I went to a language camp in Norway for two months after high school. They started us off with a class in the morning on the alphabet and the sounds the letters made.
In the afternoon were classes where the teacher would say sentences and we had to recite them. They weren’t supposed to tell us what the words meant in English, but some of them gave us hints.
After several days of learning the alphabet and reciting a bunch of sentences like a tourist might use (going to the bank and changing money, getting on a bus, going shopping for various items, etc.) they told us to write the sentences out!
Didn’t know any of the words, just their sounds. But the Norwegian letters were pretty basic with the sounds (not like English).
We all thought it was the stupidest thing. Hand in two pages of sentences in Norwegian. The instructors would just cross out all the stuff that was wrong - with no hints at their corrections.
We had to keep doing that until we got it correct. So that first assignment probably took six tries or more! Spelling the words correctly, getting the spaces correct (we might hear two words when it was only one and vice versa).
After awhile we got the hang of it. I don’t recall if they ever gave us the meanings of all of the words we used or if we just figured them out. I’m pretty sure the later.
Afterwards I spent two months hiking and visiting relatives. At one store I was ordering some stuff that they had behind the counter. I had spent several minutes speaking with them in Norwegian but got stumped on how to pronounce a brand of chocolate bar that they had displayed.
I asked the gal if we could speak in English (asked it in Norwegian).
She said “You’re Norwegian and you want to speak in English?” in perfect English.
I laughed. “No - I’m American and I can speak some Norwegian.” I think my Minnesotan accent helped me sound Norwegian too.
That’s an interesting way to teach and learn that. I guess there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
I think my Minnesotan accent helped me sound Norwegian too.
_____________________________________
On the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi, in Vernon county, is a little town called Westby. The oldtimers speak an almost Medieval version of Norwegian. Modern Norwegians laugh at it. But this has been handed down in families and today, some of their grandkids still have that Norwegian lilt in their English.
My husband is 1st generation American on his father’s side. Dad was Norwegian. It’s a lovely accent in English.