Swedish Christmas Fair

Norwegian: the language of change

Are you interested in studying the origin of languages? Would you like to be able to watch the development of a language in real time? If that is the case then you are in luck. Due to a unique convergence of history and geography the Norwegian language is actually evolving so fast that even a casual language learner is able to see the development of the language within his/her own lifetime.
Due to a failed union between the Scandinavian countries in the middle ages and complications caused by the Bubonic Plague (Svartedauen) virtually killing off all the nobility, Norway was ruled by Denmark for over 500 years. During this time all writing in Norway had to be done in Danish. However the common people continued to speak their local language. Since there was no written language to keep the language from developing differently in different parts of the country, and due to Norway's unique geography with rocky craggy mountains and long narrow fjords, the isolated communities throughout Norway did develop many different and unique dialects. In fact, there are some dialects of Norwegian which are completely unintelligeable to each other.
Once Norway achieved a hope for independence in 1814, linguists and folklorists sought to preserve and codify the language and folklore of Norway in order to develop a uniquely Norwegian language and culture. Even though Norway immediately fell under Swedish rule until achieving independence in 1905, artists and musicians followed suit causing a great surge of interest in all things cultural in Norway which is still very much a part of modern Norwegian life. For example Norwegian Black Metal music harks back to a viking past to become a uniquely Norwegian art form. Other forms of music in Norway today also harken back to Norwegian culture. Pop music often includes musical forms unheard of in other countries, such as the use of the Hardanger fiddles in some of Norway's recent contributions to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Now with the influx of immigrants from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, plus with the thousands of dialects within Norway, the Norwegian language continues to develop at a rapid rate. New words and pronunciations are added to the language on a regular basis. For example just last year the Norwegian Språksråd (language council) added several reforms including making the use the feminine gender of nouns completely optional. Certain sounds, such as the soft K which are unique to Norwegian are vanishing from the language. The letter R has taken on three different pronunciations over the last 20 years based on region.
During the late 19th Century linguists tried to create a Norwegian language to unify all of the Norwegian dialects. This resulted in the creation of two distinct languages, Riksmål, which was a Norwegianization of the Danish written form, and Landsmål, which was an attempt at creating a written language which was uniquely Norwegian and as far away from Danish as possible. The goal was that these forms would replace the thousands of dialects and eventually meld together to become Samnnorsk, or a unified Norwegian language. Over the years Riksmål was reformed and further Norwegianized to become modern Bokmål and Landsmål developed into modern Nynorsk. Neither language has become a spoken language as the people in their pride for their country have retained their own dialects. Differences between the dialects are often exagerated in an attempt to retain the uniqueness of local cultures. However with people moving about the country, the dialects are getting mixed up and it is almost to the point that there are as many dialects as there are speakers of the language(s).
However this unique history has also given Norwegians an advantage in Scandinavia. While most Swedes and Danes cannot communicate with each other in their own languages, Norwegians can understand and be understood to both Danes and Swedes simply by speaking Norwegian to them. If one were to learn only one Scandinavian language Norwegian is the logical choice, giving the learner access to not only Norwegian in all of its varieties, but also to Danish and Swedish and even Færoese.
Come and learn about a vibrant and every changing language through our Norwegian class at Language Door. While we concentrate on Bokmål in class, we often study the other forms of Norwegian as well using grammar, literature, and even music to give language learners a full taste of how intersting learning a language can be. Come check it out!!!

(article written by Mark Nielsen, Norwegian instructor at Language Door Encino and Language Door Los Angeles)

Norwegian fairy tales

At the time that folklorists Peter Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe were researching what would become a collection of Norwegian Fairy Tales there was no official Norwegian written language. Norway had been under Danish rule for over 800 years and all writing was done in Danish. Asbjørnsen and Moe decided to write down these stories in a simple manner, using Danish as a basis, but using the grammar and word usage which was common in Norway. This decision led to the formation of a written Norwegian language which has evolved into modern Norwegian Bokmål and eventually to the creation of a second official Norwegian language called Nynorsk.

These Fairy Tales not only formed the basis of the modern Norwegian language, but they shaped the culture as well. In fact the current Norwegian government's plan for improving life in Norway is called the Soria Moria Declaration. Soria Moria is mentioned in many of Asbjørnsen and Moe's fairy tales as a sort of utopia which the characters are trying to reach. This idea is also popular in music and art. Many painters like Theodor Kittelsen immortalized many of these themes in his drawings and paintings. Here's another example in one of Sissel Kyrkjebø's songs:

Soria Moria

I en drøm
Så jeg Berget Det Blå
Gjennom storm
fant jeg veier å gå
Ta drømmen din med deg
og dra til Soria Moria
Du må ut
på de veldige hav
Du må ri
alle stormene av
Hold fast i ditt håp og
din tro
Bak blåner du ser
venter det fler
som vil dele en drøm
som er god
Gå i land
det er her du skal bo
Et folk sender båter
som smil over vannet
De tar deg i havn
og dekker sitt bord
De sier velkommen
til Regnbuelandet
og kaller deg
søster og bror
Jeg vil bo
der hvor farvene bor
Jeg vil tro på en
grenseløs jord
Jeg vet at det
finnes et land
bak eventyrfjell
seil dit i kveld
hvis du tror at en
drøm kan bli sann
gå i land, finn din drøm
gå i land

Spanish-real facts

Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world with over 450 million speakers and it's the second most important languages of UN after English. The language has regional differences throughout the Spanish speaking countries. The language name is Castilian or more commonly known as Spanish. Unlike what most people think, Castilian it's not the purest form of the language. The birthplace of the language was actually Castile but the language grammar structure and rules remain standard in all countries. There are phonetic differences and regional accents that vary from country to country but that's secondary. Of course there are thounsands of words coming from the indiginous languages which in turn have enriched Castilian or Spanish from the Americas and have influenced even the "purest" form of Castilian. For example, "chocolate", "maiz", "tomate", "cacahuete" are of nahuatl origin.

Language Door's Spanish classes introduce you to the different hispanic cultures along with
conversation and grammar.

Where to find us

Language Door SFV is located in the Encino Town Center (between Balboa Blvd and Louise Ave):
17200 Ventura Blvd, Ste 305
Encino, CA 91316

Our office hours are:
Monday-Thursday: 9:00am-9:30pm
Friday: Closed
Saturday: 9:00am-2:30pm
Sunday: 9:30am-6:30pm

Contact information:
email: valley@languagedoor.com
phone: 818-995-3667

Welcome to Language Door SFV

Hello everyone,

Language Door San Fernando Valley has its own blog! We welcome anyone who is interested in languages and cultures to acces our blog for information on classes offered at Language Door but also to find out what is going on in the world of languages.

But first, let us introduce ourselves. Language Door is a private center that teaches around 36 languages. It has been created almost 10 years ago and it has grown ever since. Currently, there are 4 branches in the Southern California: Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley, Orange County and San Diego. We offer language classes for adults and kids all year long, in sessions of 8 weeks each.

Adult language learning requires small class sizes and interaction to be effective. Our classes only have 2 to 8 students, and an average of only 4 students per group! Our team of instructors combines rich educational and linguistic backgrounds and interests. All instructors are native speakers or speak with native-level proficiency. They are carefully selected for communicative skills, talent, and enthusiasm to share their language.

Language Door offers different programs that are designed to meet every student's needs: weekly classes, immersion classes, crash courses, corporate classes, ESL and kids classes. Private classes are also available. For more information on our language programs, please visit our website at www.languagedoor.com or call us at 818-995-3667.

Thank you for your time and keep blogging!