LÓA Language School offers online Icelandic language courses as independent study. Course levels range from Beginners' to Intermediate, and Online Tutoring is also available.
With qualified and skillful teachers and a user-friendly interface, LÓA combines years of teaching expertise with engaging and easily accessible online study, meeting the needs of today.
LÓA Language School is the only online learning facility offering Icelandic courses where students have 12 months of access to the curriculum upon purchasing a course, enabling students to study at their own pace.
The courses correspond to 10-12 week on-site courses, amounting to between 40-60 hours.
Read on for more information, or view the individual courses by clicking the button below.
About LÓA Language School
For twenty-odd years we have taught Icelandic to deeply diverse student groups, ranging from Icelandic speaking children to adults from very different cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
Throughout our careers, we have aimed to present our students with courses that are enjoyable as well as practical. We believe in encouraging our students, and providing them with engaging, challenging material.
Over the years we have observed the growing demand for quality Icelandic courses - specifically designed with on-line, self-guided study in mind.
We are thrilled to be able to bring our years of experience and material to more students now that we've teamed up with technology.
We offer a selection of excellent courses that have been tried and tested over many years of teaching experience - both in the classroom and online. As before, we aim to bring our students engaging and challenging courses.
Hopefully you will find a course that suits you here at with us.
Come join us!
LÓA Language School Courses
The following five courses are available now!
Íslenska 1|Icelandic for Beginners
Íslenska 2|Icelandic for Beginners
Teacher: Anna Ólafsdóttir
Íslenska 3A|Intermediate Icelandic
Teacher: Hólmfríður Gestsdóttir
Online Tutoring / Einkakennsla
Teacher: Anna Ólafsdóttir
Online Tutoring / Einkakennsla
Teacher: Hólmfríður Gestsdóttir
The following courses will be available soon:
January 2021
Íslenska 3B|Intermediate Icelandic
Teacher: Hólmfríður Gestsdóttir
Spring 2021
Íslenska 4|Intermediate Icelandic
Teacher: Hólmfríður Gestsdóttir
Subscribe to our mailing list at the bottom of the page to receive information as new courses are added to our course catalogue.
Course Framework
1) We use the Íslenska fyrir alla 1-4 (Icelandic for Everyone) textbooks by Sólborg Jónsdóttir and Þorbjörg Halldórsdóttir, drawings by Böðvar Leós
2) Teaching materials created by our teachers, proven to work through teaching Icelandic courses over the past two decades.
Course Structure
- Self-guided study.
- Written, video and audio instructions within the course packs.
- Exercises with solutions, in printable booklets.
- Audio exercises (comprehension).
- Multiple choice exercises.
- Fill-in-the-blanks exercises.
- Quizzes.
- Additional material.
- Access to course material for 12 months.
Included in Courses
- Hard copy of text books (students in Iceland).
- Link to text book PDFs (students outside Iceland).
- Links to accompanying audio files.
- Exercise booklets with solutions (as PDF, printable).
- Course Exam at the end of course (optional).
- Certificate of Completion - NOTE: Students must take and pass the Course Exam to receive the certificate; see also Course Progression.
Course Progression
- To benefit your studies, you will need to sit the End of Course Exam in order to progress through our course levels.
- We will assist you in locating a facility where you can complete the written exam in a supervised environment.
- The oral part of the exam will be completed online.
- End of Course Exam prep packages are available.
- One-on-one Online Tutoring sessions (Einkakennsla) are also available in preparation for the exam.
- See Online Tutoring / Einkakennsla with Anna.
- See Online Tutoring / Einkakennsla with Hófí.
Genera LÓA Language School Course Requirements
- Motivation and discipline for independent study
- Conversational English; English is used at times for clarification
- Computer or laptop; using a mobile is not recommended
- Good internet access
- Access to a printer to print out support material
- Microsoft Office package, or Open Office alternative the lessons are in PowerPoint format.
Level of Study
Your satisfaction with the courses and competent advancement from one level to the next is very important to us.
One key factor, surprisingly often overlooked, is ensuring you are studying at your correct level.
In order to remove any obstacles created by studying at the wrong level, LÓA offers students two types of exams: Placement Exam and End of Course Exam.
Placement Exam
Anyone can take the Placement Exam to find out which level of Icelandic they are at.
It is ideal for anyone who has had exposure to Icelandic through living in Iceland or taking Icelandic courses, but is unsure about their actual level of study, knowledge and proficiency.
The Placement Exam is free of charge and open to all.
End of Course Exam
The End of Course Exam is available after each course. The exam is both written and oral.
The exam is optional, though highly recommended, as it determines your course level and the next step in your studies. In order to qualify for subsequent levels of study at LÓA, students must take the Course Exam and receive a score of 75% or above.
After passing the exam you can continue forward to the next level with confidence, as you'll know with certainty which level you've reached.
The exam is included in the course price.
See more information in Course Progression below.
4 More Things You Should Know About LÓA Language School
1) LÓA's courses are essentially 10-12 week courses, totalling between 40-60 hours, depending on the course.
2) However, what makes LÓA unique is that ours is the only online Icelandic language school that gives students access to course materials for 12 months! That's a full year of access! We do this to allow our students time to study & practice what they have learned, and then come back to the books and course materials, rehash & practice some more what they've learned from in the process - all at their own pace. And alll this for a very competitive price!
3) LÓA's courses contribute towards the number of Icelandic course hours necessary for students to take the Icelandic citizenship language test.
4) Furthermore, the courses at LÓA conform to the requirements set out by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
What do our students say about us?
Easy to follow
I found Anna's course very helpful and my Icelandic definitely improved significantly.
Anna prepared useful and accessible slides containing grammar and with walk through video guidance that was easy to understand and follow. During online meetings Anna made sure the students understood perfectly and provided us with extra guidance on how to improve our Icelandic. What I found especially useful for myself as a mother of two young children, was the flexibility of being able to choose when to go through the video slides as my schedule can often be irregular.
I would not hesitate to recommend her courses to anyone wishing to improve their Icelandic with attention to detail and especially those requiring flexible schedules.
- Masumi Eyfells, Japan
Icelandic Level 2
Well structured and clear
I really appreciated how Anna utilised multiple types of exercise (eg. writing, listening, dictation and sometimes even drawing!) and quizzes to ensure students got a good grasp of course material. The course material was very well structured and clear. I also found the online meetings very helpful with practicing conversation skills and learning new vocabularies that are relevant to me.
Anna is very skilled at understanding students’ questions and providing concise answers and explanation, which is not something one can typically get from native Icelandic speakers.
- Diana Poon, Hong Kong
Icelandic Level 2
Listens to her students
I highly recommend Hofi as a teacher.
Hofi is very patient and organized teacher who develops inspiring relationships with her students. Her ability to connect and her talent at teaching simple concepts are exceptional. She has a great initiative and positive attitude, which it doesn't have to lack for someone who's teaching icelandic (not easy here either).
I recommend Hólmfríður as a teacher because of her willing to listen and interact with the students, her mood and attitude.
- Francesca Capuzzimati, Italy
Icelandic Level 2
Crystal clear!
Hófí is a very good teacher with high teaching skills and a determination for educate students always to the best of her knowledge!
She is very patient,and very easy to work with! Her explanations are crystal clear and are always on point! I can only recommend her!
- Ferenc Ordina, Hungary
Icelandic Level 3
Engaging and fun
Hófí is an engaging and fun teacher! She finds exciting ways to make the classes interesting and she motivates students to speak and use the language because the subjects discussed in the class are so compelling.
Hófí is also very good in introducing Icelandic history and culture to students in fun ways, so that one really wants to be part of this society. I miss being her student!
- Stella Anton, Greece
Icelandic Level 4
Start learning Icelandic today!
Click on tiles below to view course information and prices
Note: You may be entitled to a full or partial grant or reimbursement from your
labour union (stéttarfélag) or work place to cover course fees.
Our Name & Logo
Our name and logo are inspired by a migratory bird, much beloved by all (yes, all ;) ) Icelanders.
Her name is lóa.
Lóa is endearingly called vorboðinn ljúfi, the sweet harbinger of spring, as she arrives in early April each year.
On her arrival, lóa encourages us to be industrious and positive. In a well-known Icelandic poem, lóa is said to banish drudgery, while also symbolising the return of sun and growth.
So, why lóa? Well, lóa is a constant, even if migratory, and represents positive things about Iceland. The sun is specifically mentioned, which is positive in that we positively love her when she's here!, as are qualities of all of Iceland's people, native speakers and non alike.
And finally, Lóa also represents what all students do & have when faced with something new, like a language course: hard work & hope.
For bird enthusiasts, here's a PS: Lóa in English is European Golden Plover; in Latin: pluvialis apricaria.