Note (January 27, 2007): This page is getting quite out of date. I'm working on a new page with the same theme, but there have been a lot of new resources released since I last updated this page. If you know of any, please let me know so I'll be sure to include them.
This is a list of resources (books, web pages, etc.) that should be useful for English speakers who are trying to learn (Modern) Icelandic. I should probably mention that I'm not a native speaker, but I do try to spend a good amount of time reading and studying Icelandic.
This list is by no means exhaustive, and if I haven't listed something here, it's probably because I haven't gotten a chance to update the page, I don't know about it, or it's not readily available. If you know of a resource not listed here, or if you're the author of a resource and you don't want it listed here, please email me.
There are lots of books on Icelandic around, but some of them are difficult to find. Check out these books, and also the ones available from Mál og Menning.
Einarsdóttir, et al. Learning Icelandic
ISBN: 9979319194
Price: $35.00 at Randburg.com
I've heard good things about this book, but I don't have it myself. The book has 15 lessons written by
instructors in Icelandic for Foreign Students at the University of Iceland. It also includes a CD.
Einarsson, Stefán. Icelandic: Grammar, Texts, Glossary
ISBN: 0801863570
Price: $21.50 at Amazon.com
This is the grammar of Icelandic for English speakers. It's old (1945), but thoroughly covers every aspect
of pronunciation and grammar. There are several exercises and readings; unfortunately, there aren't answers for
the exercises. There is a very good Icelandic/English glossary in the back, complete with pronunciation
transcribed in IPA. This book might be a bit hard to swallow for complete beginners, but it's great to have
around as a reference.
Jonsdottir, Hildur
ISBN: 0071418962
Price: $20.37 at Amazon.com
The finally-released new version of Teach Yourself Icelandic. I don't have it yet; if you do, let me
know if it's any good!
Glendening, P.J.T. Teach Yourself Icelandic
ISBN: 0844237973
Price: $13.56 at Amazon.com
This is the old version of the book; note that there is a newer edition available (see above).
This seems to be the book most people find first, which is unfortunate because it's not very straightforward.
The pros of this book are that it's fairly inexpensive, and seems to be easy to find. It's also got lots of
nice tables and summaries of declensions and conjugations. There are a few translation exercises in every
lesson, with answers in the back.
Jonsson, Snæbjorn. A Primer of Modern Icelandic
ISBN: N/A
Price: N/A
This book is out of print, but occasionally shows up on eBay. It's got a
relatively brief grammar, followed by some excellent readings, stories, and poems. If you can find it used for
a reasonable price, buy it, but don't expect to get too far without another book. Note that this book doesn't
quite adhere to the modern spelling system, so some words may look unfamiliar.
Neijmann, Daisy L. Colloquial Icelandic: A Complete Course for Beginners
ISBN: 0415207088
Price: $31.50 at Amazon.com
This is probably the best place to start, especially if you don't have experience with another foreign language.
The book has 16 lessons, and covers the basics of what you need to know for ordinary conversation. Each lesson
has several exercises, and answers to all exercises are printed in the back. There is also a small Icelandic/English
and English/Icelandic glossary. It comes with two 60-minute tapes containing most of the dialogs and some of the
readings from the lessons. The recordings are very good, and are all produced by native speakers.
Hippocrene Concise Icelandic-English/English-Icelandic Dictionary
ISBN: 0870528017
Price: $9.95 at Amazon.com
This really isn't a very good dictionary, but it's the only one that's readily available. It's also fairly
inexpensive. If you've got one or two textbooks, you've probably got better glossaries than this dictionary
can provide. Still, it might be all you can find.
ProVoc
A free, non-language-specific vocabulary trainer for the Mac. I have a hard time finding software for language
learning that isn't specific to one or a few well-studied languages. This one is a great program you can use for
any language, including Icelandic. I'm currently working on making data files for the word lists on my
vocabulary page, and I'll post them when they
become available.
Learn Icelandic with EuroTalk
EuroTalk Interactive offers an Icelandic CD-ROM with a few basic
phrases, pronounced by both male and female native speakers. The software also has a feature that lets you record
yourself pronouncing words and phrases, and compare your speech to a native speaker. The CD is expensive, and
if you're in America you'll have to pay extra to have it shipped from the UK. If you're traveling to Iceland and
just want to know how to say "please" and "thank you," this might be a good investment. Otherwise, I'd suggest
buying the much more complete, comprehensive, and cheaper Colloquial Icelandic set by Daisy Neijmann
(see books).
There are all sorts of resources on the web related to the Icelandic language. The ones I've listed here are ones that I think are particularly useful and informative.
My Vocabulary page
A collection of word lists that I posted to the LearningIcelandic list during the summer of 2002.
LearningIcelandic on Yahoo! Groups
An online community of people from all over the world who are trying to learn Icelandic. Definitely one of the best resources in this list.
There are several active native speakers on the list who offer tremendous amounts of help. There are also
daily phrases posted, translation exercises, and more.
University of Iceland's Online Course
The University of Iceland is testing a free online Icelandic course on very basic conversational Icelandic.
Icelandic Phrase Page
There's a big collection of phrases here, and quite a few .wav files to listen to. Includes a short primer on
pronunciation.
Speak Icelandic Like a Restless Native
A few phrases with sound files here.
Að Læra Íslensku
Some good lessons on basics like greetings and telling time, as well as grammatical information on nouns,
verbs, and adjectives.
Ástráður's How to Be an Icelandic Chatterbox
A brief pronunciation guide, a few phrases, and some vocabulary. The site was created by an American currently
living in Iceland.
High Icelandic Language
Web site for a group working to keep the Icelandic language pure and free of foreign influence. Includes their extensive
word list containing many "Icelandicized" words for which no Icelandic equivalent previously existed.
Icelandic as a Foreign Language
Most of this site is NOT in English, but it's a good way to practice your reading while learning about the
language at the same time.
Mentalcode.com Icelandic Lessons
Lots of good information, and lessons for people who subscribe. I haven't had a chance to look at the
lessons for registered users yet.
Mímir - Icelandic Grammar Notebook
A good online reference, mostly culled from Glendening's Teach Yourself Icelandic.
A Minimal Grammar of Icelandic
Lives up to its name. Good for an introduction to the grammar, but not complete enough for much else.
B.Ph.Isl from University of Iceland
The University of Iceland offers a three-year B.Ph.Isl degree in Icelandic
for Foreign Students. If you're really serious, this is the way to go!
Summer Courses at the University of Iceland
The University of Iceland also offers intensive summer courses in Icelandic.