How to find the time to learn Norwegian

You may think that you do not have time to learn Norwegian. However, in this article I will try to show you that you actually have a lot of available time that you can use to learn the language. You do not necessarily have to set aside more time for focused study, but you can combine learning Norwegian with activities you already do.

If learning the language is just an addition to your life instead of an integral part of it, it will not be sustainable. To really learn Norwegian, you need to integrate it into your daily life. You can do this by incorporating Norwegian into things you do for reasons other than progress in language acquisition. Successful learners seek opportunities to use the language everywhere.

Do you have time to eat? To clean your room? To go to work and come home? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it means that you have time to learn Norwegian. You do not have to replace any of these things with focused study, but you can learn Norwegian while doing them. I will show you how to turn various everyday activities into effective learning sessions.

Commuting

Unless you work from a home office, you travel to and from work every business day. You know the way, so you do not have to pay much attention to where you are going. You can use your mental energy for something else, like learning Norwegian. When you are on a bus or train, you have perfect conditions for learning. You can read texts, watch videos, listen to audio or do exercises in a language learning app. Norwegian buses and trains are a bit awkward but quiet places. No one will interrupt your learning session with unexpected spontaneous interaction. You can also learn Norwegian while walking or driving. Then you should not read or watch videos unless you want to kill yourself or someone else, but you can still listen to podcasts or other audio materials. Listening is the easiest way to make time for language learning because you can listen to Norwegian content while doing almost anything else.

If you learn Norwegian while commuting, you will redeem the time that would otherwise be wasted. All you need to do is prepare your materials (e.g. download them to your mobile phone) and have them with you on your way to work or anywhere else.

Cleaning

I mentioned earlier that you can combine listening practice with almost any other activity. You just put on your headphones, turn on a podcast or an audio lesson, and the Norwegian language enters your mind while your body is busy doing something else. Cleaning is an example of an activity that (almost) all of us do at least sometimes. I know people who enjoy it, but for the majority of us it is a mundane duty. However, this boring routine can be turned into regular language practice by listening. Just find some audio lessons, audiobooks or podcasts that match your current level of Norwegian, put on your headphones, grab a vacuum cleaner and clean up your room while Norwegian plays in the background.

Eating

Perhaps you do not leave your home often, nor do you waste your precious time on such mundane things as cleaning. But you must eat. If you do not eat, you will die. You can learn Norwegian while preparing and consuming your meals. Then your hands and mouth will be busy, but your mind will be free to pay attention to something other than food. You can listen to audio materials, watch videos and even read while you eat. You can get a lot of exposure to the Norwegian language with the simple habit of watching a video or listening to a podcast episode during breakfast.

World is your classroom

Commuting, cleaning, and eating are just a few examples of daily routines you can use to build habits of regular learning. The general principle is to add Norwegian language exposure to daily activities when your body is busy but your mind is free. You can do this by listening to podcasts or other audio materials, watching videos on YouTube, or reading while doing something else. If you regularly practice the language in a certain way during a specific activity, for example, listening to Norwegian podcasts every time you go shopping, then a daily activity that you have to do anyway will become a trigger for learning. In this way, you can easily build new learning habits around old and established routines.

In order to make progress in the acquisition of the Norwegian language, you do not necessarily have to set aside a lot of time for focused study. The most important thing is to study regularly, at least a little every day. Even if you are very busy, you can find some time for the language. You can learn while doing other daily tasks. Make a dining room and a bus your classrooms and improve your Norwegian a little bit every day!