Vikings brought first native American to Europe

This is a good point. Many east Asian learners of English are motivated by a desire to do business in North America, whereas that might not necessarily be as advantageous for the European. When i was in Korea and Japan, i was constantly asked to come speak to ESL classes, or even to teach as a volunteer. They were very eager not simply to learn English, but to be able to speak it idiomatically. I think the Koreans have been the most successful among the east Asians, both because of tens of thousands of Americans being stationed in their country for 60 years, and because of the avidity of their application. Sometimes i hear the overnight radio programs when international radio shows are broadcast. When the foreign service of Korean radio is broadcast, i have more than once been surprised to learn that that is what i was listening to, because the news readers sound so exactly like Americans. For what reason i do not know, but the only other international service which i have heard in which the new readers are speaking a "faultless" American is Czech radio. Go figure.

Minnesota 'Vikings' indicate their Viking heritage. Lots of Swedes there originally from impoverished Sweden. I noticed many female students had huge hips either from sitting on the tractor all day or as some explained from their Swedish genes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpHniCEHY7I&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3Oq8VbHAdI&feature=related

Those were great, but I'm afraid my Swedish is still a bit rusty.

A monk wouldn't leave a trail??? Only a trail of pregnant widows... Like the book said: legitimate till the thirteenth month after death... Its a miracle...

unless it is a native of Greenland, i doubt it. The Vikings were actually driven off of the Labrador coast when they discovered it.

That's pretty vague, and it is therefore, misleading. Bjarni Herjolfsson discovered the Labrador coast in 985. He not only didn't attempt to colonize it, he wouldn't even let his men land. Sometime very early in the next century (circa 1001-1005 CE), Torvald Eriksson was a part of an expedition which was looking for Leif Eriksson's Vinland (Leif had refused to divulge its whereabouts or to accompany the expediton). Thorvald was convinced that he would find Vinland along the coast of what is now Labrador. He entered what is now called the English River, and proceeded westward to what is now called Lake Melville. They found some "skraelings" (almost certainly Thule culture eskimos), and killed all but one of them, who escaped. This was while they were coasting on Lake Melville to the south from the outlet of the English River. Incredibly (for the stupidity), they continued to the south, and then camped for the night. The following morning, they were attacked by skraelings, but managed to get underway, and escape their tomentors. Thorvald then informed his crew that he had gotten his death wound. They buried him on the shores of the lake.

The parts of the expedition returned piecemeal to Greenland (which is not generally considered a part of North America), and no further attempt was made to explore or to colonize North America (as far as we know--there is no evidence of it, at any event). They did continue to visit the coast of Labrador for hunting, sealing and to get timber there.

Your remark is an oversimplified reference to the Thorvald Eriksson incident, and leaves the wrong impression.