Great for intuitive absorption — bad if you like explicit rules. Verb tenses, prepositions, and word order are sometimes only hinted at. You may need a supplementary grammar book (e.g., Sett i gang or The Mystery of Nils ).
Native speakers, clear pronunciation, decent pace. Audio is essential for Norwegian intonation and pitch accent — Assimil does this better than many free resources.
Very little space for production. You learn to recognize and read, but writing Norwegian (e.g., correct genders: en/ei/et) is underdeveloped. Who it’s for | ✅ Good for | ❌ Not for | |------------|------------| | Self-motivated learners who like audio + reading | Complete beginners who need explicit grammar first | | People who already know some Germanic language (English, German, Dutch) | Learners who must understand multiple Norwegian dialects quickly | | Those who want a portable, offline resource (PDF + MP3) | Anyone expecting app-style gamification or SRS | Comparison with alternatives | Resource | Strengths vs. Assimil | |----------|------------------------| | The Mystery of Nils (Skapago) | Better for grammar, story-based, more exercises | | Duolingo Norwegian | Free, gamified, faster vocabulary, but shallow on listening | | NTNU’s Norwegian on the Web (NOW) | University-quality, structured, totally free | | Pimsleur Norwegian | Much better for speaking & pronunciation, but expensive & slow | Verdict 3.5 / 5 — Useful but not complete.
