Introduction to Iceland

Sheep round-up and the Golden Circle

In the fall, the farmers gather the sheep to a fold, the Icelandic term is “réttir". There the farmers sort out the sheep according to their home farm. This used to be the biggest social event in the country provinces and still is a very lively event where people meet . After a hard work it’s customary to warm up the spirit with some traditional Icelandic alcohol "Brennivín" and sing songs about the beautiful countryside. After visiting “réttir”, the tour continues to the geothermal area around the great Geysir and Strokkur. From there it is only a short drive to the beautiful waterfall Gullfoss. Before we return to Reykjavík, we will stop in Þingvellir, where Alþingi assembly was established around 930 and continued to convene until 1798.

More on Introduction to Iceland

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Intensive Language Preparation Course in Icelandic for Exchange students

Duration: August 5-23, 2013 / Application deadline: May 28, 2013.

Please read the information before you start the application.

Participants:

The course is for exchange students coming to Icelandic higher education institutions during the academic year 2013-2014. This is an Erasmus Intensive Language Course (EILC) and also a Nordplus Language Course so students coming within these programmes do not have to pay tuition fee. Other exchange students are most welcome to apply for a parallel course offered by the University Centre of the Westfjords. Students applying for this course need to pay the tuition fee and have to apply for the course via the University Centre of the Westfjords. Note that the parallel course has the same teaching material and twice a week students from both courses attend elective courses together in Ísafjörður. Non-exchange students are also referred to a parallel course, offered by the University Centre. The University Centre recommends that this course be accredited with 6 ECTS.

Organisers:

The course is hosted by the University Centre of the Westfjords located in the town of Ísafjörður in the West Fjords. The Office of International Education is responsible for applications and selection of participants.

Accommodation and subsistence:

Student will be accommodated in Núpur which is about 25 min drive from the town of Isafjörður. This is a former boarding school that serviced the nearby area but is now run as a hotel and venue for conferences and other events, i.e. language course.
Accepted students will automatically be booked in a double room (two persons share a room).
The accommodation includes; shared room, linens, towels, breakfast and lunch on weekdays, internet access, coffee/tea, access to kitchen and laundry facilities and shared living rooms.
Cost = 499 €
If you need to have other arrangement then please contact: 

info@hotelnupur.is/+354-864 9737 (Sigurður Arnfjörð Helgason)


Course description, time table, free time activities and more:

These information are available at the University Centre of the Westfjords web page.

Transport:

Reykjavík-Núpur: August 5. Meeting place: BSÍ bus terminal in Reykjavik at 8:30 departure at 9:00
Cost = 9000 ISK
Núpur-Reykjavík: August 24.
Cost = 9000 ISK
Seats will be reserved for all accepted students if they wish so (indicated in the application).
You do not have to make special reservation like other exchange students from non Erasmus/Nordplus countries.
Transport between Núpur and the town of Isafjörður will be free of charge.

Course fee:

Free for Erasmus and Nordplus students (limited number).
500 € for parallel course for other exchange students (limited number).
Note: all participants need to pay 3000 ISK for course material.

Payment procedures:

Cost for accommodation should be paid in advance, i.e. by credit card by calling +354 864 9737 or by bank transfer. Participants need to confirm the room by payment before 30.06.2013. See payment information here.
The cost for transport is paid for upon arrival in Núpur.
If you prefer other arrangement then please contact:
info@hotelnupur.is / +354-864 9737 (Sigurður Arnfjörð Helgason)

Prerequisite:

Participants must have completed the culture (menning) theme in the course Icelandic Online 1 before the course starts in August. Special emphasis should be but into the first three units (bálkur).
Participants are expected to put approximately 50 hours of study into Icelandic Online. Students with little background in languages should focus on the first three units.
An on-line exam will be used to evaluate your progress. The exam will be open for completion in june and july (exact dates not clear yet).
Before you start the course you should familiarise your self with the demo pages (instructions), see link to the left at the front page of the course.

Level of study:

We expect you to be serious about studying Icelandic in August and we expect you to work on it, but experience tells us that some of you are “more serious” about it and some “less serious”. Of course some people find it relatively easy to study languages while others have a hard time at it.

There will be four groups, A-D (as well as a variety of elective in the afternoons). Please indicate in the application, which group you think is best for you. You will find the CEFR-standards under the following link (Common European Framework of References for Languages).
The University Centre will form the groups on the basis of your self-estimation and the results of Icelandic Online Exam.

•Group A: CEFR-level A1. Prerequisites: Icelandic Online units 1-3.
Slow teaching pace, little experience in language learning, no knowledge of related languages (Scandinavian, German), little background in grammar (Latin, Finnish, linguistics).
•Group B: CEFR-level A1 plus partly A2. Prerequisites: Icelandic Online units 1-3 with good results, medium teaching pace, little experience in language learning, but ambitious.

•Group C: CEFR-level A1 plus A2. Prerequisites: Icelandic Online all with very good result, fast teaching pace, good background in related languages and grammar. Highly ambitious.
•Group D: CEFR-level A2 plus B1. Prerequisites: Icelandic Online all with very good results, fast teaching pace, previous knowledge of Icelandic in level A1/A2, very good background in related languages and in grammar.

Application form for the August 2013 course

The online application form can be found here.

Exchange students from non Erasmus/Nordplus countries can apply to a parallel course offered by the University Centre of the Westfjords.

Fill out the application on-line and submit it.
A printable version is offered AFTER you submit the application.
Print out a copy and mail to*:

Office of International Education
University of Iceland
c/o Harpa Sif Arnarsdóttir
Háskólatorgi
101 Reykjavík
Iceland

Email: hsa@hi.is

*Exchange students coming to the University of Iceland can include the language course application with their general student exchange application documents (deadline: May 1) but please put it in a separate envelope marked “Language Course / (name)”

Note to ERASMUS students: Contact you International Office and ask about procedures regarding ERASMUS Intensive Language Courses (EILC), which this is. You might possibly be able to apply for a special grant to attend the course. You also probably need to fill out a special ERASMUS application (EILC application form).