Places to practice your Norwegian in Oslo
Practice makes perfect, especially when learning a new language. Here are some places where you can practice your Norwegian in Oslo.
Learning Norwegian is a challenge shared by all newcomers to the country. It can also be a tricky language to master.
Due to the high level of English proficiency among Norwegians, it can also be hard to put your skills to the test as the locals may switch to English when they hear an accent or know you are foreign.
While they mean no harm and do this out of politeness, it can make mastering the language trickier as getting in good practice can be an uphill battle.
Luckily, there are still plenty of opportunities to hone your skills and try and nail down some of the finer points of the language.
Here are several places in Oslo where you can practice your Norwegian skills with others.
Diechman Bjørvika
Spread over six floors, Oslo's main library is just a stone's throw from the opera house and is home to all manner of events.
Every Monday, except for public holidays, the Red Cross holds Norwegian language training at 5pm for people who want to practice their skills with others.
Tickets are handed out on the fourth floor from 16:30, and the language training takes place on the fifth floor. The event runs for 2 hours.
You can practice with other participants, which can help you also network and make friends if you are a new arrival, or with volunteers from the Red Cross.
Other Diechman libraries
Bjørvika isn't the only library that holds a weekly Norwegian practice. Diechman Grünerløkka also holds a “språkkafe” or language café evert Monday.
The event begins at the same time and is also run by the Red Cross.
Other Diechman libraries also hold events. The one in Stovner has drop-in sessions between 1pm and 2pm on Friday afternoons. The group there do language exercises and prep for Norwegian language tests, and talk about current affairs.
On Wednesdays, Diechman Oppsal also holds a Norwegian language café, meaning plenty of options are available based on your schedule.
You can see the complete list of Språkkafes run by Deichman here.
Language café on Facebook
On Facebook, there is also the public group "Language Café". The group is for language lovers in Oslo, and the meets every Monday at Kafe Asylet in Grønland. However, the group is for all language learners, so it doesn't focus as intensely on Norwegian as other places.
Although, there will still be opportunities to buddy up with Norwegian speakers and, depending on the languages you speak, you may be able to teach them something too.
Red Cross Norsktrenning
In addition to the events it holds in the Deichman Bjørvika and Grünerløkka, the Red Cross also holds Norwegian language practice at Furuset Library on Tuesdays and at Hausmanns Gate 23 on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
It also holds Norwegian digital practice on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Participants are placed into groups based on their proficiency, meaning you'll be practicing with people at a similar level.
For students
If you are an international student in Norway, then most universities will also host regular språkkafes for their students. The University of Oslo, for example, holds regular language cafes.
Språkkafe.no
The website is aimed at those who want to learn the Norwegian language and find a place where they can practice their skills.
The website currently has free language cafes in Porsgrunn Bibliotek and Bøler advertised on its site. In addition to providing details on where to find a language café, there are also plenty of links and resources on free language courses that can help get your lingo up to scratch.
Language exchange
Another option would be a language exchange site. These websites typically pair up two people who want to learn each other's language. This can be harder for somebody who only has English under their belt. The reason is that most in Norway already have a solid grasp of the language.
Instead, this is an option that would be better for somebody who speaks a language another language in addition to English. Tandem is a language exchange site you could try.
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Learning Norwegian is a challenge shared by all newcomers to the country. It can also be a tricky language to master.
Due to the high level of English proficiency among Norwegians, it can also be hard to put your skills to the test as the locals may switch to English when they hear an accent or know you are foreign.
While they mean no harm and do this out of politeness, it can make mastering the language trickier as getting in good practice can be an uphill battle.
Luckily, there are still plenty of opportunities to hone your skills and try and nail down some of the finer points of the language.
Here are several places in Oslo where you can practice your Norwegian skills with others.
Diechman Bjørvika
Spread over six floors, Oslo's main library is just a stone's throw from the opera house and is home to all manner of events.
Every Monday, except for public holidays, the Red Cross holds Norwegian language training at 5pm for people who want to practice their skills with others.
Tickets are handed out on the fourth floor from 16:30, and the language training takes place on the fifth floor. The event runs for 2 hours.
You can practice with other participants, which can help you also network and make friends if you are a new arrival, or with volunteers from the Red Cross.
Other Diechman libraries
Bjørvika isn't the only library that holds a weekly Norwegian practice. Diechman Grünerløkka also holds a “språkkafe” or language café evert Monday.
The event begins at the same time and is also run by the Red Cross.
Other Diechman libraries also hold events. The one in Stovner has drop-in sessions between 1pm and 2pm on Friday afternoons. The group there do language exercises and prep for Norwegian language tests, and talk about current affairs.
On Wednesdays, Diechman Oppsal also holds a Norwegian language café, meaning plenty of options are available based on your schedule.
You can see the complete list of Språkkafes run by Deichman here.
Language café on Facebook
On Facebook, there is also the public group "Language Café". The group is for language lovers in Oslo, and the meets every Monday at Kafe Asylet in Grønland. However, the group is for all language learners, so it doesn't focus as intensely on Norwegian as other places.
Although, there will still be opportunities to buddy up with Norwegian speakers and, depending on the languages you speak, you may be able to teach them something too.
Red Cross Norsktrenning
In addition to the events it holds in the Deichman Bjørvika and Grünerløkka, the Red Cross also holds Norwegian language practice at Furuset Library on Tuesdays and at Hausmanns Gate 23 on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
It also holds Norwegian digital practice on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Participants are placed into groups based on their proficiency, meaning you'll be practicing with people at a similar level.
For students
If you are an international student in Norway, then most universities will also host regular språkkafes for their students. The University of Oslo, for example, holds regular language cafes.
Språkkafe.no
The website is aimed at those who want to learn the Norwegian language and find a place where they can practice their skills.
The website currently has free language cafes in Porsgrunn Bibliotek and Bøler advertised on its site. In addition to providing details on where to find a language café, there are also plenty of links and resources on free language courses that can help get your lingo up to scratch.
Language exchange
Another option would be a language exchange site. These websites typically pair up two people who want to learn each other's language. This can be harder for somebody who only has English under their belt. The reason is that most in Norway already have a solid grasp of the language.
Instead, this is an option that would be better for somebody who speaks a language another language in addition to English. Tandem is a language exchange site you could try.
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