HOW I'M LEARNING SWEDISH

How I'm learning Swedish

How it started

As a polyglot and a huge language enthusiast, after reaching an advanced (and upper intermediate) level in all my languages, I was craving a new challenge. I started learning Swahili (out of curiosity), then Czech (it seemed very easy), and then Māori (I was doing a presentation on the indigenous people of New Zealand). Unfortunately, in each case, I didn’t have a strong reason to learn the language so I eventually gave up on all of them.

Finally, I decided to take a short break to think more deeply about which language I really wanted to learn and which country's culture interested me enough to find out more about it. To my surprise, Sweden came to mind. I knew that Sweden was a country known for its natural beauty and rich culture, but at first it seemed like a completely random choice. However, after giving it some thought, I figured that, after all, ABBA, the Young Royals series, cinnamon rolls, meatballs and IKEA all came from Sweden. In addition, Poland and Sweden once had the same king, and I myself read a lot about the current Swedish royal family. I instantly felt a bond with the Swedish language and I thought to myself: wow, how wonderful it would be to visit this country one day and get to know it better by talking with locals in their native language. That's how I made my decision, and now I can't imagine it could have been any other way.

My current level of Swedish

The first thing to mention is that Swedish is a relatively easy language for those who know English or German, as there are many similarities in grammar and vocabulary. I started learning Swedish using only the Duolingo app because I was simultaneously studying full-time at university. Plus, I wanted to see if I even liked the language before I started learning it seriously. However, using only one app doesn't provide all the necessary tools for learning a language and it’s definitely not enough in the long run. I started learning Swedish more intensively a few months ago, and since then, I’ve created a weekly study routine that is ideal for me, which I'll describe down below. Overall, I'd say my level is a solid A2 at the moment.

My Swedish learning routine

1. Vocabulary & grammar

Let me point out that at first I intentionally didn't use a textbook. As an independent learner and a beginner in Swedish, I tried to be honest with myself about which methods didn't appeal to me. I didn't want to force myself to use this type of a resource on a regular basis since in my mind learning with a textbook was associated with obligation rather than pleasure. These days I actually use a textbook once in a while, whenever I feel like it, but I don't do it consistently. I created a plan for my routine based mainly on activities that I know really engage me, and not discourage me. However, I know I'll need more sustainable methods of learning in the long run, so I plan to enroll in a Swedish course once I reach B1+/B2 level (I did the same with Portuguese, and I think it was the right decision).

My core element of learning Swedish is the daily use of 2 apps: Duolingo and Babbel. I use Duolingo in the morning and evening for 15 minutes each, and Babbel for about 20 minutes in the afternoon (often on public transportation).

Duolingo is more motivating for me because I simply enjoy some healthy competition and having a visual reflection of my progress in terms of the number of study days, completed challenges and time spent in a specific league.

Babbel, on the other hand, seems to me overall better developed, more efficient and more versatile. I've only recently started using it, so I haven't tried all the features yet, but I know it's one of very few apps created by real language professors rather than artificial intelligence. I like the ability to personalize the learning plan and the fact that the tasks are based on conversations that could really take place in real life. I'm looking forward to exploring this app further, as I've heard there are some very interesting features available.

2. Listening

I always start by looking for music in the language I want to learn. I usually create a short playlist and listen to it every day, and then I check the translation and after a while I manage to recognize some of the words that are often repeated. Starting my Swedish learning journey, I came across a song called ‘för oss’ by Rymdpojken and I was obsessed with it for weeks. In my experience, listening to music really helps you get used to the sound of the language you’re learning.

I listen to podcasts in different languages every day right after I wake up, and also while doing activities that don't require much thinking, such as cleaning or cooking. My favorite podcast for Swedish learners is Coffee Break Swedish, and I try to listen to it at least 3 times a week. In this podcast, we hear a Swedish professor teaching a beginner to speak the language correctly and naturally, while making pauses so that listeners can also try to pronounce the sentences aloud themselves, which I think is a very cool idea.

Among listening activities, I also include watching movies and TV shows. I'm currently in the middle of a short light-hearted crime series called Anxious People (Folk med ångest) on Netflix. I always turn on dual subtitles in Swedish and English while watching. You can easily set this up with a free Google Chrome extension called Language Reactor, which I highly recommend since they have tons of languages available. I usually read the text in Swedish first, then the translation, and then listen to the actors' pronunciation. If I notice frequently repeated vocabulary words, I write them down to make flashcards afterwards.

3. Reading

As for reading in Swedish, I don't do it on a regular basis myself. However, once a week I attend free online meetings for beginners in Swedish on the Meetup platform, and we read together articles from this website written in simple language on various topics (environment, politics, culture, etc.). In the beginning I had to translate most of the vocabulary, but now I can understand each text on my own, and I only check and write down individual words. Apart from that, on the weekends I sometimes check out the website created (and regularly updated) by our amazing host Andy. There are various recipes, as well as short stories, vocabulary lists and grammar explanations.

4. Writing

Twice a week I write my thoughts in Swedish in my diary. For me, this is the most effective method of learning, because this is how I can simultaneously learn the most commonly used grammatical structures and vocabulary that I find genuinely useful in everyday life. I started doing this at the very beginning of my Swedish learning journey, without having enough knowledge to express myself in this language yet. What I did was I first wrote my thoughts in English, then used an online translator and then transcribed everything into my journal, underlining new vocabulary words and creating sets of flashcards out of them on Quizlet. Now I'm at the stage where I can create my own sentences, and when I don't know how to say something, I look it up and then write in the journal. I can see that I've made a lot of progress, and I now understand about 90% of the vocabulary I use to write about my life.

5. Speaking

As I mentioned earlier, once a week I attend online meetings for beginners in Swedish. Although we're a group of about 20 people, the host always makes sure everyone can say something and corrects our pronunciation errors. During the first hour, we focus on analyzing online articles written in a not-so-complex style. Anyone who wants to can read aloud a paragraph and try to translate it into English. Sometimes we dwell a little longer on words that can have several meanings or we compare them to similar words in other languages. Finally, we solve crossword puzzles and other fun riddles together.

Summary

After studying Swedish for over a year, I finally visited Sweden for the very first time with my amazing boyfriend. It was a lovely trip and I got to speak some Swedish and eat a number of cinnamon buns. I didn't have any trouble understanding Swedish so I guess I really did make progress. All in all, I'm very happy with my current study routine. Of course, I could do much more, but for now I don't feel the need to do so. As I said earlier, I'll probably decide to enroll in a Swedish language course someday, whenever the time is right. Until then, my priority is daily contact with the language in the most accessible, interesting and engaging form possible. I hope this quite long description of my approach to learning this beautiful language was in some way useful to you. Lycka till!