Books for beginners

At the outset of your journey with Norwegian, you need adequate resources tailored for beginners. Nowadays we have access to fancy language learning apps and multimedia resources, but books are not outdated and I think they never will be. Reading is one of the best ways to learn vocabulary and grammar structures. It is especially powerful when you read and listen at the same time.

As a beginner, you understand very little, and it can be difficult to find texts that are both comprehensible and at least minimally interesting. Learning materials such as traditional language textbooks are usually boring. On the other hand, authentic content is too difficult and therefore completely unintelligible. I learned the basics of Norwegian from boring stories about people brushing their teeth, opening a window and other similar "adventures". Later I found some more interesting alternatives.

On the shelves of books for Norwegian language learners in local libraries you can find some excellent books written for beginners, which are much more enjoyable than traditional course books. I have researched the public libraries in Oslo (Deichmanske Bibliotek) to find the best learning materials. This list is a result of my personal research. Below you can read about three easy-to-read books and book series that you can borrow from Deichmanske Bibliotek.

The Mystery of Nils

"The Mystery of Nils is a unique textbook for beginners. It is a novel written in very simple Norwegian, accompanied by glossaries, grammar explanations and exercises. The core of the book is the story of the adventures of a toy gnome called Nils. Glossaries with word lists and grammar explanations help you to understand a particular chapter of the novel. The first chapter is written in very simple Norwegian, using many words that are similar to their English equivalents to make it as easy as possible for a complete beginner to understand. Each subsequent chapter adds a little more complexity, following the natural learning curve of the language. You will learn the basics of Norwegian by reading a story. Other components, such as grammar explanations, build on the story and help you to understand it. You can also download audio files from the publisher's website and listen to the text as you read.

"The Mystery of Nils provides interesting content in very simple Norwegian and the support you need to understand the words and grammar structures used in the text. Building the language course around the novel makes this publication different from traditional textbooks. I think this is a great advantage, because the narrative contextualises the vocabulary and grammar rules and makes learning more enjoyable. The Mystery of Nils is therefore a great resource for those beginning their journey with the Norwegian language, especially for those who want to start with something organised and systematic but find standard textbooks boring.

I arbeidslivet: yrkeshefter

For many immigrants, career advancement is one of the most important reasons for learning Norwegian. The Norwegian work culture is very specific and includes some concepts that are foreign to newcomers. Why not combine learning Norwegian with learning about professional life in Norway? The problem is that many texts on these topics are too difficult for beginners. The "I arbeidslivet" series fills this gap. It consists of different publications, most of which are aimed at intermediate learners, but the booklets on professions (yrkeshefter) contain very simple illustrated texts for beginners. Each booklet introduces a profession through simple stories from the workplace, accompanied by pictures and word lists with explanations of more advanced words or expressions. They are divided into two parts - the easier part for beginners and the more advanced part for intermediate learners. You can use them at different stages of your journey with the Norwegian language.

"I arbeidslivet: yrkeshefter" contains both easy-to-understand language learning content and useful information about working in Norway. These booklets may be of particular interest to those who work in one of the professions described in the series. They can be used as a resource for learning the most important technical words and expressions you will need in your workplace. For those who are considering a change of career but are not sure what they would like to do, the booklets on professions can serve as a source of inspiration by giving examples of jobs that can be done in Norway. For everyone else, these texts may be more attractive than the usual textbooks because they relate to something real and potentially interesting. "I arbeidslivet: yrkeshefter" contextualise the Norwegian language within such an important aspect of life as work, so they are good learning resources for beginners. They are a little too difficult for complete newbies, but those who have already acquired some basic knowledge of the Norwegian language should understand enough to enjoy the text and learn.

Kort og Godt

Reading biographies of famous individuals who have had an impact on the country is an interesting way of exploring its culture. The book series "Kort og Godt" makes this possible for beginners in Norwegian. Each book is based on an area of social life, such as politics, sport or business. Every book in the series contains three short biographies of persons who have made a significant contribution to the field in question. Examples of people portrayed in the series include former prime minister Erna Solberg, famous painter Edvard Munch and infamous Nazi collaborator Vidkun Quisling. All texts are written in Norwegian at A2 level, so some basic knowledge of the language is required. Glossaries with explanations of some more advanced words and expressions, summaries with keywords and pictures help to understand the texts. The series is divided into two sub-series - the easier "Kort og Godt 1" and the more advanced "Kort of Godt 2".

The short biographies in the Kort og godt series are not aimed at complete newbies, but those who have already learned some of the basics of the language should understand enough to grasp the meaning and enjoy reading. If you find the stories about the people in the series interesting and you know a little Norwegian but want to learn more, Kort og godt should be a perfect learning resource for you.