The exercises are largely based on exercises from Bragi (www.bragi.org) - a web site - which was designed to provide material for teachers to print out and use in traditional teaching. Several exercises have been added to meet the requirements of people in distance learning involving, among other things, material with pictures and sounds.
Many of the exercises are reciprocal, in other words students receive solutions for exercises immediately, but there are also written exercises, web excursions and other material that encourages independent and creative work on the part of the students themselves.
Requirements/ prerequisites:
It is not expected that students are beginners but there will be courses for levels 2, 3 and 4 and also composition for those who already know a great deal of Icelandic. (See explanations on www.vefskoli.is and www.namsflokkar.is )
Students will take a short test and fill in a self-evaluation on the website in order to determine which level is suitable.
Course length: 10 weeks
Price: 15.500 kr.
Further information:
· Vocabulary: A great deal of emphasis is placed on building up vocabulary with pictures and sounds. Both are used in theme work and shorter exercises. The vocabulary is practised in relation to the needs of daily life and students will need to use it in an independent manner at the end of the theme or the exercise.
· Reading comprehension: Students will read short texts taken from the news, books and off the web. A short reciprocal exercise accompanies each text.
· Listening: There will be weekly exercises comprised of listening and understanding, filling in blanks or dictation.
· Chat: Students who are interested and have the time can meet a teacher on a closed chatline (msn) once a week at agreed times. The topic will often be decided in advance and the chat prepared via the distance learning with reading and/ or exercises.
· Communication: Students will have their own e-mail on the distance learning website and can always mail questions to the teacher, who will try to answer on the same day.
· Grammar: The vocabulary will be used to learn declensions by case and conjugation. Everyday language will be used, where language usage and grammar correlate.
· Entertaining material, such as crosswords, will appear weekly.
· An exam will be offered at the end.
· Vocabulary and reading comprehension: At the start common vocabulary will be revised. Vocabulary will be built up as before, using pictures and sounds, but more emphasis will be placed on reading texts.
· Listening: There will be weekly exercises.
· Chat: Students who are interested and have the time can meet a teacher on a closed chatline (msn) once a week at agreed times. The topic will usually be decided and prepared in advance via distance learning.
· Communication: Students will have their own e-mail on the distance learning website and can always mail questions to the teacher, who will try to answer on the same day.
· Grammar: The course will begin by revising what the students have learnt before. As before the teaching material will gradually increase in difficulty. Students who wish to learn more or heavier grammar can ask for extra material.
· Entertainment, such as crosswords, will appear weekly.
· An exam will be offered at the end.
· Texts will be read and reading and writing will be practised in various ways.
· Grammar exercises will be more connected to texts and compositions.
· Chat: Students who are interested and have the time can meet a teacher on a closed chatline (msn) once a week at agreed times. The topic will usually be decided and prepared in advance by distance learning.
· Communication: Students will have their own e-mail on the distance learning website and can always mail questions to the teacher, who will try to answer on the same day.
· An exam will be offered at the end.
· On one hand there will be web excursions that the teacher has prepared where the topic is already decided. The teacher will have exercises that are aimed at practising basic vocabulary and grammar that occurs in the topic. - On the other hand students will search for information on their own.
· Students will also pick their own topic and can send questions to the teacher regarding the topic itself or grammar that they come across.
· Grammar exercises will be given as needed or at the request of the students themselves.
Birna says that modern Icelandic is taught in 30 universities all around the world, and there are up to 2000 students studying the language. She says that there is a worldwide interest in learning Icelandic, and the idea is that people that do not have access to studying Icelandic at a university, can do it on the Net. The first course that will be available will be valued as 5 European credits, which are 3 USA credits and 2.5 Icelandic credits. The course will be acknowledge by Universities all around the world and it will be organized in a such way that people can take it anywere in the world and get the credits at a University. To begin with this will be self-studying program, but later on students will have to hand in assignments and they will be corrected by a teacher.
-translation thanks to Anna Ludviksdóttir, from Morgunblaðið
Colloquial Icelandic with tape and cd Both of these books, and other books concerning Iceland, are available through the Reykjavik bookstore Mál og menning
Web Site:Icelandic Canadian Clubof British ColumbiaIcelandic Canadian Club of British Columbia. On the Welcome Menu select "Facilities".
Write to:
INTRODUCTORY ICELANDIC LESSONS Phone enquiries: Helga @ (604) 434-9513 The moderator of the LearningIcelandic list is Rod Martel of Minneapolis. There are about 290 people on the list, which consists of people learning Icelandic and many native speakers who help out. Each day a new phrase to add to your Icelandic vocabulary is posted.
Everyone is welcome to join the list.
In this group Icelandic grammar will be discussed with a view towards learning and/or improving writing skills in Icelandic. Grammar learned will also be applied to spoken Icelandic. Open to all.
This is a group for those who are beginners in learning the Icelandic language. The intent is to provide a place for learners to become more comfortable "conversing" in the language, and discussion is mostly in simple Icelandic.
www.namsflokkar.is
Námsflokkar Reykjavíkur: tel. 551 - 2992
Gígja Svavarsdóttir, teacher:gigja@inwind.it
www.vefskoli.is
Course descriptions:
Level 2
main emphasis is placed on daily activities, home, shopping, work, school and hobbies. The course involves the equivalent of 40 teaching hours.
Level 3
The subjects here involve hobbies, travel, news, simple texts about the history and culture of Iceland and more. The course involves the equivalent of 40 teaching hours.
Level 4
The subjects here are diverse and will to some extent be decided by the students since there is now more emphasis on independent work. The course will involve the equivalent of 40 teaching hours.
Composition:
The course consists of web excursions and the gather of other source materials as well as independent writing. The range of exercises will vary from writing letters to writing short essays. Quite a lot of independent work will be required of students.
From the Icelandic Canadian Club of Quebec Newsletter
Internet Icelandic lessons, Fall 2003
The European Union has given 15 million kronas to the development of Icelandic teaching softwear, which is being designed in Iceland, and will be used to teach Icelandic on the Net. The plan is that the softwear will be put available next fall and that in the future students, scholars at foreign universities and others interested in learning Icelandic can take courses on the Net and other Universities will accept the credits. Birna Aðlsteinsdóttir, lector in English at the University of Iceland, who directs the project says that the course is designed for total beginners, and while the softwear will still be developed, the course will be free of charge.
Icelandic Language Instruction Books
Mál og menning Book Store
The following Icelandic language instruction books have been recommended by Rod Martel of the Icelandic National League and Moderator, LearningIcelandic List-serve:
Learning Icelandic with cd
Icelandic Language Lesons and Tapes
Icelandic Canadian Club of B. C.
The lessons are clearly recorded and proceed in a manner that allows you to repeat what is being said. An easy & enjoyable experience for the whole family. The lessons are now available on either Chromium Dioxide Audio Cassettes for durability and clarity or Audio CDs. Play them in portable tape or cd players and practice your Icelandic in traffic, at home, while jogging or while laying out in the sun at the beach.
C/O Helga Howardson
3776 Arbor Street
Burnaby, BC V5J 1T4
CANADA
E-mail enquiries: Robert Asgeirsson
Icelandic Language Lessons
LearningIcelandic Listserv
LearningIcelandic is a listserv designed for people (especially beginners) learning the Icelandic language. Mutual encouragement is the primary aim of this group, which includes absolute beginners and those whose skills are fairly good. Hopefully members will share information and resources. There are several Icelanders on the list who kindly help out. This group is open to children as well as adults.
(LearningIcelandic)
Icelandic-grammar2
(Icelandic-grammar2)
IcelandicBeginnerChat
(IcelandicBeginnerChat)
