Information on Iceland – Nordic languages as second languages

Icelandic preschools work according to principles of inclusive education, and the children learn through play. Based on standardized tests, children can be diagnosed with special needs and be eligible for special services, such as extra assistance or language training. No L2 education is available to preschool children.

Foundational pillars of education, literacy, sustainability, health and well-being, democracy and human rights, equality, and creation, are a common part of national curricula for preschool, compulsory school, and upper secondary school levels.

The national curriculum guide for preschool education is the key document for all preschools. Provisions for Icelandic as a second language are not included in the current curriculum.

The document Competence Criteria in Icelandic for Plurilingual Children in Preschools (Directorate of Education, 2021) informs diverse preschool approaches that support the progress of children in Icelandic, both in understanding and expression. It describes the development of the competencies that are necessary for systematic work during second language acquisition. The competence criteria make the assessment of the plurilingual children’s competence and progress in Icelandic more transparent.

Preschool is the first level of the educational system in Iceland. Attendance is not compulsory. In some preschools, children as young as one year can be admitted, but children usually start at around the age of two. Preschools are administered by municipalities. Placement procedures in different municipalities differ. In some municipalities, children of asylum seekers who have not yet received their personal identification number, can be admitted to preschools.

Literacy in preschools is acquired through play and general work. Children can be eligible for speech therapy, which takes place inside or outside of preschool.

Preschool teachers must attain the Master of Education (M.Ed.) or Master of Teaching (MT) degree in an Icelandic university and receive a teaching licence. During their studies, they acquire general teacher competencies. Icelandic as a second language is not specifically taught at the preschool level in Iceland, but the acquisition of Icelandic is integrated into the daily schedule.

One university course – Language Development in Preschool– is compulsory for B.Ed. students in the preschool teacher education programme at the University of Iceland. At the graduate level, specialization in Language and Literacy is available. Elective courses about teaching Icelandic as a second language are available, i.e., Language development, Teaching Icelandic as a Second Language, and Multilingualism and Literacy. 

Different provisions are offered in individual schools and municipalities. A guideline timetable in Icelandic as a second language has been issued by the Directorate of Education, but the allocation of hours is decided within each school. Reykjavík, for example, has established Icelandic language centres that provide teaching of Icelandic as a Second Language to newly arrived students aged 11-16, on level 1, as specified in the National Curriculum Guide, for 3-9 months. Younger pupils receive a varied number of hours of Icelandic as a Second Language in the schools.

Other municipalities have hired project managers in Icelandic as a second language to assist teachers in their schools, specialized Icelandic as a second language teachers and/or other staff to assist plurilingual students. Some schools have established Icelandic language centres for their students, whilst others rely on special education teachers and other staff.

It is an educational goal for plurilingual students to achieve an age-appropriate level of Icelandic (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2021). The Icelandic education policy is based on principles of inclusive education and aims to provide equal opportunities to learn and study for all students. According to the latest amendment to the National Curriculum Guide from 2021, maintaining and supporting students’ active plurilingualism is seen as valuable, both for individual students and for society (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2014).

Icelandic as a second language is not a fully-fledged subject, and until recently, teaching Icelandic as a second language was categorized as special education. A table showing the recommended number of teaching hours per week in Icelandic as a second language for pupils of different ages and language levels is published on the website of the Directorate of Education and School Services, although this is not enforced.

The National Curriculum Guide for Compulsory Schools includes a chapter about teaching Icelandic as a second language that divides competence levels for newly arrived students into preliminary level and levels one, two, and three. Within two to four years, newly arrived students should achieve competence level three, after which they are expected to join the standard ‘Icelandic’ curriculum with or without minimal support (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2014). 

A handbook on teaching Icelandic as a second language is currently being developed at the Directorate of Education and School Services.

Based on a Swedish model, placement tests (Directorate of Education and School Services, n.d.) for newly arrived students of foreign origin are used to map students’ competence in languages and previous learning experiences, mathematics, and literacy. Their use in compulsory schools is not enforced.

Generally, students join their grade level immediately upon arrival. Individual schools may have different measures in place, as to the number of hours of tuition that students receive in Icelandic as a second language, in or outside of the classroom, and for how long they will receive these classes.

Apart from the initial placement tests, all students’ literacy is monitored through various measurements and testing.

In Iceland, mother tongue (L1) instruction is in the hands of community-based mother tongue schools and groups, some of which collaborate under the umbrella of Móðurmál – the Association for Bilingualism. Mother tongue schools work independently of the school system, municipalities, and governmental institutions. They mostly operate without regular funding and depend on the voluntary work of mother tongue teachers (Emilsson Peskova & Aberdeen, 2020). They offer L1 teaching outside of school hours, and the languages are usually taught on Saturdays.

Children whose L1 is Swedish or Norwegian can study these languages instead of the compulsory ‘Danish’ subject through the language lab of the City of Reykjavík. Children with legal residence in Reykjavík can also study Polish in the language lab. Some schools in other municipalities offer Polish classes to their students.

Individual schools may hire staff that speaks students’ languages, organize homework assistance, or invite cultural mediators or other specialists to advise and collaborate to meet the needs of students learning Icelandic as a second language.

There is one teaching licence for teachers at all educational levels from preschool to upper secondary school. General teacher competencies are described by law (Lög um menntun, hæfni og ráðningu kennara og skólastjórnenda við leikskóla, grunnskóla og framhaldsskóla nr. 95/2019) and quantified as the equivalent of minimum 60 ECTS. Specialized competencies are quantified by law as university study equivalent to 90 ECTS.  Specialized competencies in teaching Icelandic as a second language are anchored as competence criteria in graduate programmes. However, these programmes are relatively new and many teachers of Icelandic as a second language have a general teaching licence, specialization in L1 Icelandic, or other specialization.

At the University of Iceland, students studying for the teaching licence in an M.Ed. or M.T. programme at the Faculty of Education and Pedagogy can take the Language and Literacy specialization, or the micro-credentials Teaching Icelandic and Literacy and Teaching Children with Diverse Backgrounds. Students studying at the Faculty of Subject Teaching can take the Teaching Icelandic as a Second Language or Teaching Icelandic as a Second Language for Teachers specialization.

Students with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds have the right to instruction in Icelandic as a second language. The same applies to students who have spent long periods abroad and have little knowledge of Icelandic.

Some upper secondary institutions are selective, whilst others welcome all students without entry barriers. For many years, the largest comprehensive vocational upper secondary schools have offered programmes in Icelandic as a second language embedded within their vocational training curricula to support learners whose mother tongue is not Icelandic. These courses help speakers of L2 Icelandic to acquire the linguistic skills necessary for both vocational practice and academic integration.

More recently, several grammar schools, which traditionally focus on preparing students for the university-entrance matriculation exam, have established dedicated Icelandic as a second language departments. These departments provide newly arrived youths with intensive instruction in Icelandic alongside orientation in Icelandic society and culture, creating a bridge for them to transition into mainstream upper secondary pathways later. Moreover, Iceland participates in regional initiatives such as the Nordic Network for Newly Arrived Students, which aims to enhance the educational inclusion of immigrant learners across Nordic countries, including upper secondary levels.

National policy underscores the right of students whose mother tongue is not Icelandic to receive L2 instruction, ensuring their access to education on a par with Icelandic L1 speakers. Students who have other mother tongues than Icelandic have the right to be taught Icelandic. Upper secondary schools shall meet the needs of students of foreign origin with Icelandic language instruction and education about Icelandic society and culture, support with homework, peer support, and other measures that may be useful.

Each school must establish a reception plan that presents the main aspects of school activities in a language that students and the guardians of underage students can understand. The reception plan includes the preparation of an individual study plan that takes into account the student’s background and language skills, the development of teaching methods to meet the needs of these students, the organization of cooperation between students and school staff, and clear information on the support provided by the school – for example, regarding homework and interpreting. Particular attention must be given to students who are Icelandic but have spent long periods abroad. Many of these require similar support as students of foreign origin.

Upper secondary schools are permitted to recognize students’ competence in their mother tongue as credits in elective subjects or in place of another foreign language. It should be ensured that students whose mother tongue is not Icelandic have the opportunity to maintain their mother tongue as an elective subject, if they so wish. Upper secondary schools may offer such studies on-site or through distance learning, or they may grant credit for studies undertaken elsewhere. In such cases, the respective upper secondary school must approve the studies if students request to have them recognized for credits. The schools are not responsible for the instruction itself but may act as intermediaries – for example, by providing links to databases, libraries, associations, or other resources that give students access to instruction in their mother tongue. 

In order to be employed as a teacher at an upper secondary school, an applicant must have obtained the licence to use the professional title teacher and possess the specialization specified in the job advertisement. The head of an upper secondary school hires teachers in accordance with the Act on Education, Competence and Hiring of Teachers and School Principals in Preschools, Compulsory Schools and Upper Secondary Schools, the provisions of the Act on Upper Secondary Schools, and the Act on the Rights and Obligations of State Employees.

Upper secondary school teachers can seek professional development in Icelandic as a Second Language provided by universities – either the 120 ECTS specialization in teaching Icelandic as a second language for teachers, micro-credentials (up to 30 ECTS) or single courses on the topic provided by the School of Education and the School of Humanities of the University of Iceland, or a course provided by the University of Akureyri.

The University of Iceland is the only institution in Iceland that offers full-time studies in Icelandic as a second language.

Currently, three different study lines are on offer. The first one is the 60 ETCS undergraduate diploma Icelandic as a Second Language, For Practical Purposes (University of Iceland), which is a one-year programme for students with little knowledge of Icelandic (pre-A1 according to the Common Europe Framework, CEFR). The aim of the programme is to support students to acquire the skills needed to express themselves in Icelandic in everyday situations and to read simple texts. The course structure is designed in such a way that students systematically acquire skills in grammar, vocabulary, listening, pronunciation, speaker, and conversational skills, as well as cultural literacy.

At the end of the programme, students are expected to have reached at least A2+ proficiency in Icelandic (cf. CEFR). Applicants to this programme whose first language is not English must meet certain entry requirements and demonstrate English proficiency: TOEFL (79), IELTS (6.5) or PTE Academic (58). (More information on the requirements for English proficiency can be found here: https://english.hi.is/study/apply-overview/english-proficiency-requirements). From the academic year 2025-2026, applicants to this programme must take a written and oral exam (online), which tests language proficiency in Icelandic at level pre-A1 according to the CEFR. From the academic school year 2026-2027, a testing fee of ISK 15,000 will be implemented.

The second line of study is a full 180 ETCS BA programme in Icelandic as a second language, which is targeted at those who have a deeper interest in the language, literature and culture of Iceland. Students must either pass an entrance examination in Icelandic at A2+ level or have an average grade of 7.25 from the Practical Diploma (see above). Regarding the structure of the programme, the first year is spent on improving the students’ practical and academic skills in Icelandic (levels B1 and B2, cf. CEFR). The second and third year provide students with a thorough grounding in Icelandic linguistics, literature and culture, equipping them for further academic study in Icelandic or other programmes taught in Icelandic.

From the academic year 2025/2026, a third programme is offered. The 60 ETCS Academic Icelandic programme is designed for people who want to improve their proficiency in Icelandic. Students are expected to complete the programme over a two-year period, allowing them to take individual courses in other university programmes alongside Icelandic or enabling them to study while working. Two specializations are offered: the first is directed at people who want to specialize in educational sciences or who already work in education (e.g. in schools or leisure activities), and second is directed at people who plan to study Icelandic or who want to strengthen their position in Icelandic society. At the end of the programme, students are expected to have reached B1/B2 proficiency. Applicants must pass an entrance exam testing for A2 proficiency in Icelandic.

Adult education outside of the university is provided by a range of organizations, including lifelong learning centres, trade unions, businesses, associations, and various others. The lifelong learning centres provide a variety of courses in areas such as vocational training, language training, hobbies, and general interests. One of these courses is Icelandic as a second language. Icelandic lifelong learning centres can be found in various areas of Iceland, both rural and urban (Lifelong learning | Ísland.is).

Responsibility for these areas is shared among several ministries. Educational opportunities are available both within the formal education system and through external providers. The trade unions, as well as some employers, provide funding for educational opportunities, and individuals can apply for refunds for course fees or grants. Icelandic as a second language courses at lifelong learning centres are funded through a combination of private and public finance. Accredited adult education providers are eligible to apply for grants to offer Icelandic language courses for foreigners living in Iceland, which are administered by Rannís – the Icelandic Research Centre (Íslenskukennsla fyrir útlendinga | Rannsóknamiðstöð Íslands).

In addition to formal adult education opportunities, informal language courses and language groups have been implemented and established by various governmental and non-governmental institutions, providing an informal infrastructure for Icelandic language learning that supplements official and formal language training opportunities.

Two curricula have been issued by the Ministry of Education (2008, 2010) for the study of Icelandic as a second language in adult education.

There are certain requirements that university students need to fulfill independent of the study programme they choose. Applicants must hold a foreign equivalent to the Icelandic matriculation examination (stúdentspróf) or an equivalent qualification. 

Both the University of Iceland and the University in Akureyri educate future teachers and are thus bound by regulation 1355/2022, which followed the Law on Education, Competence, and Hiring of Teachers and School Principals in Preschools, Compulsory Schools, and Upper Secondary Schools (Lög um menntun, hæfni og ráðningu kennara og skólastjórnenda við leikskóla, grunnskóla og framhaldsskóla nr. 95/2019). The regulation states that upon graduation from teacher preparation programmes, teachers should have competence in Icelandic that corresponds to at least C1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). 

It is therefore recommended that students who apply for teacher programmes shall have graduated from an Icelandic upper secondary school or have an assessed level of Icelandic competence at minimum B2 level according to CEFR. Neither a formal requirement of B2 level nor testing in Icelandic is yet in place. 

Private Icelandic language schools have different ways of placing their students, online testing, self-assessment, or counselling. 

University students have access to university writing centres that assist them with assignments and writing academic texts.

No formal requirements exist for instructors teaching Icelandic as a second language in higher education. However, teachers must generally hold a master’s degree in Icelandic or a related field, such as linguistics, foreign languages, translation studies, or literature. Apart from education, teaching experience in Icelandic as a second language is taken into consideration in employment. Teachers pursuing (academic) tenure are expected to hold a PhD in Icelandic or related fields.  

Requirements for Icelandic as a second language teachers in the private sector are set by the language schools.

Courses in Icelandic as a second language are available to academic staff of foreign origin at the University of Iceland.

Act on Compulsory Schools (Iceland), No. 91/2008. (2008). Lög um grunnskóla. Alþingi.

Act on Education, Competency and Recruitment of Teachers and School Administrators (Iceland), No. 95/2019. (2019). Lög um menntun, hæfni og ráðningu kennara og skólastjórnenda við leikskóla, grunnskóla og framhaldsskóla. Alþingi.

Act on Preschools (Iceland), No. 90/2008. (2008). Lög um leikskóla. Alþingi.

Act on Upper Secondary Schools (Iceland), No. 92/2008. (2008). Lög um framhaldsskóla. Alþingi.

Directorate of Education and School Services. (n.d.). Stöðumat fyrir erlenda nemendur [Placement assessment for immigrant students]. Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu.

Emilsson Peskova, R., & Aberdeen, T. (2020). An ecology of heritage language umbrella organizations: Developing collaborative practices between Iceland and Canada. In A. Chatzidaki, P. Thomou, D. Kontogianni, Th. Michelakaki, & M. Αrgyroudi (Eds.). Selected papers from the 5th International Conference “Crossroads of languages and cultures: Languages and cultures at home and at school” Rethymno, 1–3 June 2018 (pp. 542–553). EDIAMME.  

Jónsdóttir, F. B. (2023, September 22). Giving wings to voices: Preschool as an inclusive learning space for communication and understanding (Doctoral thesis, University of Iceland). Opin vísindi. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/4460

Lifelong Learning Centres. (n.d.). Lifelong learning. Ísland.is. https://island.is/en/lifelong-learning

Menntamálaráðuneyti [Ministry of Education]. (2008). Námskrá. Íslenska fyrir útlendinga – grunnnám [Icelandic for foreigners – basic study]. https://mms.is/sites/mms.is/files/namskra_islenska_utlendinga.pdf

Menntamálaráðuneyti [Ministry of Education]. (2010). Íslenska fyrir útlendinga – framhaldsnámskrá [Icelandic for foreigners – curriculum for further study]. https://www.stjornarradid.is/media/menntamalaraduneyti-media/media/mrn-pdf-namskrar/namskra_i_islensku_fyrir_utlendinga_framhald.pdf

Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu. (2021, March 25). Hæfnirammar í íslensku fyrir fjöltyngd börn í leikskóla [Competence frameworks in Icelandic for multilingual children in preschool]. Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu. https://mms.is/frettir/haefnirammar-i-islensku-fyrir-fjoltyngd-born-i-leikskola

Regulation on Competency Framework with Criteria for General and Specialized Competence of Teachers and Administrators (Iceland), No. 1355/2022. (2022). Reglugerð um hæfniramma með viðmiðum fyrir almenna og sérhæfða hæfni kennara og skólastjórnenda við leik-, grunn- og framhaldsskóla.

Bade, S., & Sigurjónsdóttir, E. H. (2024). Employing intelligibility ratings of accentedness for learner-centred pronunciation instruction in Icelandic as a second language. Novel Techniques and Approaches in Language Teaching, 7. Novel Techniques and Approaches in Language Teaching.pdf

Emilsson Peskova, R., Lindholm, A., Ahlholm, M., Vold, E.T., Gunnþórsdóttir, H., Slotte, A. & Busch, S.E. (2024). Second language and mother tongue education for immigrant children in Nordic educational policies: Search for a common Nordic dimension (1st ed.). In J. B. Krejsler (Ed.). Scrutinising the Nordic dimension in education: Myths, Realities, and Integration Efforts in Europe’s Nordic Region. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032694252

Hama, S. R., Benediktsson, A. I., Hansen, B., Jonsdottir, K. L. S., & Ragnarsdóttir, H. (2020). Formal and informal support at Icelandic universities: Experiences of staff members and immigrant students. Tímarit um uppeldi og menntun, 29(1), 45–64. https://doi.org/10.24270/tuuom.2020.29.3

Hoffmann, L., Innes, P., Wojtyńska, A., & Skaptadóttir, U. D. (2024). Adult immigrants’ perspectives on courses in Icelandic as a second language: Structure, content, and inclusion in the receiving society. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 23(2), 135–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/15348458.2021.1988855

Ragnarsdóttir, H. & Kulbrandstad, L.A. (2018). Learning Spaces for Inclusion and Social Justice: Success Stories from Immigrant Students and School Communities in Four Nordic Countries. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Málið.is. (n.d.). Málið.is. Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies. Málið.is. This webpage includes a comprehensive collection of dictionaries and other linguistic resources about Icelandic language.

Miðja máls og læsis. (n.d.). Stuðningur, fræðsla og ráðgjöf varðandi mál og læsi [Support, education, and guidance regarding language and literacy]. Reykjavíkurborg. Miðja máls og læsis – Stuðningur, fræðsla og ráðgjöf varðandi mál og læsi. The Center for Language and Literacy in Reykjavík has collected quality information, teaching materials, and websites for preschool and compulsory school staff with regard to language development, literacy, multilingualism, multiculturalism, and Icelandic as a second language. It employs speech therapists and cultural mediators who provide counseling for preschools and compulsory schools.

Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu. (n.d.). Forsíða. Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu. Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu. The Directorate of Education and School Services is the state institution that implements governmental educational policy and oversees teaching materials for schools, assessment tools, the wellbeing of students, digital solutions for schools, and other processes and tools to support, strengthen, and coordinate education, school services, and other school activities in Iceland.

Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu. (n.d.). Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu (MEMM): Menntun, móttaka, menning [Education, reception, culture]. Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu. The Directorate of Education and School Services houses the homepage of the project MEMM that enhances communication among different school levels, municipalities, and stakeholders.

Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu. (n.d.). Útgefið efni [Published material]. Miðstöð menntunar og skólaþjónustu. https://mms.is/namsefni. Here it is possible to see all state-published teaching materials.

Aðalnámskrá grunnskóla. (2013). The Icelandic national curriculum guide for compulsory schools: General section. Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneytið. https://adalnamskra.is/adalnamskra-grunnskola

Aðalnámskrá leikskóla. (2011). The Icelandic national curriculum guide for preschools: General section. Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneytið. https://www.stjornarradid.is/verkefni/menntamal/namskrar/adalnamskra-leikskola

Aðalnámskrá framhaldsskóla. (2011). The Icelandic national curriculum guide for upper secondary schools: General section. Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneytið. https://www.stjornarradid.is/verkefni/menntamal/namskrar/adalnamskra-framhaldsskola

Menntamálastofnun. (2021). Hæfnirammar í íslensku fyrir fjöltyngd börn í leikskóla [Competence frameworks in Icelandic for multilingual children in preschool]. Menntamálastofnun. haefnirammar_isl_fjoltyngd_4_-_leikskoli.pdf

Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture. (2020a). Drög að stefnu: Menntun barna og ungmenna með fjölbreyttan tungumála- og menningarbakgrunn [Draft policy: Education of children and youth with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds]. Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneytið. Drög að stefnu_menntun barna og ungmenna með fjölbreyttan tungumála- og menningarbakgrunn_260520.pdf

Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture. (2020b). Guidelines for the support of mother tongues and plurilingualism in schools and afterschool programs. Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneytið. Stjórnarráðið | Leiðarvísir um stuðning við móðurmál og virkt fjöltyngi í skóla- og frístundastarfi.