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Watching a series is an effective and fun way to diversify your learning of Norwegian. Thanks to them, we can practice listening comprehension and learn a living, everyday language. They are also a great way to get used to dialects and discover Norwegian culture. Here is a compilation of our favorite series that are great for all stages of your Norwegian language proficiency!
Listen, or something for levels A1 and A2
Understanding native Norwegians who often speak their local dialect is quite difficult at first. Therefore, when taking your first steps in learning Norwegian, it is worth getting familiar with the pronunciation as much as possible. Series that deal with everyday topics and have a fairly simple plot are perfect for this. Here are a few of them.
For starters, we recommend two delicious Norwegian comedy series from Netflix. The first is entitled “Lillyhammer” and tells the story of a former mafioso who emigrates to Norway to make a living there. The main character doesn’t know Norwegian, so part of the story is set in English.
The second of the Netflix series is called “Hjem til jul”. In it, we will learn the fate of a single woman who, under pressure from the environment, decides to find her other half, whom she will bring to a family Christmas Eve dinner. This series is also great at the very beginning of your adventure with Norwegian, especially since the main characters speak very clearly and use simple language.
In the Norwegian website NRK we will find “Side om side”, a popular comedy of manners. The plot revolves around three families who live next to each other in the Norwegian province. This is an extraordinary portion of Norwegian humor and … dialects 🙂 Almost every character of the series uses different Norwegian pronunciation, which allows you to get acquainted with different varieties of the spoken language. The bokmĂĄl subtitles are a huge help in this case!
Another linguistically simple comedy on NRK is “Alle sammen sammen” . It is the story of quite a large family that encounter unusual situations. The vocabulary is relatively simple and listening should be easy. Especially that the family also includes a Polish woman who speaks Norwegian with a Polish accent 🙂
Develop your vocabulary, i.e. level B1
At this level we are already quite familiar with the Norwegian language and we have mastered the basics of Norwegian grammar. Watching series will now be useful for expanding your vocabulary and practicing listening comprehension, especially dialects. So it’s good to reach for a series with a specific theme or with a diverse cast.
Most of you will surely not be surprised that we highly recommend the series “SKAM” by NRK. It tells the story of a group of high school students from Oslo, dealing with contemporary issues such as discrimination and violence on the basis of dissimilarity. In terms of learning Norwegian, this is a unique series – it is a real mine of Norwegian slang!
If you are interested in Norse mythology, be sure to check out “Ragnarok” on Netflix. Interestingly, we will meet some actors from “SKAM” there 🙂 In a mountain town there is an action straight from the Scandinavian saga, with the theme of climate change. The language used by the heroes should not be a problem for those who have been learning Norwegian for a while. We can even hear Old Norwegian!
“Nesten voksen” is also worth recommending on NRK. At the same time, the stories of three friends in their 30s are told here, kidnapped by the whirlwind of daily duties. It is a light series that is pleasant to watch because of its simple language. Dialects also appear in it.
The drama of Netflix’s production “Borderliner” has a more serious character. It is a story about a man whose fate is intertwined with the story of a murder in his hometown. Delving into the plot, we will feel the classic atmosphere of Scandinavian crime fiction, and at the same time we will get acquainted with the language and note a few new words.
For the initiated, levels B2 and C1
When the Norwegian language is no longer difficult for you, you can choose your favorite Norwegian series! Below are some of our favorite titles. It’s worth watching them when you are already at a higher level to catch all the nuances of the language.
“Parterapi” is a comedy that will amuse almost everyone. In this short series of NRK production, the same actor plays the role of different people participating in a couple therapy. It perfectly mimics Norwegian dialects and various “manners” in pronunciation. This is a great position for advanced players and more!
The Norwegian series “Nobel” , which can be found on Netflix, also has a great reputation. The theme of the series is contemporary politics and armed conflicts. For those who want to develop their Norwegian, it is an interesting position because of the vocabulary that is unlikely to be heard in everyday conversations.
An interesting fact for language enthusiasts is the HBO series “Beforeigners”. It is a production on the border of crime fiction and science fiction. The action takes place in Oslo, where characters from the past begin to appear. The visitors from the Stone Age, the Vikings, and the 19th century must assimilate into modern society. In addition to the modern Oslo dialect, we will hear carefully elaborated reconstructions of the language used in this area in the past. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it?
These suggestions are just the beginning!
We hope you will like our proposals. Treat them as the beginning of your adventure with Norwegian series. It is really worthwhile to supplement your learning during the Norwegian language course in this way. And it’s also a great way to “be tempted”! Remember to turn on Norwegian subtitles (if there is such an option). It works really well.
Good luck!
