I wanted this book so-so-so much—I discovered it in a (now temporarily closed) library in Paris, BPI, and was surprised by a very comfortable pacing, digestibility of information, and (what a surprise) colloquial language. You realize very quickly that you can trust the author's expertise.
It was in late November so I was extremely happy to secure an answer to 'What do you want for Christmas' before December.
A very short overview
In the book, there are 16 complete theory-and-practice units that blend perfectly grammar, vocabulary, comments on Icelandic culture and exercises:
I used screenshots of the sample on Amazon.
You won't have heavy theory first and dozens of exercises later. It's a more dynamic [language-theory-exercise], [language-theory-exercise] pattern.
Personally, I was most interested in authentic vocabulary. I'm not sure I'll be able to learn the real language myself from my room as there is almost no content in Icelandic on the Internet. Even if there were, I wouldn't be able to double-check it—or understand it on my own.
Speaking of the tone and the explanation style in the book, please enjoy the free extract on Amazon. I made my decision after the very first dialogue.
The absolute best thing about this book is the size of an information unit. It's short yet thorough, understandable, and easy to digest. The second absolute best thing about this book is the audio corpus. The recordings are online for free: another way for you to test the chemistry level before purchasing.
I adore Daisy L. Neijmann's conversational tone and real-life examples like on the second picture.
And now, here's how I work with the book.
'Wait, are there different ways to work with a language book?' I think so?
For example, yesterday, when I went to bed with the book (to have a tender moment) I realized I hated being stuck on the same unit and learning everything by heart. I love Icelandic, and I definitely don't want to transform the utmost pleasure into you-need-to's. Brrr.
So, I decided not to follow the chronological order of the book—the nerve! If I want to learn the food vocabulary, I'll go directly to the food unit.
And so I did.
I read the first dialogue of the unit, tried to guess the meaning, checked the translation, re-read the dialogue. (My favorite technique.) OK. Now it's better.
I then went through the food vocabulary. Did I learn it by heart? Nope. But I've already bumped into some of these words while watching Matarsaga Íslands.
'Fine. Passive stuff is good, but let's do some actual work.' I picked the first exercice I noticed.
I haven't studied cases yet, but I know what they are about as a linguistic class. (My first language is Russian, and we have 6 cases.) Also, in the end of the book, you have the declensions of personal pronouns. Let's try then!
I first put the new information down on a piece of paper to internalize it. Then, with the help of the book, I completed the phrases.
You may notice that I totally butchered the nouns and haven't managed to figure out what 'sveppum' is. That means that my next grammar lesson will be on declension of nouns. I will also try to do this exercise again today to see what I can remember.
You see, this technique is about a constant flow. This might not suit everyone but I like exploring the language as an open-world video game.
As long as I can use my background, the information from the book and the English translation, I will be able to do the work. I don't want to limit myself and adopt the 'too-early-too-complicated' reasoning. Try and find a way!
Anyways, it's always easier when you enjoy it. :)
What about repetition and flashcards and all of this?
I sometimes make flashcards, but I forget about them the next day. It's not totally my thing, to be honest.
If I really want to revise something, I will try to find an activity where this grammar rule or this lexical field will be used. If there is no particular thing to revise, I will just listen to the radio or read something—I will eventually run into something I already know—'aha!' (I wrote about this approach here.)
What about the audio recordings?
A blessing. A treat!
As a huge fan of a beautiful English RP pronunciation, I take double pleasure from listening to the Icelandic-English mix. Plus, I've downloaded the recordings on my MP3 player—I know we're in 2025— that I use solely for Icelandic.
First, it's a trigger for my brain: player > Icelandic. Second, I'm not distracted. It's an MP3 player. (My husband told me I could download Columbo on it but I'm not sure it will be the best watching experience.)
Sometimes, I might listen to random tracks and try to figure out what exactly is being said. It's painful when you're a perfectionist, but I believe it helps. I must add that I don't think it's the same ear-training exercise as passive listening to the radio. The concentration level is totally different.
That's it!
Since I don't need Icelandic for professional reasons, I have the unlimited (and maybe jealousy-inducing) liberty in building a logic-free schedule I genuinely enjoy. Fun is the key: I want the process to be as natural, smooth, and ephemeral as possible. (Yes, ephemeral. I see Icelandic as something fairy-like, light, sparkling, fresh, authentic. It's like channeling your inner elf.)
And—no matter how MARVELOUS this book is!—I don't believe any resource should cover everything. Not enough words for this lexical field? No prob, the internet is one click away. If there is no 'corn' on the list, I won't leave a one-star review—it's up to me to season the already good dish. (Liberation from disappointment!)
What is your stance on it?
Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed the article! See you in another post. (And I'm going back to that exercice.)
Bless!
