Discover OLS Opportunities: A Guide for Those Who Missed Our Open Day
At the end of August, we at OLS hosted a special Open Day event, inviting everyone who wanted to get to know the platform and our language community managers better. It was a great opportunity to learn how to make full use of OLS resources and activities. If you missed this event, don’t worry—this blog post will give you everything you need to get started and explore all the opportunities OLS offers.
If you’re here, you already know you’re part of the Icelandic Language Community. But what exactly is OLS, and why is it such a valuable tool for your mobility journey? Online Language Support (OLS) is a European Commission platform that helps Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps participants learn or improve the language they need during their stay abroad. It is part of the EU Academy and functions as a network of 29 language communities—one for each of the programme’s official languages (including Icelandic, Macedonian, Norwegian, Serbian, and Turkish).
Each language community is a dedicated learning space offering access to online courses, articles, forums, speaking sessions, competitions, and much more. All communities are led by moderators—native speakers—who guide you through the learning process. As the manager of the Icelandic Language Community, Icelandic is my native language, and I’m here to help you navigate and enjoy the learning process. The good news? You can join as many communities as you like. You might learn Italian while on exchange in Italy, study Icelandic while volunteering in Iceland, or explore another language simply out of curiosity.
Here at OLS, we offer both formal and informal ways to learn a language. So, where should you begin? Start with the self-assessment test. It consists of 31 questions and takes about 30 minutes. This test helps determine your current level, and once completed, you’ll receive a certificate and course recommendations. You can repeat the test—before and after your mobility—to track your progress.
After the test, jump into the courses. For Icelandic, courses are currently available at A1 and A2 levels, along with topic-specific modules. These courses include interactive exercises, videos, and quizzes.
To deepen your learning and ask questions, head over to the forum section. Each language community has three types of forums:
• Ask the Community – for questions, advice, and tech support
• Practise Your Language – with games, exercises, and discussion topics
• Living Abroad – for sharing experiences and advice about life in your host country
As a member of the Icelandic Language Community, you’ll also receive regular email updates with news, event invites, competitions, and information about European awareness days. Every 2–3 months, we also host an informal online get-together where we practise speaking Icelandic and learn something new. These sessions are open to everyone, no matter your level.
Every four months, I host a "Live Tour" of the OLS platform—an online walkthrough showing you how to find courses, join activities, and get your questions answered. Our next session is on September 4th at 15:00 local time. I hope you can make it.
We also run competitions regularly—both within the Icelandic Community and with other language communities. By the way, our annual Video Competition is happening right now! If you're interested, click the link here to learn more.
Happy language learning,
Íris Líf, OLS Community Manager – Icelandic
At the end of August, we at OLS hosted a special Open Day event, inviting everyone who wanted to get to know the platform and our language community managers better. It was a great opportunity to learn how to make full use of OLS resources and activities. If you missed this event, don’t worry—this blog post will give you everything you need to get started and explore all the opportunities OLS offers.
If you’re here, you already know you’re part of the Icelandic Language Community. But what exactly is OLS, and why is it such a valuable tool for your mobility journey? Online Language Support (OLS) is a European Commission platform that helps Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps participants learn or improve the language they need during their stay abroad. It is part of the EU Academy and functions as a network of 29 language communities—one for each of the programme’s official languages (including Icelandic, Macedonian, Norwegian, Serbian, and Turkish).
Each language community is a dedicated learning space offering access to online courses, articles, forums, speaking sessions, competitions, and much more. All communities are led by moderators—native speakers—who guide you through the learning process. As the manager of the Icelandic Language Community, Icelandic is my native language, and I’m here to help you navigate and enjoy the learning process. The good news? You can join as many communities as you like. You might learn Italian while on exchange in Italy, study Icelandic while volunteering in Iceland, or explore another language simply out of curiosity.
Here at OLS, we offer both formal and informal ways to learn a language. So, where should you begin? Start with the self-assessment test. It consists of 31 questions and takes about 30 minutes. This test helps determine your current level, and once completed, you’ll receive a certificate and course recommendations. You can repeat the test—before and after your mobility—to track your progress.
After the test, jump into the courses. For Icelandic, courses are currently available at A1 and A2 levels, along with topic-specific modules. These courses include interactive exercises, videos, and quizzes.
To deepen your learning and ask questions, head over to the forum section. Each language community has three types of forums:
• Ask the Community – for questions, advice, and tech support
• Practise Your Language – with games, exercises, and discussion topics
• Living Abroad – for sharing experiences and advice about life in your host country
As a member of the Icelandic Language Community, you’ll also receive regular email updates with news, event invites, competitions, and information about European awareness days. Every 2–3 months, we also host an informal online get-together where we practise speaking Icelandic and learn something new. These sessions are open to everyone, no matter your level.
Every four months, I host a "Live Tour" of the OLS platform—an online walkthrough showing you how to find courses, join activities, and get your questions answered. Our next session is on September 4th at 15:00 local time. I hope you can make it.
We also run competitions regularly—both within the Icelandic Community and with other language communities. By the way, our annual Video Competition is happening right now! If you're interested, click the link here to learn more.
Happy language learning,
Íris Líf, OLS Community Manager – Icelandic