I’ve come up with a fun way to practice written conversations in norsk—by taunting my AI practice partner.

If that sounds like fun, just step behind this curtain and I’ll show you the game.

Backchannel Game – Episode 1

Practice session using English input and Norwegian backchannel responses

This transcript demonstrates the first run of the Backchannel Game, a conversational exercise designed to train real-time Norwegian listening-side interaction. The AI tells a story in short English segments; the learner replies only in Norwegian. After each response, the AI continues the story and gives gentle corrections where needed. This format encourages natural context-based responses rather than memorized phrases.

One day, I hope to get involved in an actual norsk conversation, and when I do, I want to be sure I’m a good listener. Fortunately that’s much easier than being the dominant speaker. But how do you practice foreign conversations without a language partner?