About the Icelandic courses

Beginners A1 (crash course)

Duration: 5 days
Hours: 35-40
Term: spring term/summer term
Course material: included
Emphasis on: everyday vocabulary, simple grammar

The University Centre's 5 day crash course is a short and intensive beginners course in Icelandic language and culture and is designed to meet the needs of people who want to learn Icelandic the fast way. The course is all about getting to know the Icelandic language without formal grammar teaching. Students are taught basic Icelandic vocabulary through various lectures and exercises. The course is around 35-45 hours in total with each class around 45 minutes. The course is taught both in summer and winter and gives a good base for further Icelandic learning. It is also set up in such a way that students can start to use Icelandic right away, since the key to language learning is to use the language.

The focus is on everyday vocabulary and simple and practical grammar. Students do not need to have previous knowledge of Icelandic grammar. The course material is aimed at everyday use, like ordering food or drinks, or talking about the weather in the hot pot. Students also get an introduction to Icelandic society and learn about pronounciation, reading Icelandic and listening in an easy way. There are no requirements for the course but students are encouraged to prepare themselves by taking the free Icelandic Online course beforehand.

Beginners A1-A2

Duration: aprox 3 weeks
Hours: 75
Term: summer term
Course material: included
Emphasis on: vocabulary, simple grammar, culture, speaking, pronounciations and writing.

The University Centre's Beginner's course is an intensive three week course in Icelandic language and culture. It is especially designed to meet the needs of people who want to learn as much Icelandic as possible in a short amount of time, while experiencing life in a small Icelandic town, which is an especially pleasant way to get a feeling for both Icelandic society and language. The course prepares language students for daily life in Iceland, whether you are a foreigner who lives here or like to visit Iceland as a tourist. The course includes approximately 75 hours of varied and interesting instruction; in- and outside of the classroom.

Students are taught basic Icelandic vocabulary and grammar through lectures, conversation exercises, pronounciation exercises as well as cultural activities. Students achieve reading and writing skills up to CEFR level A1-A2. We recommend students to prepare for this course by completing the free online course Icelandic Online Bjargir (sign up required).

Please note that if registration for this course is lower than 6 participants, the classes will be fewer but more individualistic. 

Intermediate B1

Duration: aprox 2 weeks
Hours: 55
Term: summer term
Course material: included
Emphasis: added vocabulary, structure of the language, participation in Icelandic society in Ísafjörður

The University Centre's Intermediate course is especially designed for people who want to improve their prior knowledge of Icelandic and at the same time experience the life in a small Icelandic town. This two-week intermediate course will take your Icelandic skills to the next level.

Students learn how to build up their Icelandic vocabulary in an effective way and will deepen their understanding of the structure of the language through lectures and exercises. Participating in everyday life in a small town in the countryside is an especially pleasant way to get a feeling for Icelandic society.

The 2-week intermediate course covers reading, writing and conversation skills up to CEFR level B1 and includes approximately 55 hours of varied and interesting instruction. The course location is the University Centre of the Westfjords in Ísafjörður.

Language of teaching is mainly Icelandic. The teacher will however use English as an assisting language to explain difficult contents, as for instance grammar questions.

Advaned B2 (winter)

Duration: 1 week
Hours: 35-40
Term: winter term (close to Easter)
Course material: included
Emphasis on: listening, reading, conversations, talking, writing. Teaching is mostly in Icelandic. 

The University Centre offers a one week advaned B2 course in winter. The course is designed to meet the needs of students who are further into their Icelandic studies and want to add their current knowledge. The course takes place in Ísafjörður and the location is used in many ways in the course. The course is also close to Easter, the skii-week and the  music festival Aldrei fór ég suður. It is a perfect opportunity to learn Icelandic and visit the lively town of Ísafjörður during one of its most fun and vibrant week.

The course uses the CERF level, and students learn to listen, read, have conversation, talk and write, in Icelandic. The whole course is taught in Icelandic so it is crucial that participants have a good grasp of the language and can have a conversation in Icelandic if they wish to take this course. For example, students would need to mostly understand news in Icelandic and to be able to read for fun.

There is an emphasis on vocabulary, where students will read chosen texts from news articles, books and poetry. Like in other Icelandic courses at UW, the material will relate to the Westfjods and Ísafjörður, in regards of the culture, history and nature of the area. The teaching takes the form of lectures and conversations in the classroom, but there will also be fieldtrips where students visit local places, listen to presentations, and talk and write about them afterwards with help from the teachers. Students also get homework and watch Icelandic films with Icelandic subtitles, with their teacher. There will not be to much emphasis on grammar, but there will be some grammar taught, relevant for this language level.

Advaned B2 (summer)

Duration: 5 days
Hours: 30
Term: summer term
Course material: included
Emphasis on: listening, reading, conversations, talking, writing. Teaching is mostly in Icelandic. 

The University Centre offers a 5 day advaned B2 course in summer. The course is designed to meet the needs of students who are further into their Icelandic studies and want to add their current knowledge. The course takes place in Ísafjörður and the location is used in many ways in the course. 

The course uses the CERF level, and students learn to listen, read, have conversation, talk and write, in Icelandic. The whole course is taught in Icelandic so it is crucial that participants have a good grasp of the language and can have a conversation in Icelandic if they wish to take this course. For example, students would need to mostly understand news in Icelandic and to be able to read for fun.

There is an emphasis on vocabulary, where students will read chosen texts from news articles, books and poetry. Like in other Icelandic courses at UW, the material will relate to the Westfjods and Ísafjörður, in regards of the culture, history and nature of the area. The teaching takes the form of lectures and conversations in the classroom, but there will also be fieldtrips where students visit local places, listen to presentations, and talk and write about them afterwards with help from the teachers. Students also get homework and watch Icelandic films with Icelandic subtitles, with their teacher. There will not be to much emphasis on grammar, but there will be some grammar taught, relevant for this language level.

Eiríkur Sturla Ólafsson

Eiríkur Sturla Ólafsson has a BA degree in German and history and a MA degree in translation studies. He studied in Reykjavík, Cologne and Berlin and finished his studies in 2005.

He is a bit of a geek when it comes to languages and especially grammar, and is particularly interested in Latin, German, Icelandic (of course), Japanese and etymology.

Eiríkur (or Eiki as most people call him) has been teaching Icelandic as a foreign language since 2007 when he started teaching in Zurich, Switzerland. After teaching in Berlin for 6 years, he moved to China and has been teaching there at the Beijing University of Foreign Studies for the past 8 years.

Alongside his teaching duties, Eiki likes sports, travel journalism, translations and writing. He takes his swimming very seriously and doesn't understand people who soak in the hot tub instead of taking laps at the pool. 

Marc Daníel Skipstað Volhardt

Marc Daníel Skipstað Volhardt is a linguist from University of Iceland. He has studied at the Universiry of Copenhagen in Denmark, and the University of Tromsø in Norway. His speciality is phonetics, phonology, the Nordic countries, Nordic languages, dialects and indigenous languages. He has also conducted research in Mexico on the Otomí language and teaches Icelandic and Danish as a second language, Scandinavian studies and general linguistics at the University of Iceland. HÍ. In his freetime he likes travel, photography, nature, and his favorite cup of coffe is the brewed coffe at gas stations.

Ólafur Guðsteinn Kristjánsson

Ólafur Guðsteinn Kristjánsson has a long history and experience teaching Icelandic as a second language. He has taught in many schools and establishments through the years and has been teaching at the University Centre since 2010, and for the SIT field school since 2014. He also teaches Icelandic as a second language at the University of Iceland and he is currenty the coordinatior of Icelandic courses at the University Centre.

He is an enthusiastic teacher who likes curious students, and he can explain everything the wish to know, be it irregular verbs or Icelandic music.