If you’re traveling to Norway and are worried about potential language barriers, you might be surprised to learn that you don’t need to be fluent in Norwegien to get around and converse with locals. Many Norwegians are fluent in English, so does that mean people speak English in Norway?
People do speak English in Norway as a second language, with approximately 90% of the population being completely fluent. Although Norwegian is the primary, most widely spoken language in Norway, students learn English from an early age, so many Norwegians are comfortable communicating in English.
To learn more about why the majority of people in Norway are fluent in English, read on.
Learning To Speak English Begins Early in Norway
Learning to speak English starts early in the education of a Norwegian child. School children are taught English beginning in the lower grades and continuing throughout their school years, so it’s not so unusual that young people would be proficient. But in Norway, older adults also have a good working grasp of the language.
Many Norwegians are proficient in English. You might even assume that Norwegians speak English at home within their family and friend circle. How else can a foreign language be mastered and retained into the adult years?
Language Mastery Comes Through Cultural Immersion
A child leaves his homeland at a young age and grows up in another country. Unless he’s exposed to the language at home as he grows up, he’ll forget much of his native language. Immersion in his new language allows him to master it quickly. Rosetta Stone, a leading language learning system, puts great emphasis on immersion in language and culture.
Norwegian families don’t speak English in their home or within their circle of friends. They can retain their English language skills through another type of immersion. American culture came to them. American TV, movies, and music have become embedded in the Norwegian culture. That’s why even though they don’t actively use the language, they’re still able to retain their English skills. English is being spoken around them and to them daily.
Most schools in Norway teach British English, but American English filters in through entertainment and advertising. Norwegians watch both British and American TV and movies which are always played with subtitles rather than dubbed in Norwegian.
Norwegians Learn English To Further Their Careers
English is the language of business and science. It’s also the language of hospitality. So it’s not surprising that Norwegian college students would find college courses taught only in English a smart choice. According to an article in Times Higher Education, The Language Council of Norway is concerned that too much college coursework is taught in English.
A travel editor at Forbes believes that as a small wealthy nation, Norwegians and all Scandinavians, have greater opportunity to travel. He suggests that exposure to a broad culture may be one key to their English proficiency.
The English Proficiency Index for 2020 ranks Norway fifth out of 100 countries for English proficiency. It’s a regional accomplishment. After number 1 ranked Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden follow to complete the top five.
English Is Mandatory in Norwegian Schools
A paper prepared by Ragnhild Lund and posted on The Semantic Scholar details the road to the mandatory teaching of English in Norwegian Schools. In a period of educational reform during the late 1950’s and early 1960’s their slogan was ‘English for Everybody.’ By the end of the 1960’s, English was mandatory in all schools.
How English is taught in Norwegian schools has transitioned from a grammar-based curriculum of the 1970’s to the present-day cultural immersion method. The differences are seen in those who prefer immersion in British culture and those for whom American culture is preferred. Norwegians can travel to any English-speaking country and feel confident in their ability to communicate.
Norwegians Study English for Travel Opportunities
The majority of Norwegians speak English because as adults, they