Do I need a smartphone?

For now, we have finished developing the learning platform to be accessible on most modern smartphones running iOS and Android, so you can take TVÍK everywhere (well, anywhere with a stable internet connection). If there is demand, we will consider adding web-based access; let us know!

Does TVÍK make me speak out loud?

No! Well, yes, but only in your own brain. TVÍK will make you construct sentences, but will not record you, as we have not found talking to your phone to be particulary effective in helping you build confidence. However, there's an optional Gym skill for you to practice pronunciation.

Is TVÍK for everyone?

TVÍK is ideal for those who have attempted learning Icelandic but are stuck between vocabulary-heavy apps and grammar-focused classes. If you're entirely new to the language, the learning curve will undoubtedly be steeper, but don't worry——TVÍK is equipped with every tool you'll need along the way. We also hope you're quite comfortable reading English, although we hope to offer support for other languages in the future.

Can I buy TVÍK for my employees?

Yes! Get in touch via email or +354 7645707.

Isn't this quite expensive?

Right?! With TVÍK's mission being to ensure access to Icelandic learning for everyone? TVÍK is a digital course that has taken years to develop and perfect, and offers over a hundred hours of course content (84 simulations + gym exercises). We're committed to keeping TVÍK cheaper than other Icelandic in-person courses (15-40 hours, usually around 55,000 ISK) or four 45-minute sessions with a private tutor (usually 10,000 to 15,000 ISK), while still offering vastly more than a regular course. We are not yet making enough to cover our monthly expenses and have so far relied entirely on grants for development, but as soon as we find ourselves operating with a surplus, we're committed to lowering the costs further. We also hope to seek funding to support different languages and expand our market to hopefully lower costs for Icelandic learners even further in the future. Until then: if you don't have access to union reimbursements or find the cost a barrier, please get in touch—we'll offer you a discount, no questions asked. We're not here to profit off the tremendous lack of access to opportunities that foreigners in Iceland face, we're here to fix it.

Why don't you offer a subscription?

TVÍK is a 3-month digital course, designed to be completed as a single journey, with a single storyline, with a beginning and (unfortunately) an end. We don't consider the subscription model fair, since those that happen to have more time on their hands or are faster learners would pay less than those that progress through the course slower; we want you to progress through the course at the pace that suits you. However, we do want to push you to complete the course within a year, and prevent any large gaps in your learning. The 1-year limit also makes sense for us as a quickly evolving startup, to make sure we have space to develop TVÍK towards becoming the absolute most amazing way to learn a language. If you're concerned about the renewal fee at 50% off course price in case you can't finish the course in a year, don't fret — if you can't afford it, we'll help you out.

Do I need to finish the course in 3 months?

TVÍK contains 84 lessons, which means you can complete it in 12 weeks if you finish a lesson every day. The license remains valid for a year from date of purchase, so you'll have enough time to go through the course. If a year is not enough, you can renew the license at a discounted price.

Do I need to understand English?

For now, yes — at least well enough. We are working on seeking additional funding to add other support for other languages and to fulfil our mission of making Icelandic learning accessible for everyone.

How was the course material created?

The course material was developed over 2 years with a grant from Fræðslusjóður. The course developers are Gamithra Marga and Derek Terell Allen. Derek is a private Icelandic tutor and a teacher at the Tin Can Factory with a BA degree in Icelandic as a second language and a master's degree in Translation Studies. Gamithra learned Icelandic after moving to Iceland by herself, graduated from the Menntaskólinn á Tröllaskaga high school, and is now a private Icelandic tutor and a student of philosophy in Háskóli Íslands. The course material is continually tested, fixed and updated based on feedback from our learning community.

What is the story of TVÍK?

After months of struggling to piece together a single sentence in Icelandic, even with a decent grasp of the vocabulary, Gamithra found herself thrown into the deep end of the pool working on a remote sheep farm in North Iceland where she had no chance other than to make all the mistakes she needed to gather the courage to speak to real humans. She moved to Iceland at 17 from Estonia in an attempt to fulfil her childhood dream of becoming an Icelander, and kept daydreaming of combining her background in coding with the idea of throwing people in imaginary sheep farms. In 2022, this vision won her Gulleggið, the largest idea competition in Iceland. The project has been in development since.

Who owns TVÍK?

TVÍK ehf. (490522-0690) is fully owned by Gamithra. No hungry venture capitalists waiting for their money back, just a 25-year-old girl living in Vesturbær with a dream of making Icelandic learning accessible for everyone (and maybe one day, afford the down payment for an apartment). She is also a co-founder of the Icelandic Association for Humane Technology (Samtök um mannvæna tækni). The project has been made possible thanks to grants from Rannís, Fræðslusjóður and Atvinnumál kvenna.