But for the truly motivated, self-study options do exist. Here's a brief review of the best and most easily accessible. Though written for native English speakers, this system presupposes a fairly high level of academic competence and can seem overwhelming to the true beginner. What it really has going for it is availability and price. This is the perfect system for the English-speaking foreigner who wants to learn enough Icelandic to get by, but isn't planning to write a philosophical treatise in the tongue of the Vikings.
Humorous cartoons pepper each section.
The lessons build on each other systematically, introducing grammatical complexities in non-threatening, sprightly conversational exercises. Also available is an audio cassette featuring readings of all the book's practice texts plus a number of pronunciation and intonation exercises. The presentation is somewhat unclear, so it can be pretty heavy slogging for the real beginner. The two Americans I know of who have tried to use this course found it expensive and confusing. The acoustical quality of these tapes is superb, which is great for the anglo ear trying to accustom itself to the roll and pitch of Icelandic vowel sounds.