Introducing obscure language (Old Norse) in the elementary grades

[dauntless dandelion]

Ok, I've been lurking for a few years and I finally have a question!

How do I introduce a language with very few resources available for learning? 

Background: My daughter (7, second grade) wants to learn Old Norse. We've been doing Song School Latin 2 this year and I'd planned on continuing Latin next year and starting Greek. So the first couple of times she asked I just said, "Oh, that would be interesting. Next year I think we're going to start Greek." Well, she kept asking and since she seems really interested I've relented and I'm determined to do some Old Norse next year... somehow.

I have what appears to be the primary resource in English for learning Old Norse (Viking Language by Jesse Byock). This is geared to adults, of course. 

I know that Old Norse is similar enough to modern Icelandic that Icelandic speakers can read it. When I mentioned this fact to my daughter, she immediately said, "Oh, so we can start with Icelandic and then learn Old Norse." I'm not sure where to start at evaluating Icelandic learning resources.

Any thoughts on how to proceed? I've done a search of the forum but all I've found is a couple of older kids who self studied Old Norse and a few reports of kids learning Icelandic but no mention of resources. I've never DIYed something to this extent before 🙂

 

[Matryoshka]

Lol, I was going to suggest starting with Icelandic.  My dd studied Icelandic,  but in high school, and found an online tutor. Have no idea what would be out there for little kids.

We did German and Spanish at that age, which were much easier to find resources for...

[maize]

Duolingo probably has an Icelandic option.

There are some lessons online here:

https://lrc.la.utexas.edu/eieol/norol

 

My nine year old has recently been asking me for translations of words into Old Norse because he is making up a Viking story 🙂

[maize]

Here are some more Old Norse/northern Germanic resources online:

https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/lrc/extras/links.php#NGmc

[maize]

https://notendur.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/

[Lawyer&Mom]

A link to a list of Icelandic resources:

https://forum.language-learners.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=7451

[wendyroo]

Duolingo does not have Icelandic.

I might start with the Charlotte Mason method...but it will take a lot of work.

Their example is learning the series: I take the box. I open the box. I close the box.
But you could start with any series that makes sense to you, ie. I see the dog. I pet the dog. I feed the dog, etc.

Then you would take each of those statement and find the translation using Google Translate. I find that it is pretty accurate with very simple sentences like those.

But that leaves you needing to pronounce the words. For that you can use forvo.com. Search for the words, and listen to native speakers pronounce them. I then save the audio clips, combine them into one sentence, and save them on my phone to play one at a time before my kids repeat them as they perform the actions.

[dauntless dandelion]

5 minutes ago, maize said:

https://notendur.hi.is/~haukurth/norse/

This looks promising, thank you!

[dauntless dandelion]

8 minutes ago, wendyroo said:

Duolingo does not have Icelandic.

I might start with the Charlotte Mason method...but it will take a lot of work.

Their example is learning the series: I take the box. I open the box. I close the box.
But you could start with any series that makes sense to you, ie. I see the dog. I pet the dog. I feed the dog, etc.

Then you would take each of those statement and find the translation using Google Translate. I find that it is pretty accurate with very simple sentences like those.

But that leaves you needing to pronounce the words. For that you can use forvo.com. Search for the words, and listen to native speakers pronounce them. I then save the audio clips, combine them into one sentence, and save them on my phone to play one at a time before my kids repeat them as they perform the actions.

Cool! I did not know that Charlotte Mason had a method. That sounds like a similar method to what the Latinum Institute does now (incidentally what I'm hoping to use for Latin next year ..) Probably similar influences.

[maize]

Memrise has Icelandic and Old Norse courses.

[dauntless dandelion]

Thanks everyone for your help. I think I'm finally confronting how challenging this is going to be, both for me and for her. I mean, I knew that before, intellectually... but now I'm actually confronting it 🙃

17 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

Lol, I was going to suggest starting with Icelandic.  My dd studied Icelandic,  but in high school, and found an online tutor. Have no idea what would be out there for little kids.

We did German and Spanish at that age, which were much easier to find resources for...

This is cool. Do you mind me asking what motivated her to study Icelandic? Did she enjoy any particular aspects?

I have to admit that beyond my desire to accommodate my dd's interest *I'm* struggling with motivation. I am by no means utilitarian in my thinking about learning... But... you know there are limits. 😁 I was telling my dh, "Well, it's related to Faroese... And Norn, an extinct Scottish language..." Lol. 

I just keep telling myself it'll be super fun if/when we ever go on a super splurge family trip to Iceland I've been thinking about for years. I visited once when I was in high school and I'd love to go back.

[Matryoshka]

5 minutes ago, dauntless dandelion said:

This is cool. Do you mind me asking what motivated her to study Icelandic? Did she enjoy any particular aspects?

I have to admit that beyond my desire to accommodate my dd's interest *I'm* struggling with motivation. I am by no means utilitarian in my thinking about learning... But... you know there are limits. 😁 I was telling my dh, "Well, it's related to Faroese... And Norn, an extinct Scottish language..." Lol. 

I just keep telling myself it'll be super fun if/when we ever go on a super splurge family trip to Iceland I've been thinking about for years. I visited once when I was in high school and I'd love to go back.

When an adolescent, the kid became obsessed with Icelandic bands, mostly Sigur Rós, but also others, as well as some from other Nordic countries.  I have to admit I like them quite a bit too!  Anyway, that led to an obsession with Iceland and Icelandic.  We did make a trip to Iceland, where we visited many waterfalls.

[maize]

I see one Icelandic tutor on preply.com; my family has found several tutors on that platform.