Icelandic for Everyone

At the beginning of 2024, the regional council of Rangárþing eystra assigned the newly formed Multicultural Council the task of managing a grant received from SASS. This grant is part of a project called "Action Plans for the Sustainable Demographic Development of the Central Area." The purpose of the project is to support the municipalities of Rangárþing eystra, Mýrdalshreppur, Skaftárhreppur, and Hornafjörður in creating plans to welcome foreign residents. The goal is to welcome foreign residents and reducing the number of people moving away.

The Multicultural Council quickly came up with a clear idea of how to use the grant. They decided to offer free Icelandic language courses for all foreign residents of Rangárþing eystra and to establish a language café at the local library. Two courses were offered: one for beginners and one for more advanced learners. The aim of both the course and the café was to improve participants' ability to speak Icelandic, with a strong focus on practical conversation skills. The response was even better than expected. There was so much interest that not everyone who wanted to join could attend. The courses lasted for 10 weeks, with one class per week. All participants agreed that the course was very helpful, improving their Icelandic skills and building their confidence in speaking the language.

The language café was also held once a week, providing visitors the opportunity to practice Icelandic and learn more about Icelandic traditions and culture. These sessions were very enjoyable. Foreign visitors got to improve their Icelandic, and Icelandic attendees had the chance to learn about the cultures of other countries, including India, Poland, and Romania.

The Multicultural Council is very grateful for the opportunity to offer these courses and the language café. It is clear that these activities filled a need in Rangárþing eystra. The council hopes that this is just the beginning and that similar events can be offered in the future.