Lingu

What it is

Lingu is a Norwegian language school. In its own description, Lingu AS is "an accredited Norwegian language school founded in 2008 and headquartered in Stavanger, Norway", offering online and in-person Norwegian courses from A1 to C1, with language centers in Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger. The same paragraph says Lingu is approved by HK-dir (the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills) as a private provider of Norwegian language and social studies education, and holds a 4.8 rating on Trustpilot. Its quick facts list 74 team members, 22 nationalities and 558 active students. Beyond individual learners, Lingu sells workplace training and runs its own learning platform, and it also teaches English.

Four ways to learn Norwegian online

The home page sets out four programs, each built around a different balance of teacher time and self-study:

• Easy Norwegian, from NOK 415 per month: for learners who want to study on their own but have a teacher to help with spoken and written Norwegian when needed. A Lingu blog post on choosing a course describes the self-study option, which it calls Easy Online, as fully self-paced, built on game-like exercises with instant feedback, with teacher feedback on assignments.
• Flexi Norwegian, from NOK 1,990 per month: teacher-led lessons on a flexible schedule, through a menu of topic-oriented drop-in classes with professional teachers. The blog post explains that learners pick which live classes to attend each week from a calendar of morning, evening and weekend sessions.
• Fast-Track Norwegian, from NOK 2,690 per month: digital classes with a fixed teacher and schedule, plus drop-in sessions and access to the digital learning resource Samaneh's Journey. According to the blog post it runs from A1 to C1 and comes in a Regular option at a steady pace and an Intensive option that covers the material faster.
• Flexi Norwegian premium, from NOK 3,890: schedule flexibility with one-to-one lessons, drop-in sessions, personal follow-up and a personal plan toward the learner's goals.

The blog post adds that learners can pay monthly or upfront, that both fast-track and slower half-level options are available, and that drop-in lessons can make up for a missed class. It also says all Lingu courses have been updated for the rule change of 1 September 2025, after which study hours no longer count toward permanent residency or citizenship and applicants must instead pass the Norskprøven, at A2 for permanent residency and B1 for citizenship.

Test preparation

Lingu has a cluster of products around the official tests:

• Preparation for the Norwegian Language Test, from NOK 900, described as "A complete program for anyone preparing for the Norwegian Language Test (Norskprøven) at A1, A2, B1 and B2 levels." It trains the written parts of the test (reading, listening and writing) and pairs them with an interactive resource learners work through on their own.
• AI practice for Norskprøven, a new tool in which learners "Practice for the oral Norwegian exam with an AI examiner that listens and responds".
• A Social Studies course, from NOK 1,990, for the official Social Studies exam that permanent residency and citizenship applicants must pass. Learners choose self-study at their own pace or a teacher-led online course. One reviewer wrote that after covering topics in the course's three modules, the reviewer "gained good knowledge about Norway, how it functions, its culture and history".

The English side of the menu lists English courses, private lessons and Business English, along with TOEFL and IELTS tests in Norway.

Free ways to start

A free placement test helps learners pick the right level, and the blog post warns that starting too low leads to boredom and too high to frustration. The free Norwegian online course gives two weeks of live lessons with Lingu teachers plus access to the interactive learning platform. Lingu also runs a free language café open to all students, public webinars, the Norskpodden podcast with native conversations for all levels, the Norskbloggen blog, and Lingupedia, a free grammar and pronunciation reference. Samaneh's Journey, the game-based course included in Fast-Track, is also sold on its own; the blog post lists it at NOK 415 per month and says it takes learners from beginner to fluent speaker.

Platform, apps and support

Lingu builds its own technology. The menu describes a learning management system, collaborative tools and a virtual, interactive classroom, and the footer links to iOS and Android apps. The website is available in English, Spanish, Norwegian and Ukrainian. Prospective students can book a free consultation or request a call back, and the contact page offers e-mail, phone or chat, with a help center for existing students.

For companies and the public sector

Lingu's enterprise side offers Norwegian training at the workplace, Business English as blended learning, language training for the public sector, industry-tailored language tests and a Norwegian program for health professionals, with a School Admin login for organizations. The home page says that, together with HK-dir, Lingu provides supplementary programs for adult education centers. The blog post names Rema1000, DNB, Sparebank1 and Skatteetaten among organizations that use Lingu for workplace training. For teachers, Lingu offers Selena's anatomy, a resource for teaching Norwegian to health professionals, and Unmuta, on digital teaching practice.

What students say

The home page shows short student reviews. One says the course covered "all the topics which are essential to know being in Norway", another that "The teacher was so perfect and friendly", and an A1 student praised the "teacher's skill and her in detail explanation" while asking for more exercises on nouns and verbs on the website.

Who it suits

Lingu suits adults in Norway working toward a residency or citizenship application, because its course tracks, Norskprøven preparation, AI oral exam practice and Social Studies course cover every requirement in one place, from an approved provider. The four tracks let learners match the format to their life: Easy Norwegian for independent study on a small budget, Flexi for shift workers and parents who need drop-in classes, Fast-Track for those who want a fixed teacher and group, and premium for one-to-one coaching. Employers and public bodies have a dedicated enterprise offer.

The trade-off is that the published prices are starting points, so a learner should compare the programs page before choosing a level and pace. The online courses are built around scheduled or drop-in live classes on Lingu's own platform, so learners who want to study entirely on their own will find Easy Norwegian the closest fit.