Practice Makes Permanent

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In college, I took a Japanese course. Why, I really don't know, after two years of French in high school, I was tired of language but since it was required, I basically said the heck with it and signed up for a semester of Japanese. Anyways, my teacher or sensei or 先生 (if you really want to get technical and yes, I had to look that up) would always say in class everyday when it comes to learning a language:
                                         "Practice makes permanent!!!"
I've found it so much easier to speak Norwegian with friends from language classes than natives here in Norway. I don't really care too much about my bad Norwegian so much as long as I can make myself understood to my friends, but it's completely different when I speak to Norwegians. Of course I do speak Norwegian to other Norwegians (when I have to) but I know they have a hard time understanding me still. I feel a bit panicky when I talk to a Norwegian stranger and I focus too much on how to say the right thing or what to say if they ask me an off the wall question. I'm very self-conscious over speaking it and most of my Norwegian speaking to another Norwegian is with my husband at home.

Language classes are such a great way to meet other people in similar situations with moving to a new country and you are of course in the same situation with learning the language. My friends from school and I have recently begun inviting one another to each of our homes and this gives us added practice in speaking the language. So this weekend I baked a Coca-Cola cake (one of the best foods to ever come out of the southern United States) and I invited some friends over.

Coca-Cola cake! 

Kveld med venner! :-)
(Evening with friends!)

We keep Google Translate and our dictionaries nearby if we get stuck. I think it's great to speak the language with someone in the same class as you because not only do they have patience with you, they also have empathy because they're in the same boat as you so to speak.

I speak with my friends from school in Norwegian and English, but because we're learning we try to speak in Norwegian often. It's great practice and none of us feel intimidated by the language since none of us are fluent in it!

Comments

Unknown said…
Hi there,just discovered ur blog through Expats Blog Awards! You got my vote. Lovely blog!
December 6, 2012 at 8:02 PM
Evelyn Sand said…
Aw, thank you so much! I don't care too much for votes, but I just want to help other expatriates and share some common ground with people through my blog. :-) Thanks so much for taking an interest!
December 7, 2012 at 1:05 PM
Vic said…
I have been here since March 1, and it is just so easy to not speak Norsk that I don't really try. I was not required to take any classes, and at work, oilfield, English is the spoken language. Also everyone in my area, Stavanger, pretty much knows Engelsk, you just start speaking it and it doesn't even phase them.
December 11, 2012 at 11:03 AM
Julie said…
Vic that's lazy and not respectful to the culture. i would not be proud if i were you

January 7, 2013 at 12:49 PM
Evelyn Sand said…
Many people who work in the oilfields are sometimes employed temporarily and there's no requirement to learn the language due to them only living in Norway a short period. Of course perhaps English is best to speak in the oilfield especially if many foreigners are working there. I'm assuming you're in Stavanger, Vic?
January 26, 2013 at 4:28 PM
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