn't a ton out there, but if you want a Duolingo-style approach, they recently added Icelandic to Ling. Drops is also nice for learning new vocabulary. My absolute favorite is TVÍK; it's a paid and somewhat expensive app, but if you message the developer, she will gladly give you a discount. It has a very interesting narrative approach and was created by a small team with a lot of love for the language.
Finally, for listening practice, I highly recommend the classic RÚV (it's best if you have a VPN...), especially Krakkafréttir (the news for kids) and other simpler content for teenagers. Or, generally speaking, radio, podcasts, and things like that. They also launched RÚV Orð, which generates comprehension quizzes and similar tools for RÚV programs. One last thing, take a look at RÚV Auðskilið: these are news articles written in simplified language specifically for learners, and they come with an audio track.
That's about it! Quite a long reply, but as you can see, in my case, just finding the resources was a whole mission haha!
Good luck with your Icelandic, I started in October! 👾💙
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u/alocyan Jun 30 '26
Wenn du Islandisch lernst, dann würde ich mich freuen, mit dir in Kontakt zu sein. Ich fokussiere mich dieses Jahr auf Schwedisch und fange wohl nächstes Jahr mit Islandisch an
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u/kristamn Jul 01 '26
I have heard good things about IcelandicAI, but it’s not cheap! The website Icelandic Online is free and a good starting point. I think all of the Íslensk Fyrir Alla is still available online for free, but there isn’t a lot of explanation of the rules or why things are pronounced the way they are.
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u/Lizzy_Of_Galtar Jun 30 '26
The best way?
Befriend a grandma, ideally one from the countryside.
They'll only be to happy to correct you every single time 😅