I started using the Duolingo app to learn Swedish precisely 621 days ago and let me tell you that judgemental little bird got me hooked fairly quickly! A friend sent me a video of a comedian doing a bit about Duolingo and I was watching thinking damn that is me! If you are on Duolingo check this video out and tell me you cannot relate!
Fast forward to us actually moving to Sweden and because of my Duolingo streak I thought I would rock up and be having conversations in Swedish. This was not the case and I soon learned that being able to tell someone that the wolf was going to eat the ant was beyond useless!
Do You Need To Speak Swedish?
I will say the Swedish approach to language is impressive and children start to learn English from an early age, meaning that most people speak English and whilst this is great it makes it hard to learn more as everyone is so happy to speak English. It is also normally preceded by them saying sorry for my bad English – I am from Essex and most of the time I think their English is better than mine!
So do you need Swedish? Well I have met some people who have lived here for years and do not speak the language. However, my preference was that if I am moving to a country I felt it important to make the effort to learn the language.
Swedish For Immigrants
Sweden holds courses for immigrants called Swedish For Immigrants (SFI) and for this you need your person number so once we had that we started to look into it but there is, unsurprisingly, a wait for a space.
You can apply via your local Kommun and need to wait for a response as your application is processed.
SFI is the national free Swedish language course offered to most categories of immigrants. Immigrants who have emigrated to Sweden are entitled by law to Swedish language education, which is amazing and as I said earlier I feel it is important to make the effort to learn the language.
We were called back in August to attend an introductory session about the course and at the end there was a test (Duolingo had not prepared me for this)! It was 4 or 5 pages and mostly a passage of text with some following questions and I was surprised at how much I could read and answer. Then on the final page you had to write a letter to your teacher and there were bullet points of specific information to include. There were 2 I did not understand but I managed to complete the rest. This did manage to secure me a spot on the course so I was very pleased!
The course has a weekly class on a Tuesday evening for 2 hours and then in addition to that there is homework, revision and it uses a platform called Lunis where there is a requirement to complete a minimum of 5 hours in the online platform.
How Is It Going So Far?
First of all I am that geek that used to love buying new stationery at the start of a school year so that was the first thing I did! On top of my new notepad and folder I was then given:
- Lyckas Med Svenska Textbook – Succeed With Swedish Text Book
- Lyckas Med Svenska Övningsbok – Succeed With Swedish Exercise Book
- Lyckas Med Svenska Skrivhafte – Succeed With Swedish Writing Booklet
It is early days but I have had 2 lessons so far and it is slightly overwhelming I must say. Most of the class have been learning since March so I am definitely behind everyone – in the first lesson I asked if I was in the right place as I felt that everyone seemed to be almost fluent!
There is no English, or other languages, everything is in Swedish and I am hoping the sink or swim approach will force me into using Swedish.
In the second lesson there was a test, which I am waiting on the result of, so fingers crossed!
It is full on and feels intense but onwards and upwards!
Önska mig lycka till!
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