Learning Norwegian opens Norway in a different way. Street signs make sense, small talk turns into real conversations, and the landscapes feel a bit more yours. As someone born and raised here who has worked with travelers, new arrivals, and language learners for years, I have tested a lot of materials and seen what actually helps people move from “hei” to comfortable daily Norwegian.
If you want the short answer: start with Bokmål, pair a structured course with a daily app, add real listening from Norwegian media, and practice speaking with Norwegians weekly. Use a reliable dictionary, write a little every day, and build toward the official levels A2, B1, then B2 if you need school or work recognition.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the best resources to learn Norwegian and how to combine them for steady progress.
First steps: Bokmål, Nynorsk, and dialects
Norwegian has two written standards, Bokmål and Nynorsk. Choose Bokmål first since it is more widely used and is the default in most beginner materials. Nynorsk can come later once you are comfortable. Spoken Norwegian varies a lot by region, but most courses teach a neutral East Norwegian pronunciation that is understood nationwide. Do not panic when you hear different accents on the bus or in a TV show. Build your base with standard pronunciation, then get used to dialects through listening.
Structured courses and textbooks that work
A good textbook or course gives you a clear path and reliable grammar explanations. Popular sequences used in schools and adult education include beginner through intermediate books focusing on everyday situations, gradual grammar, and graded reading. If you prefer a story-based approach, look for coursebooks built around a running narrative, which keeps motivation up. Many Norwegian language schools also offer blended online classes with live teachers. If you need official certification for work or study, pick a course that states which level it targets, such as A2, B1, or B2.
Private options like small-group classes or one-to-one tutoring are common in the bigger cities and online. A good teacher will correct pronunciation early, which saves you a lot of unlearning later. If budget is tight, check your local municipality for voksenopplæring adult education or community classes.
Language apps for daily momentum
Apps are great for routine and vocabulary, especially in the first months. The key is to treat the app as a supplement, not the whole meal. Look for features like spaced repetition, sentence building, listening drills, and short speaking practice. Aim for 10 to 15 minutes a day. That small consistency compounds fast. A practical tip from my students: disable English translations once you can, and rely on Norwegian example sentences to think directly in the language.
Free online courses and learner platforms
Norway’s universities and language schools offer free or low-cost resources online. Search for introductory Norwegian courses from public institutions, including beginner modules with audio, grammar explanations, and exercises. There are also independent platforms with graded lessons, short videos, and printable worksheets. When evaluating a free course, check that audio is clear and that grammar is explained in simple English with examples in Norwegian. Audio quality matters because you will model your pronunciation on what you hear.
Dictionaries and grammar references you can trust
You will meet words that do not behave, and you will need a reliable reference. For an English to Norwegian bridge, pick a learner-friendly bilingual dictionary with clear example sentences. For monolingual lookups in Norwegian, choose a recognized Norwegian dictionary that shows gender, verb forms, and example sentences in Bokmål and sometimes Nynorsk. Keep a compact grammar on your desk or use a digital one that covers articles, verb tenses, adjective agreement, and word order. Learn the article and gender every time you learn a noun so you do not have to backfill later.
Listening: NRK, podcasts, and everyday Norwegian
Listening is where many learners either stall or accelerate. You accelerate by listening to real Norwegian from day one. Start with slow news, learner podcasts, or children’s programs. Then add ordinary radio and TV. NRK offers free radio streams and TV content with Norwegian subtitles, which is perfect for learners. Choose one daily show, even 10 minutes while cooking, and stick with it. For podcasts, look for formats geared to learners with short episodes, clear pronunciation, and transcripts. When you are ready, switch to native podcasts about topics you enjoy, like outdoor life, food, or football.
Reading that builds your vocabulary fast
Graded readers and easy news are your best friends in the first months. As soon as you reach late A1 or A2, move to short articles with Norwegian-Norwegian explanations rather than constant English translations. Bilingual storybooks can help, but they can also keep you glancing back to English. Newspapers with simple language, magazines for teens, and children’s novels are all good stepping stones. Read on paper if you can, pencil in hand, and mark new words. Digital reading works too, but avoid copy-pasting every word into a translator. Guess first, then check.
Speaking practice: cafes, exchanges, and tutors
Nothing replaces speaking to real people. Most Norwegian towns and cities host språkkafé language cafes through libraries or volunteer groups. These are casual, friendly, and free. If you are abroad or prefer online, try a language exchange platform to swap English for Norwegian. Keep sessions short and structured. For focused progress, book a weekly session with a tutor who will correct your pronunciation, word choice, and sentence rhythm. Always record a few minutes of yourself speaking each month. Hearing your own progress is motivating.
Writing and getting feedback
Daily micro writing is powerful. Write three to five sentences about your day, then expand to a paragraph. Ask a teacher or language partner to correct it, or use online communities where native speakers give feedback. When you get corrections, do not just fix the sentence. Rewrite the entire paragraph with the correction applied, so your brain learns the pattern, not just the fix.
Test prep and official levels
If you plan to study or work in Norway, you may need a certain Norwegian level. The usual ladder is A1 to A2 beginner, B1 intermediate, and B2 upper-intermediate. Universities commonly ask for B2, sometimes via a higher-level test. Look for official Norwegian tests run nationally, with practice sets available online, including reading, listening, writing, and oral components. Build exam practice gradually. Do one reading and one listening task per week alongside your normal study, then simulate a full test once a month as you approach your target date.
A simple 12-week plan to combine these resources
Week 1 to 2: Start Bokmål basics with a structured beginner course, plus a daily app habit. Learn common greetings, pronouns, present tense verbs, and essential nouns with their articles. Add 10 minutes of slow Norwegian audio daily.
Week 3 to 4: Add short readings from easy news or graded texts. Begin writing a five-sentence daily journal. Attend your first språkkafé or book your first 30-minute tutor session focused on pronunciation.
Week 5 to 6: Expand to past tense and question forms. Switch your listening from slow audio to normal-speed radio for at least five minutes a day, keeping subtitles on for TV. Start a vocabulary notebook and review 50 core verbs with example sentences.
Week 7 to 8: Aim for A2 level tasks. Do one practice listening and one practice reading exercise each week. Increase speaking to one hour weekly total, split across a tutor and an exchange partner. Read a short children’s book or a series of easy news articles on the same topic to reinforce vocabulary.
Week 9 to 10: Add a grammar review cycle. Choose one topic per week, for example adjective agreement or word order in main clauses and questions. Record a two-minute monologue about your week, then listen and note three improvements.
Week 11 to 12: Simulate a mini test at home. Do a timed reading, listening, and a short writing piece in one sitting. Ask for feedback on your writing. Keep the daily app streak, continue with radio or TV, and plan the next 12 weeks with a slightly higher difficulty and more native content.
Personal tips from daily Norwegian life
Set your phone and a couple of apps to Norwegian so you get micro exposures all day. Keep subtitles in Norwegian, not English, and read aloud a few lines to train your mouth. In shops and cafes, start interactions in Norwegian. Most Norwegians switch to English if they sense you are struggling, not to be rude but to help. If you want to stay in Norwegian, smile and say, “Vi kan ta det på norsk.” That small sentence buys you the chance to practice.
Create routines built around what you already do. If you commute, listen to a podcast the whole way. If you cook, let NRK radio play in the kitchen. If you scroll in the evening, swap 10 minutes for an easy news article and note five new words with their gender. Small daily habits beat long weekend sessions.
Tools to keep you honest
Have a single notebook or digital note where you log time spent, pages read, and episodes watched. Add one line a day. When motivation dips, open that log and see the streak. Once a month, set a tiny speaking challenge in real life, like ordering at a new place or asking a neighbor a follow-up question. Celebrate the awkward wins. That is how Norwegian becomes yours.
When to add Nynorsk and dialect focus
After you reach solid B1 in Bokmål, sprinkle in Nynorsk to understand signs, news, and public documents from Nynorsk municipalities. For dialects, choose one region you love to visit and spend time with their local radio or a podcast from that area. It is normal to understand 95 percent and guess the rest. Context carries you.
Putting it all together
The best resources to learn Norwegian are not a single book or app, but a mix: a structured course for grammar and progression, a daily app for vocabulary, real Norwegian media for listening and culture, a reliable dictionary and grammar reference to anchor your questions, and weekly conversations that turn knowledge into speech. Keep it steady, keep it light, and keep it Norwegian.