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Learning Norwegian and Swedish | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| feanarosurion Senior Member Canada Joined 5283 days ago 217 posts - 316 votes  Speaks: English* Studies: Finnish, Norwegian | Message 1 of 10 13 June 2010 at 12:38am | IP Logged | ||
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I'd like to know if it's possible to learn Norwegian and Swedish somewhat simultaneously. I would probably end up using Swedish more often in the future, as I am planning on moving to Finland within the next few years. I already have a relatively good grasp of Finnish, and I want to branch out somewhat to Finland's other official language. However, I've been told that Norwegian is the easier language to pick up, and it gives more inroads to Icelandic, another language I'm interested in. So I'm wondering how possible it would be to learn the two languages simultaneously, and taking note of differences as I go. That way I'd have the solid base that Norwegian would give me, but I would have experience with the specific language I'd be using more often. Any other thoughts would be appreciated.
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| Slovak_anglo Diglot Groupie United States facebook.com/deliver Joined 5347 days ago 87 posts - 100 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Italian, Slovak | Message 2 of 10 13 June 2010 at 3:03am | IP Logged | ||
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I've actually heard that Norwegian is the EASIEST language for an English speaker to learn:D Which is why I feel like an English speaker must pick it up eventually and it will get you started into the Scandinavian languages! Even better. Oh and Finland is beautiful by the way, from what my uncle has told me=) Good luck with your move and with your Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic=)
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| ALS Senior Member United States Joined 5806 days ago 104 posts - 131 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Norwegian, Finnish, Russian | Message 3 of 10 13 June 2010 at 3:28am | IP Logged | ||
I really wouldn't study them both at the same time. Two languages that are more removed from eachother, maybe, but not Norwegian and Swedish. I've studied them both and even after not having studied Swedish for many months, it still interfered with my Norwegian studies. I would really get good at one of them first, then work on the other in the same way a native American English speaker would learn about British English terms and slang. Personally I'd pick Norwegian as being fluent in that makes you understood, and able to understand, Danish and Swedish more than learning either Danish or Swedish enables the other two. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| feanarosurion Senior Member Canada Joined 5283 days ago 217 posts - 316 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Finnish, Norwegian | Message 4 of 10 13 June 2010 at 7:51am | IP Logged | ||
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OK so Norwegian is a bit of a better draw then I guess. Maybe I'll do my best to pick up Norwegian before I move and then work on the specifics of Swedish a few months before leaving. Thanks for the support and the comments!
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| Aquila123 Tetraglot Senior Member Norway mydeltapi.com Joined 5308 days ago 201 posts - 262 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, English, Italian, Spanish Studies: Finnish, Russian | Message 5 of 10 13 June 2010 at 9:47pm | IP Logged | ||
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I would reccomend studying one of the languages and in addition learn those words of the other language that are different.
Then you are very well equipped for for speaking both with Norwegians and Swedes. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| michi Nonaglot Newbie Austria Joined 5303 days ago 33 posts - 57 votes Speaks: Dutch*, German, French, English, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Portuguese Studies: Turkish, Arabic (Written), Serbo-Croatian, Indonesian, Japanese | Message 6 of 10 15 June 2010 at 4:37pm | IP Logged | ||
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I would also recommend you to learn either Norwegian or Swedish. The languages are very similar and if you know one you won't have much problems understanding the other. Written Danish looks even more like Norwegian but in spoken form is more difficult to understand for both Norwegians and Swedes. It is true that Norwegian is easier to learn, but Swedish is not that difficult either.
I am speaking out of experience. I have learned a little of Norwegian many years when I worked on a farm for one month, but I have learned Swedish at the university. Last week I was in Norway to make interviews for a radio report on the Islam in that country. I have only spoken Swedish and my partners answered in Norwegian and it worked out quite well. I have also tried to learn a little bit of Icelandic in the past, which expecially with regard to grammar is a much more difficult language and in that sense quite different from both Norwegian and Swedish. As you intend to live in Finland I think it would be easier and more useful to learn Swedish. Swedish is an official language and everybody learns it there. And the Swedish in Finland is easier to understand than the Swedish in Sweden. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| chirel Triglot Senior Member Finland Joined 5312 days ago 125 posts - 159 votes Speaks: Finnish*, English, Swedish Studies: French | Message 7 of 10 15 June 2010 at 7:46pm | IP Logged | ||
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I can't tell you which language to choose, but I would like to point out that you would not be understood in Finland
if you spoke Norwegian. It's too different from Finnish-Swedish. Even Swedish-Swedish is often too difficult for Finns to understand. There are plenty of opportunities to learn Swedish in Finland as almost everything (roadsigns, packaging texts...) can be found in both languages (subtitles on TV even) and there are large cities where you can easily find Swedish communities and on the western coast there are Swedish towns. So just my two cents to help you decide. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| tractor Tetraglot Senior Member Norway Joined 5455 days ago 1349 posts - 2292 votes Speaks: Norwegian*, English, Spanish, Catalan Studies: French, German, Latin | Message 8 of 10 15 June 2010 at 8:00pm | IP Logged | ||
I have never had any problems being understood by Swedish-speaking Finns. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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