Pimsleur Icelandic Level 1 Lessons 1-5

Learn to Speak and Understand Icelandic with Pimsleur Language Programs

By: Pimsleur

Narrated by: Pimsleur

Length: 2 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

The Pimsleur® Method: the easiest, fastest way to learn a new language. Completely portable, easily downloadable, and lots of fun. You'll be speaking and understanding in no time flat!

This course includes lessons 1 through 5 from the Icelandic Level 1 program, featuring 2.5 hours of language instruction. Each lesson provides 30 minutes of spoken language practice, with an introductory conversation and new vocabulary and structures. Detailed instructions enable you to understand and participate in the conversation. Practice for vocabulary introduced in previous lessons is included in each lesson. The emphasis is on pronunciation and comprehension and on learning to speak Icelandic. A user's guide is included.

Icelandic, the official language of Iceland, is spoken by the island nation's entire population of just over 330,000. In addition, approximately 8,000 speakers live in Denmark and 6,500 in North America. Descended from Old Norse, Icelandic is one of the Nordic languages belonging to a subgroup of Northern Germanic languages that also includes Norwegian and Faroese (spoken in the remote Faroe Islands off the coast of Denmark). The insular Icelandic language has not changed significantly since the Middle Ages and is considered a part of the country's national identity. The government's Icelandic Language Committee, charged with maintaining linguistic purism, keeps foreign words from influencing the language by coining new terms (usually constructed by combining old words) to describe modern concepts. For example, the word computer did not exist in Icelandic, so a new word, tölva, was created. Tölva is a combination of two existing words, tala (number) and völva (a prophetess or magical seer), so it means, literally, "number prophet".

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2016 Simon & Schuster (P)2016 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Pimsleur programs provide plenty of positive reinforcement that will keep learners on track, and we found that Pimsleur gave us more proficiency and confidence in speaking the new language than any of the other language programs we reviewed." ( AudioFile magazine)

Good for Commute

Perfect for listening and practicing during your daily commute. Usually not a big fan of audio only learning but this one is actually pretty good. I will be getting the next one.

This is the best way to learn

I've had plenty of of language tutorials, and this is the best I've had by far for audio. Even though I didn't listen to the instructions and was a little distracted each time (whether I'm driving or doing housework), I had good recall after listening to the lessons the second or third time.

Good content but pronunciation guidance needs work

Like most Pimsleur courses, this is pretty good. But a lot of words get clipped in Icelandic. Either the speakers should enunciate or the narration should provide a clearer guide where words run together.

Islandic is pretty difficult!!!

This is soo difficult and soooo much fun! I am thoroughly enamored with Pimsleur language learning programs. The changes in Japanese and French words were more easily deciphered. Icelandic not so easily distinguished. We'll see when I get there.

Great Icelandic Course!

I have tried many CDs and apps to learn Icelandic. The Pimsleur is by far the best! I have family members who speak Icelandic and I have picked up a little over the years, but I want to learn more. Other courses I have tried just offered disjointed vocabulary, or basic phrases. I never felt like I was learning to have a conversation or learning the grammar. However, with this program I feel I am learning both and I am thrilled!

Quality bite size Icelandic lessons

If you’re lost on language learning, YouTube “comprehensible _________” and just put whichever language you’re learning in the blank. You’ll be surprised how fast and easily you learn.

That said, I’ve spent over ten years learning languages and for those who understand numbers, I speak two languages other than my native tongue at C1 and two others at B1.
To be honest, most of the other reviewers seem to have missed the point of the “pimsleur method” and I’d say it affected the enjoyment of the product.
The dialogue format works fine to help you make your first steps in the language.
I knocked a star off overall quality as the Icelandic LL and L itself has a unique pronunciation that wasn’t focused on while the G in ég (which is simple to reproduce) was given too much attention.

However, I’ve already used every word learned in lessons 1-5 in daily speech with a language partner and without any real effort.

All in all, I recommend the method, but think 1 credit for lessons 1-5 is bit absurd.

I’d also like for their be more material covered in the lessons.

Don't Waste Your Time & Money

This program is purely call and response! Scientifically, repetition is the absolute worst way to learn, and coupled with Pimsleur's failure to explain the what or why's of Icelandic vocabulary and grammar, this program is essentially a waste. You may feel like you're speaking Icelandic, but you're just repeating sounds.

If you're genuinely interested in learning Icelandic, I recommend the University of Iceland's free Icelandic Online courses. If you're looking for useful phrases for your Icelandic vacation, this course won't have you memorize any, and that's unnecessary anyway because all Icelanders learn English in school.