Xenops' Log

[Xenops]

I admit that I am hesitant to start a new log, as I tend to discontinue after a short while, but I am more confident of my goals this time.

So, goal: take the Bergenstest for Norwegian either in 2022 or 2023, depending on travel restrictions, life circumstances, etc. with the goal to attend a Norwegian university. The test examines either the B2 or C1 level, and is more specific for attending university and for working in Norway. My language skills aren't the only thing holding me back: I'm also paying off some debt.

I started studying norsk in February of 2020, and made some progress since then. I think I’m A2, maybe a weak, passive B1. Speaking skills lag behind the others.

Currently I’m using Mystery of Nils and Norsk, Nordmenn, og Norge texts. Someone kindly made a complete Memrise course for the Nils series with audio, which I’ve been using almost daily. Last year I had a 214 day streak on Duolingo, but I got burnt out, and to my knowledge the cartoon characters still haunt the iPhone app.

Other resources include hard-copy of Det Nye Testament and matching audiobook, and Klar Tale. I emailed the folks at the latter about getting a membership (in norsk), but I have not heard back yet. The problem being they only use Vipps for payment, which is only for Norwegians. Later on when I feel like I’m ready both to read the material and to spend the money, I will purchase more Norwegian books from this site. I’ll also look into finally getting an E-reader.

Japanese is still a thing, but I currently feel burnt out, and I figured I use this opportunity to have norsk as my language of focus. The challenge is not to get burnt out with Norwegian, either—I burn out rather easily. I’m thinking I can’t spend every free moment, or even every day, working on the language—I need time away from it, like a day or two a week, like a part-time job. At least then I am consistent.

I'll try to update at least monthly.

Ha det bra.

[Ogrim]

Best of luck with your Norwegian studies and your plan to go to a university in Norway!

Regarding Vipps, I also have that problem, because you need a Norwegian mobile phone number to be able to use it, and as an emigrant I cannot have a Norwegian number although I do have a Norwegian bank account.

Anyway, just came by to say hello and wish you luck. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

[Elsa Maria]

How exciting!

I will recommend the podcast Lær Norsk Nå. He has very interesting content and free transcripts.
https://laernorsknaa.com/

[Xenops]

Best of luck with your Norwegian studies and your plan to go to a university in Norway!

Regarding Vipps, I also have that problem, because you need a Norwegian mobile phone number to be able to use it, and as an emigrant I cannot have a Norwegian number although I do have a Norwegian bank account.

Anyway, just came by to say hello and wish you luck. If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you! One of my reasons to start a log again was because we have Norwegian native speakers. My first question is: is my log title correct? Would it be “I”, “på” or “inne”?

How exciting!

I will recommend the podcast Lær Norsk Nå. He has very interesting content and free transcripts.
https://laernorsknaa.com/

Thank you, and I will definitely look at those.

[Mista]

Thank you! One of my reasons to start a log again was because we have Norwegian native speakers. My first question is: is my log title correct? Would it be “I”, “på” or “inne”?

It's absolutely correct. You use "i" for years and months (and beware of your English autocorrect!), and "på" for days - which, incidentally, is exacly like in English.

[Xenops]

Thank you! One of my reasons to start a log again was because we have Norwegian native speakers. My first question is: is my log title correct? Would it be “I”, “på” or “inne”?

It's absolutely correct. You use "i" for years and months (and beware of your English autocorrect!), and "på" for days - which, incidentally, is exacly like in English.

Thank you mista--I'm still get surprised at the similarities between the two languages.

[Xenops]

Norwegian
God dag,
Jeg har nyheter: departementet mitt, på sykehusen, skal lukke denne sommer. Ja, det mikrobiologie departementet, hvor tester vi Covid-19. Men ventet vi for nyheten: det forventet vi. Vi hørte ryktene for mange måneder. Det sykehusen* systemet vil kombinere alt mikrobologie laboratoriene inne i en. Så søker jeg en ny jobb.

I have news: my department, at the hospital, will close this sommer. Yes, the microbiology department, where we test Covid-19. But we waited for the news: we expected it. We heard rumors for many months. The hospital system wants to combine all of the micro labs into one. So I am looking for a new job.

For other news, I had my first Norwegian iTalki lesson since...February. Between the tutor being high in demand, and my own scheduling conflicts for March and April, I hadn’t much a chance to book him. And to quote a previous post of mine:

With Norwegian, I've had to search around longer. I started with a Dutch lady that had a good command of Norwegian, and I thought she was pretty good, but my work schedule changed, so I had to find another. The next tutor I tried like using the Mystery of Nils (which I use), but he spoke full-speed Norwegian, and as a beginner I felt very lost. The next one I met with longer, but I felt like we didn't mesh, if that makes sense. I also felt the book we used introduced too much vocabulary at once. My current tutor is just right: he has Powerpoint slides with some vocabulary, lots of speaking practice, and I feel we mesh better.

As opposed to Japanese tutors (or I can imagine, FIGS tutors), the number of norsk tutors are in the dozen. I found one tutor that I like, and hopefully I can continue to employ him. That reminds me, I need to buy more iTalki credits.

The lesson went better than I expected—because I regularly reviewed vocabulary, I wasn’t as rusty at speaking as I expected. I did completely miss “jordbær”, which is a word regularly used in the Duolingo course, but not Mystery of Nils nor Norsk, Nordmenn and Norge.
I’m wandering back to Duolingo, despite the cartoon characters. What I liked most about it is it gives bite-sized grammar practice on the phone. I usually arrive at work a few minutes early and study a bit in the cafeteria. Whether it’s Memrise for vocabulary for Duolingo, I use the app and hand-write the answers as practice. I keep a beat-up notebook in my backpack for this purpose.

I do need to work on grammar practice.

*When I use a noun to describe another noun, which gender do I use?


Japanese
For Japanese, I’m thinking I’m mainly burnt out because of my expectations. Of course, this is related to my language-learning expectations in general: I’ve been under the assumption that doing grammar exercises in course books will enable me to produce the language. I’m thinking now that people that rely on such methods do a lot more grammar exercises than I do to get to that automatic phase. I can’t say doing oodles of grammar exercises feels me with enthusiasm. What has worked for me in the past is Pimsleur, but the program itself is limited. Rather, I need to make audio tracks to use when I go walking or do chores (perhaps with Gradint). I tried using Genki audio, but I find it’s too fast to tease apart the words, so I will look to all of the Japanese101 files I downloaded during a trial period.

I’m also wondering if I’m just burnt out with the Genki textbooks. I have noticed that I don’t enjoy working through the same text multiple times. I just received my N4 Shin Kanzen Master books, and my interest is piqued again. I would like to take either the N4 or N3 test in the future, so these books might “feel more relevant” than Genki.

[jeff_lindqvist]

Norwegian
God dag,
Jeg har nyheter: departementet mitt, på sykehusen, skal lukke denne sommer. Ja, det mikrobiologie departementet, hvor tester vi Covid-19. Men ventet vi for nyheten: det forventet vi. Vi hørte ryktene for mange måneder. Det sykehusen* systemet vil kombinere alt mikrobologie laboratoriene inne i en. Så søker jeg en ny jobb.

I have news: my department, at the hospital, will close this sommer. Yes, the microbiology department, where we test Covid-19. But we waited for the news: we expected it. We heard rumors for many months. The hospital system wants to combine all of the micro labs into one. So I am looking for a new job.

From a Swedish perspective:
The + noun (+noun...) isn't equal to den/det + noun etc. Leave out den/det. This means that if you want to say something like the microbiology department it's simply mikrobiologidepartementet. (The ending et already implies that the noun is definite.)

Same thing with the hospital system - it's sykehussystemet (without "det"). (Sykehusen is "the hospitals".)

Maybe natives will chime in.

[Cavesa]

We live in a world full of changes. It is great to read about your adventures, in the frozen land far in the north

What is professional Norwegian in the lab like? Had you prepared well or was it surprising in some ways, if I may ask? Have you been working only with natives or surrounded also by immigrants?

[Xenops]

We live in a world full of changes. It is great to read about your adventures, in the frozen land far in the north

What is professional Norwegian in the lab like? Had you prepared well or was it surprising in some ways, if I may ask? Have you been working only with natives or surrounded also by immigrants?

I’m very sorry for the confusion—I should have been more clear in my opening post. I’m still in the States for the time being. I figured I would pass the Bergenstest before I try moving over there.