Iceland, also known as the Fire and Ice Land, is a hot favorite among tourists due to its pristine snow-covered beauty, the Auroras, and high standard of living.
If you are travelling to Iceland knowing the language will go a long way in making the trip memorable.
As Duolingo is the most popular way to learn a new language, a lot of people search on the web — Does Duolingo have Icelandic?
Icelandic is considered a pure language as the oldest language has descended from Old Norse.
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However, there is no Icelandic language course currently available on Duolingo.
Why Does Duolingo Not Have Icelandic?
The Icelandic Language is quite difficult for English speakers to master easily.
Duolingo’s gamified way of teaching a course may not be beneficial for creating a course in a popular and highly in-demand language.
Duolingo also used native language volunteers to help improve and increase their output while developing new language courses.
However, they may not have any resources to do so. This may be the reason that Icelandic is not on Duolingo.
However, it does have courses in other Scandinavian languages such as Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish.
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Icelandic Course Apps
If you wish to learn Icelandic and are looking for an app to teach you then here are some Duolingo alternatives that have Icelandic courses built in!
Memrise
Memrise does not have any official Icelandic course but has a community-based platform full of native speakers who have shared some reliable content.
Select your preferred mode of learning from lessons, games, and Icelandic language media.
The Memrise app uses spaced repetition to teach you Icelandic vocabulary and grammar along with community-made courses to help you learn the basics of the language.
Pimsleur
The app has some audio-based lessons that are helpful to gain conversational skills in Icelandic.
It has combined flashcard-style learning with audio lessons that are designed to immerse you in Icelandic.
However, you need to subscribe and Pimsleur can be quite pricey. It also does not give a lot of grammatical explanations.
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Drops
Drops is a flashcard-based language vocabulary app that has Icelandic words and phrases, with memorable icons and imagery.
The fun way of learning will help you learn more content.
However, it doesn’t teach you grammar the word’s gender, or verb type which are a must with a language as grammatically complex as Icelandic.
Mango Languages
Mango Languages uses algorithms for a personalized language learning experience.
Language learners can participate in daily quizzes, and engage in live conversations with native speakers.
Mango Languages also shares grammar explanations and cultural notes, with recordings to help you learn the language.
Tandem
Tandem is a great concept for language learners on a budget. It is a free platform where there is no need for classes or a tutor.
The app will put you in touch with someone who is learning your native language, and whose native language you want to learn.
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All you need to do is sign up and post reviewing your application the platform will get you matched with another keen learner.
More Ways to Learn Icelandic Online
Besides language learning apps, there’s a wide variety of resources designed to help you learn Icelandic.
Here are some of them.
iTalki
iTalki matches native speakers with language learners of different levels.
This is quite helpful in learning more about the language and its pronunciations.
Learners can choose from a wide variety of teachers, rated by previous students and with different price levels.
However, as Icelandic tutors are scarce the classes are quite expensive. However, do not despair as some of them could be affordable.
Watch Icelandic Movies & Shows
To immerse yourself in the language-learning process, you need to watch Icelandic Movies & Shows.
This method will improve your pronunciation and the visuals will be helpful too.
Netflix too has an Icelandic Original TV Series called “Katla”, watch it to get an understanding of the language.
Listen to Icelandic Podcasts
Listening to Icelandic language podcasts can be useful to learn pronunciation and also improve your conversational skills.
One of the best podcasts is One Minute Icelandic made by Coffee Break Languages Podcasts.
Language Learning Guides on Amazon
Phrasebooks and language guides are also helpful in learning a language.
Books improve reading and writing skills, whereas audio streaming is good for conversational skills and pronunciation.
Olly Richards’s famous series “Short Stories for Beginners” is also found in Icelandic in audio or paperback form.
Try Out IcelandicOnline.com
Created by the University of Iceland it is the best way to learn Icelandic as it was developed by native speakers.
There are six courses designed for self-teaching!
The courses cover spoken and written skills to help you learn the language easily.
The Land of Fire and Ice is gaining popularity among the globe trotters so maybe Duolingo should consider setting up an Icelandic course with some native speakers to guide them.
