Gleðilegt nýtt ár vinir (Happy New Year, Friends)! My trip to Iceland was even more eventful and exciting than I could have imagined. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with my partner’s family, ride a snow mobile for the first time, get a glimpse of the northern lights, meet interesting new people and show off some of my new language skills. I definitely faced some language challenges during my stay and I will expand upon some of those experiences in my next post. For now, I thought it would be fun to share some visual and written highlights from the trip! 🙂
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The countdown is on! There are only 6 days left until I return to the land of Fire and Ice, and I can hardly contain my excitement! This will be my second excursion to this winter wonderland while the holiday season is in full swing, and I have a feeling that this trip will be just as special as the last. This festive time is a joy to behold and I feel fortunate that I get to experience it again. I can just picture the brightly colored lights on people’s houses; the thick layer of ice that coats the sidewalks; and the little children happily waddling along in their puffy snow suits. The giddiness that tickles my soul has been accompanied by many other emotions. This whirlwind of feelings has inspired me to reflect on how much has changed in the last year and think about my expectations for this upcoming trip.
As a working professional, whose job has nothing to do with acquiring a new language, it can be a challenge to schedule in language-learning time. In order for me to balance working, having a social life, being in a relationship, volunteering, learning a new language, and writing a blog – I had to get creative with my schedule. Below are some simple tips that have helped me to successfully include language-learning into my life.
Ok, I’m just going to come out and say it – I love Memrise! Since the beginning of my language learning journey, this tool has played an integral role in helping me to become more familiar with Icelandic words and phrases. There are many reasons why I recommend this resource to anyone interested in learning a language, but, for the sake of not making this post too long, I have outlined my top 5 reasons below.
The land of fire and ice is a delightful playground for all the senses. The vividly colored moss lying on jagged lava rocks sits nestled along monstrous mountains and line the shores of icy cold water. The massive amount of untouched land emanates a mysterious sensuality that makes one believe that there are untold secrets just beyond our comprehension, especially if you are a foreigner. The natives of the land seem comfortable with the assumed or unknown, sometimes delighting in the fact that they dwell on a volatile hotbed of natural occurrences. It’s intriguing and strange to meet people that seem as mysterious as the place they inhabit.
Have you ever opened your mouth to speak but didn’t recognize the voice coming out? This might sound like a plot line out of a science fiction thriller but it is a real life occurrence that has happened to me, and possibly many others, a few times since I started learning Icelandic. When learning a language that has so many sounds and words that are not present in your native tongue, you will find yourself going through an adjustment period in which you are learning to become familiar with your new voice. It is an exciting and fun time, but it is also a little unsettling to not recognize the sounds coming out of your own mouth!
Today is a special day not only because I am publishing my first blog post, but also because it is Dagur íslenskrar tungu (Icelandic Language Day)! November 16th was chosen for Dagur íslenskrar tungu because it coincides with the birthday of the popular Icelandic poet Jónas Hallgrímsson. As a new blogger on the topic of becoming a polyglot, I feel fortunate to kick off the chronicle of my journey on a day that celebrates the language that I am currently immersing myself in. In honor of my inaugural post on this special day, I would like to introduce myself and explain the purpose for starting this blog.
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