#47 Begin to learn a new language


God dag! Even though I am a languages teacher it has been a long time since I learned a new one myself and I chose Norwegian for a number of reasons.

Firstly seeing the Northern Lights and cruising through the fjords are both items on my longer-term bucket list, so being able to speak enough to get by in those situations would be very useful.

Secondly, in a profession where many of my colleagues speak a variety of languages, I wanted to be a bit different and learn something that none of them knew already!

And finally I am quite fascinated by Viking history (not to mention the muscular, long-haired, axe-wielding characters usually depicted in TV series) and the fact that Norwegian hasn't changed as much as most other European languages over the centuries, means that in theory I could have a conversation with Ragnor Lothbrok and make myself understood, although I am not entirely sure how I can work some of the strange phrases I have been learning on Duo Lingo into my conversation with the Norse warrior king!

I have started my studies on the Duo Lingo app because it's free and convenient. No matter how busy I am, I can find time to get my phone out for 5 minutes and practise a little. As a languages teacher I am frustrated by its limitations and I want to understand how the grammar works, but for now I am learning how to pronounce all of the unfamiliar sounds and I am memorising a great deal of vocabulary. Later on I can fill in the gaps in my knowledge with some real lessons.












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