In many cases, knowledge of Norwegian or another Scandinavian language is necessary for getting a job in Norway. However in certain sectors a good command of English will be sufficient, such as seasonal work in agriculture or for some jobs in the hotel and restaurant industry.
The Norwegian language has two written standards which are quite similar: bokmål and nynorsk. Bokmål is developed from Danish, and nynorsk is based on Norwegian dialects. There are also many dialects spoken in cities and outlying regions which can vary a great deal from place to place.
How do I learn Norwegian?
You can start by looking into possibilities for learning Norwegian in your home country.
For information about language training in Norway you can visit the website for the Directorate of Integration and Diversity.
Information about Norwegian language courses for persons already residing in Norway is available from the service centre or
adult education centre in your municipality. The nationwide adult education association in Norway is called ‘Folkeuniversitetet’ and offers classes in many languages. For a listing of all the counties and public services in Norway, see the website for
the Public Sector in Norway
Some universities and many private language schools also offer courses in Norwegian. Addresses for these institutions are available at the Norwegian yellow pages (search for ‘språkskoler’)
