The Power of Habit in Learning Norwegian
Mastering a new language is a matter of habit. Learn more about learning habits that will make you fluent in Norwegian!
The trajectory of our lives is shaped by the mosaic of small daily routines. This principle applies to language learning as well. Your future success in mastering Norwegian will be determined not by your current results, but by the habits you form and maintain over time. In this article you will learn why habits are so important for language learning and what kinds of habits you need to develop to become fluent in Norwegian.
The system of habits
In order to master Norwegian, you need to spend thousands of hours listening, reading, speaking, and writing in this language. Does this mean that you will have to spend long hours studying Norwegian every day for several years? Fortunately, no. Effective language learning is more about consistency than intensity. Regular exposure to the language is crucial. Small improvements made day after day will accumulate and lead to significant progress in the long run. You need to make learning Norwegian a habit - something you do consistently on a daily basis.
A good learning habit should be specific. It isn’t enough to say “I will learn Norwegian everyday”. You have to answer some important questions. How much time will you dedicate to learning? When will you learn? After breakfast? During your lunch break at work? After you put your kids to bed? You need to decide how you will learn. Are you going to go through an online course? Listen to a podcast? Use a specific app?
When you make a self-study plan, you should think of it as a system of learning habits. You need to set your goal, but that is just a starting point. Goals are about where you want to go. Systems define how you will get there. While setting goals provides direction, focusing on systems is essential for actual progress. In your system of learning habits you should include focused study, learning while you are doing something else, and using the Norwegian language.
Michał Ziora
The habit of focused study
Focused study involves deliberate practice with specially designed language materials or structured conversation training. It gives you the opportunity to devote your full attention to a more intensive study of the language. You should fill your study sessions with challenging activities that require serious commitment.
If you are a beginner, use this time to work on a structured course that will take you through the basics of the language. Materials such as Norwegian Uncovered, Norwegian on the Web, or The Mystery of Nils are good places to start. Later, as you move beyond the basics, you can replace the beginner material with more authentic content in simplified Norwegian. You can listen to a podcast and read the transcript, watch the same video on YouTube several times, or read an easy reader. The LingQ app can be useful for this type of focused study, helping you to understand difficult content. Conversation practice with a tutor is also a good activity for focused study sessions.
When should you study Norwegian? This is up to you, but I recommend doing it at a fixed time of the day. If you consistently start your study session right after dinner, you will start thinking about learning Norwegian every time when you finish dinner. Habits are so powerful because they get automated as we repeat them. You can turn any daily routine into a prompt for learning Norwegian if you always start your study session right after it.
How long should a study session last? The length of your study sessions is not as important as consistency. Spending a little time each day can improve your Norwegian significantly. As a rule of thumb I would say 30-60 minutes is optimal. 15 minutes a day should work at the beginning. 30 minutes is a good amount of time. 60 minutes is more than enough. I don't recommend scheduling sessions longer than an hour. Most people are not able to sustain such a commitment for more than a few weeks or even days. 30-60 minutes is a perfectly adequate amount of study time to begin with. Later, when you move on to the intermediate level, your focused study will not be as important as the habits of integrating Norwegian into your everyday life, which will be discussed in the following sections.
Michał Ziora
The habit of learning in the background
One of the easiest ways to incorporate Norwegian into your life is to have it play in the background while you do something else. By adding Norwegian to your daily chores, you can easily get a lot of exposure to the language. Take advantage of moments when your body is busy but your mind is free. Activities such as commuting, cleaning or cooking can be turned into Norwegian learning sessions without adding extra study time to your schedule.
Listening is a very easy way to make time for language learning. Just play some Norwegian audio content in the background. You can turn your kitchen into a language classroom by listening to Norwegian podcasts or audiobooks while you cook. The habit of listening to Norwegian audio content when your hands are busy but your mind is free, allows you to spend a lot of time with the language. If you are a beginner, download the audio files you have worked through during your focused study sessions and listen to them again and again while cleaning, cooking, walking, etc. Repeated listening will help you develop a basic understanding of the Norwegian language. At the intermediate level you will need a more extensive approach. Instead of listening to the same easy story or dialog over and over again, find a podcast or audio book that you really like and can understand after the first listen. The habit of listening to podcasts or audiobooks is enjoyable and therefore easy to maintain in the long term, which makes it a very powerful language learning method.
There are times when you are busy, but both your hands and your mind are free. Waiting in a queue to see a doctor or sitting on a bus are good examples. Then you have more options than just listening. You can read, watch a video on YouTube, or use a language learning app like Babbel+. If you are looking for short texts to read on the bus or subway, check out our easy readers. Many take less than 10 minutes to read.
Michał Ziora
The habit of using Norwegian
Immersing yourself in authentic Norwegian through regular use is crucial to achieving fluency. This means living your life in Norwegian, not just learning for the sake of learning. Whether it is through work, social interactions, or hobbies, the more you use Norwegian in your daily life, the greater your progress will be.
Immersion in the Norwegian language involves restructuring your daily routines to do as many activities in Norwegian as possible. Do this gradually to avoid burnout. Entertainment is probably the easiest place to start. Do you read for pleasure? Read Norwegian books in genres you like! You can start by rereading your favorite novels in their Norwegian translations. Knowing the plot will make it easier to understand new Norwegian words and phrases. If you enjoy playing video games, find some that have been translated into Norwegian. You can also watch Norwegian TV series and movies. Both playing games and watching TV are enjoyable activities as long as you understand at least the gist of what is happening on the screen. You can turn them into “learning habits” and immerse yourself in Norwegian while having fun.
Michał Ziora
Education is another area that can be easily “norwegianised”. You do not necessarily need to enroll in one of Norwegian universities if you just want to use Norwegian to learn something new. If you want to expand your knowledge in a particular area, such as statistics or philosophy, go to a library or bookstore and find a book on the subject written in Norwegian. You can also use Norwegian online resources, such as courses or educational YouTube channels.
Interest-based group activities are another way to immerse yourself in authentic Norwegian. Norway is famous for its clubs and associations. Participating in organized activities is how people make friends here. It is a great way to integrate into society and practice your Norwegian, especially your speaking skills. You can watch TV or read a philosophy book alone at home, but to play board games or sing in a choir, you have to go out, meet people and talk to them. Cities like Oslo or Bergen offer a wide variety of clubs and events, but even in smaller towns you should be able to find some interesting group activities. Check out the local libraries in your area. In many countries, libraries are places to borrow books, but in Norway they are vibrant centers of social life.
Volunteering is a special kind of social activity that can serve as a good training arena for your language skills. It is different from just having fun together because it involves using Norwegian to help someone with a real problem or to create something of value. This is a high level of learning. A more extreme way to get this kind of contact with the language is to work in Norwegian. There you have to use your language skills effectively to communicate and solve problems, and you are expected to perform. Volunteering provides a similar learning environment, but it is more secure. The threshold for volunteering is lower and you are not under as much pressure as in a job. However, it is more challenging than sitting on the sofa reading books or playing board games with your Norwegian friends. Your language skills will be put to the test, and that is the point. Regular volunteering in a Norwegian-speaking environment is a high-level learning habit that you should consider if you are at least at an intermediate level. Almost every municipality in Norway has at least one volunteering center (frivilligsentral). At frivilligsentral.no you can check out the volunteering centers in your area and find activities that interest you.
Michał Ziora
One habit at a time
Mastering Norwegian—or any other language—requires perseverance, especially when initial enthusiasm wanes. The power of habit lies in the ability to continue learning, even when it feels difficult. By forming consistent habits of focused study, learning in the background, and using the Norwegian language, you set yourself on a trajectory for long-term success.
In order to build an effective system of language learning habits, you have to be practical, specific and realistic. You can do this by establishing one habit at a time. Start with something small, such as 15 min of focused study everyday after breakfast or watching Norwegian TV series during your binge-watching time on Fridays. When you have kept consistency in one routine for several weeks, add another one. Over time, the barely visible results of these small habits will accumulate and you will make huge progress.
Building new habits is not very complicated, but nevertheless it is harder to do than to explain. Very often it isn’t enough to just get it intellectually. Convincing our hearts and bodies to do the right thing takes more effort than understanding it with our minds. It is easier with the support of someone who can help you apply the general principles to your particular situation, encourage you, and hold you accountable. If you would like to get personalized guidance in building an effective system of language learning habits, check out my tutoring service on iTalki!