Those of you who are familiar with
Norwegian Culture on Suite101 know that I occasionally like to throw some language resources into the mix. This month I'm showcasing a few remarkable websites that were selected for their capacity to stretch the Norwegian language learner's abilities in interesting and culturally authentic ways. One of the best ways to learn a language is to simply dig in. I encourage you to do just that with the resources below.
Some of these sites are devoted to more analytic, problem-solving tasks such as crossword puzzles and word problems. Others test your creativity and cultural sensitivity with writing exercises, interactive games, and quizzes on a number of current events. While none of these sites were specifically developed as instructional material for the Norwegian language, they would all make great additions to the language classroom, serving as in-class activities, homework assignments, or even as assessment resources. Enjoy!
Oppgave.net
http://www.oppgave.net/
Oppgave.net features an interesting range of word and problem-solving games in Norwegian, including hangman, crossword puzzles, word searches, rebuses, and matchstick puzzles. This is an excellent site for people who love to untangle complicated knots of letters, numbers, and concepts. Games start at the beginning level and move to levels of increasing difficulty.
Levende Fortellinger
http://www.levendefortellinger.com/
This deceptively simple looking website is actually a highly interactive story-telling machine that allows you to select a story genre and follow a tree of decisions to an outcome that you will finally determine. You begin by choosing a genre: categories include romance, horror, mystery/suspense, as well as other types of fiction. From there, you select a path that leads you through the literary contributions of other writers, until finally you are prompted to make your own contribution.
Lekebanken
http://it-student.hivolda.no/prosjekt/v0...
This is an illustrated guide to a number of children's playground games. Instructions, supply lists, age recommendations, and the occasional song/rhyme text accompany the description of each game. Games include "Who's got the ball," "Bro bro brille," and "Do you love me?"
X-ord
http://www.x-ord.no/
While X-ord mainly focuses on crossword puzzles, it also offers a smattering of other things, from poetry to palindromes. In addition to interactive puzzles, this site also contains articles about the history of the crossword puzzle.
NRK's Spillguiden
http://www.nrk.no/spillguiden/
NRK's Spillguiden contains links to a diverse collection of quizzes and games in the Norwegian language. Many of these often pertain to current events or cultural issues relevant to Norway. This is an excellent resource for those who like to test their awareness of contemporary issues and would be particularly useful for language teachers who have a commitment to teaching culture in the classroom.
