Is Icelandic worth learning?

We all know that Icelandic can seem overwhelming to an English speaker or someone from a country further away, such as Japan, Russia, or New Zealand.

Over my almost four years of teaching Icelandic to students all over the world, I've discovered that once you start learning, your progress may surprise you. If you know some of the Nordic languages or have dabbled in them before, it may make your learning almost five times easier. And you wouldn't believe how many times a student has told me they've only lightly 'checked out' other Nordic languages. Then, they start the lessons better than they imagined, and their progress is quick. They're quicker to pick up on certain words, numbers and sounds.

While it's not a perfect measurement, it's very much there.

What you should expect however, is that when you begin, it may seem completely different from anything you've known. That doesn't mean it's impossible. Instead, focus on small steps, and if you want to be extremely prepared, I would recommend, taking a good month before your lessons begin to simply listen to the language, and read as much as you can. Even if you understand nothing or can barely pronounce. Just allowing your tongue and your brain to tie together that these word combinations exist, and getting your tongue used to saying them (even if you have no idea how to pronounce them). Although I'm fully aware this is an odd exercise, you'd be surprised how much you can improve by doing this.

Now let's get into the real question, is Icelandic worth learning?

Learning Icelandic is beneficial in many unexpected ways. Learning Icelandic can mean a significant eye-opening experience into our history. Iceland has rich culture and saga, being able to read it in the the saga's native tongue is an amazing experience, something relatively few can ever accomplish.

Learning Icelandic can also mean more meaningful interactions and memories with the people of Iceland when you travel. Knowing the language can make you bond with the country in different ways. The food, culture and experiences in Iceland all tie in and open up more doors when you know the language. You can further ask, understand and get the depth that many tourists miss out on.

Imagine being able to ask any questions about the food, culture, and anything else you can think of when you're wining and dining. When you get back to your home country, you can still keep ties by reading our news, watching our shows, listening to Icelandic music and that way, experience the memories you made in Iceland all over again. Not to mention if you're planning a trip to Iceland, practicing your Icelandic with the people can be a great way to get more experience out of your visit, and the locals greatly appreciate it!

By the way, you may not know this but even with all the great reasons listed above, by learning Icelandic, you almost automatically understand about 20-30% percent of written Danish, and 30-40% of written Norwegian. This alone can open multiple doors in both career and travel.

To end our short blog, just as a bonus reason, Iceland is one of the richest countries (GDP) per capita in the world. With the language you can even open doors to great career opportunities here in Iceland!

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