Learning to understand, speak, and think in a different language is an amazing and fulfilling process. When we learn a foreign language, not only do we add a new skill to our repertoire, but we also change the very way we see and think about the world and our relationship to it. 

If you’re considering taking up Swedish, you’ve likely asked these questions at some point: How long will it take to learn Swedish? And is it worth the commitment?

We’ll get to the first question in a bit. As for the second question: Absolutely! 

Did you know, for example, that if you learn Swedish you’ll also be able to understand Norwegian and Danish? This will open up the whole Scandinavian world to you! Three languages for the price of one! 

Language lovers would all like to spend endless days learning Swedish and all its nuances… But, nowadays, time is money and the reality of our world can be quite different.

We all instinctively look for the fastest and easiest ways to learn, so that we can start practicing and using our new skills early on to find a better job, travel, or communicate with a friend or loved one.  

It would be great if we could know, right from the start, exactly how long it takes to learn a language. This way, we would be able to make long-term plans and know what to expect. However, the reality is that there isn’t one best way to learn and there’s certainly no set timetable for learning Swedish! 

Everyone learns according to their experience, time, and motivation. How quickly you learn will depend on many other factors, too. 

Let’s have a look at these factors and discuss how to take advantage of this knowledge to start learning as fast as possible.

Table of Contents

1. Experience
2. Learning Style
3. Approach
4. How Long Does it Take to Achieve Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced Level?
5. How Our Website Can Help

Experience

One of the most important things to take into consideration is your general experience with languages. 

The Language(s) You Speak

What’s your native language? And what other languages do you know? 

Yes, this will actually be a defining aspect of how quickly you’ll be able to pick up Swedish. 

If you’re a native or near-native English speaker, you’re in luck! Swedish and English actually share the same roots, and their grammar and sentence structure are pretty similar! It gets even better if you already speak Dutch, German, and obviously, Danish or Norwegian. 

If you’re a native speaker of a Semitic language such as Arabic, on the other hand, it might be a little trickier—but all the more challenging and rewarding! So, don’t be discouraged. Just be aware that your native English friends might just have a bit of a headstart…it doesn’t mean they’ll learn it better than you! 

Your Previous Language Learning Experience

Another essential aspect to consider is your previous experience in the field of language learning. 

Have you ever learned a foreign language before?

If you already speak a foreign language fluently, or were brought up bilingual, you’ll likely be able to learn Swedish faster than other people. Many studies and research have now proven that bilingual people find it easier to study and learn a third language, as they’re naturally more accustomed to being exposed to different languages. 

Even if you’re not bilingual, having studied and learned a foreign language at any point in your life will probably help. This is because your language-learning mind is already used to memorizing words and rules, as well as looking at different letters and symbols—a definite advantage!

Basically, having skills in one language will help you gain fluency in another language (even if the two languages are totally different)!

Your Previous Grammar Knowledge

One of the first steps to take when you’re learning a foreign language is to discover and study how it’s built and how it works. This usually means learning and understanding its structure and grammar. 

If you have some previous experience studying grammar and syntax, even if only in your own language, it will be much easier and faster for you to study the syntax and grammar of a foreign language. 

So, if you’re planning to start learning Swedish, it’s a good idea to have some grammar foundations to build your knowledge on! 

Learning Style

The way you study and learn is another essential factor in how long it takes to learn Swedish.

Your Methods

If you limit your learning to a classroom setting, it will surely take you a little longer to learn and start using your language skills with confidence in the real world. Here’s how to learn the Swedish language faster: Expose yourself to Swedish outside the classroom! This will shave quite a few hours off your required learning time.

Pick up the habit of reading Swedish newspapers, watching films and series in Swedish, and listening to Swedish podcasts while you drive or cook. It will help. Of course, finding a conversation partner to practice with will also go a long way toward achieving fluency faster.

Your Time

There’s another aspect we haven’t mentioned yet, even though it’s actually the most important determining factor in how long it takes to learn Swedish: The time you put into it!

If you want to learn quickly, you should dedicate as much time to studying as you possibly can. 

Ideally, you’ll want to practice daily. Research has shown that students who dedicate at least an hour a day to language learning—whether studying grammar, memorizing words, watching a series, or reading a book—end up learning significantly faster than those who don’t stick to a daily schedule.

And if it’s an option for you, full-immersion learning is the best method. If you can travel to Sweden and live there for a short (or long) while, that will change everything!

Approach

Learning to speak Swedish will be a much easier, more fluid process if you take the right approach. Here’s what I mean…

Your Motivation

It’s no secret: Staying motivated is an essential aspect of learning a new language. What are your reasons for learning Swedish?

Have these reasons clear in your mind, and set weekly (or even daily) goals for maximum efficiency. Keeping your reasons in mind will help you stay motivated and interested in learning this beautiful language every day! 

Your Attitude

Keeping your spirits and motivation up will make your language learning more effective, and it will help you get through the tough times with a positive attitude. 

The secret is to see studying as a fun and interesting activity…something you’re choosing to do, rather than something you’re forced to do. 

Remember: Knowing a foreign language will open your mind and your horizons, and it will give you a great set of skills to use in your daily and professional life. 

When you think about it this way, you’ll always be motivated to learn something new every day. This will make the process not only more enjoyable, but also much faster! 

How Long Does it Take to Achieve Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced Level?

So, let’s get to the point. 

How long does it take an English speaker to learn Swedish?

Following is a quick guide on how long it might take to reach a beginner, intermediate, and advanced level of Swedish. Keep in mind that these numbers are just estimates, and exact times will vary based on the factors we described above. 

Beginner

As a Swedish beginner, you’ll be able to introduce yourself, understand slow spoken language, and ask basic questions (probably making some mistakes along the way). 

If your goal is to be able to greet people, order a meal at the restaurant, have some basic reading skills, and understand sentences pronounced slowly and carefully, this level is probably sufficient.

You’ll be able to do all these things with just about 180-200 hours of Swedish classes (to reach levels B1-B2). This means that if you’re motivated and willing to put in 10-15 hours a week, you could travel to Sweden without any worries in just over 3 months.

So get studying and you’ll soon be having some basic conversations!

Intermediate

Once you reach an intermediate level, you’ll be able to understand everyday conversations (when spoken clearly), even if you have to ask some questions to keep up. This level will also allow you to read and watch the news and other videos with few problems. If you’re traveling, you’ll be able to ask for and follow directions with no problem and you’ll also be able to enjoy basic interactions with locals about familiar subjects. 

We estimate that, to achieve an intermediate level of Swedish, you’ll need about 350 hours of study. This means that, if you dedicate around 15 hours a week to practicing your Swedish, you’ll be able to get to this level in just 6 months! 

Advanced

If you’re setting out to achieve fluency, this is what you’re aiming for. Once you have advanced language skills, you’ll be able to deal with any kind of situation that may arise in your daily life abroad or while traveling. You should also be able to have long and detailed conversations with native speakers. You’ll be able to enjoy watching movies and reading books in Swedish with no problem. 

In other words, you’ll be fluent. (Even if there’s always something new to learn about this intricate and beautifully complex language!)

According to the U.S. Foreign Service Institute (FSI), you’ll need about 750 hours of study to become fluent in Swedish. This means that if you dedicate 12-15 hours a week to studying, you’ll be able to speak like a pro in just a year! 

If this seems like a long time, take into account that harder languages like Japanese or Arabic may take up to 2200 hours—three times as long as Swedish! 

How Our Website Can Help

So, what are you waiting for? The perfect time to start learning a foreign language is now! 

The sooner you start learning, the faster you’ll achieve your language goals and start speaking Swedish.

If you want to keep motivated and make your language learning adventure as easy as possible, check out the content on SwedishPod101.com. Here, you’ll find all kinds of language learning materials: vocabulary lists, lessons for all levels, dictionaries, blog posts, and more.

As we explained, how long it takes to learn Swedish really just depends on how much time you’re willing to invest in learning. Our online Swedish courses and resources are designed specifically to give you all the right tools to learn the language as quickly and easily as possible. Make sure that your precious time is well-spent!

Whether you’re a beginner learner who wants a survival course or an advanced speaker who’s looking to refine your skills, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.

Before you go, we’re curious: How likely are you to start learning Swedish after reading this article? Feel free to let us know if you have any questions or concerns—we’ll be glad to help you out the best we can!

Did you know that YouTube has more than 2 billion monthly users?

In fact, it’s one of our top go-to outlets for information and entertainment nowadays. 

Some of the best online content creators have chosen the platform to publish their content, and the amount and quality of video channels on YouTube far exceed that of any competition.

YouTube now serves as an amazing language immersion tool, as well. 

To give you a leg up on your hunt for the best YouTube channels to learn the Swedish language, we’ve compiled a list of our top ten recommendations. 

But first…how can you utilize this video sharing platform to make the most of your time? 

Taking full advantage of your personalized homepage is a great way to start. 

If all you watch is gaming videos, that’s all YouTube will send your way when you enter into their app or website. The same is true with anything else, be it cat videos, TikTok compilations, or rocket launches.

And if all you watch is Swedish videos?

Your homepage will be packed with Swedish content.

Heck, you can even change your country to Sweden to get their most trending videos, and you can subscribe to your favorite Swedish YouTube channels to make it even more personalized.

➜ Ready to dig in? First, you might want to learn some useful Swedish words for Talking About YouTube. 😉

Table of Contents

1. SwedishPod101
2. Easy Swedish
3. LearningSvenska
4. Nackagubben
5. Slow Swedish with Katrin Berndt
6. Stefan Thyron
7. Erik Edler
8. IJustWantToBeCool
9. TheSwedishLad
10. Evan Thomas
11. Conclusion

1. SwedishPod101

Category: Interactive Learning
Level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced

SwedishPod101 is by far the richest and most active Swedish learning YouTube channel. The full range of videos inspired by Innovative Language’s SwedishPod101 program makes it a go-to video resource for learners of all levels.

The best thing about SwedishPod101 is the 24/7 live stream. It provides such an immersive plug-and-play experience for those who prefer not to go through videos themselves and prefer a TV-like experience.

In addition, many of the videos on this channel offer free cheat sheets to download. This helps you increase your chances of remembering the information on the video by diversifying your learning and going even deeper into the topic you’re studying. For example, the video How to say “How do you say this in Swedish?” provides a cheat sheet with even more vocabulary than that covered in the video.

Overall it is a great channel for learners of all levels, and the quality of the videos is exceptionally good compared to the rest of the channels on our list.

2. Easy Swedish

Category: Street Interviews
Level: Easy, Intermediate, Advanced

Easy Swedish is part of the Easy Languages series. The Swedish learning content on the channel consists of street interviews with Swedes about a variety of interesting topics, mostly related to culture and society in Sweden.

The first episode, Typical Swedish, is a great watch to get a feel for the channel. Its most unique feature is the bilingual subtitles. Watching Easy Swedish enables you to learn about slang, culture, and Swedish in general.

3. LearningSvenska

Category: Language
Level: Beginner

Are you kind of old-school and just want a simple resource with no distractions whatsoever? If yes, LearningSvenska is exactly what you’re looking for. 

Most of the videos on this channel consist of simple vocabulary breakdowns with images and translations to help you memorize the words.

It’s worth checking out the video descriptions as well, as they sometimes happen to be in Swenglish (Swedish + English) and make a fun read. Here’s an example from the Fruits and Vegetables video description: “DO NOT FORGET att äta (to eat) more fruits every night instead of middag (dinner).”

4. Nackagubben

Category: Vlogging
Level: Beginner

Nackagubben is a Swedish YouTube channel that takes a fun approach to teaching foreigners about Sweden. It’s a great resource for those looking to immerse themselves in the culture and learn about some of the concerns or popular opinions of locals.

There are several videos on the channel related to other Scandinavian countries. A great example is the video Dear Denmark (an open letter), in which they make fun of things that work differently in Denmark than in Sweden, like the Danish grading system.

You can find other videos on the same channel about Finland and Norway, all from a Swedish point of view.

5. Slow Swedish with Katrin Berndt

Category: Vlogging
Level: Intermediate

This is my favorite individual Swedish content creator on YouTube. Berndt makes videos in slow Swedish, talking about topics ranging from her dream house, to solo travel (which Swedes do a lot of), to the coronavirus pandemic and how Sweden has handled it.

In her video Describing My Dream House, Berndt describes her dream home in detail using very slow Swedish, with both Swedish and English subtitles integrated within the video.

6.Stefan Thyron

Category: Vlogging
Level: Beginner

Stefan runs the perfect channel for people who want to understand the nuts and bolts of differences between Sweden and the United States. Stefan is an American expat who is well-integrated in the U.S.A., so his perspective is one many aspiring expats will need and appreciate.

One of my favorite videos is his Comparing Housing Prices In Sweden vs America, where he breaks down the prices of different homes in the U.S.A. and Sweden. He compares the prices in Dallas, Texas, and where he lives in Stockholm (Normalm).

7. Erik Edler

Category: Street Interviews
Level: Beginner, Intermediate

Erik Edler takes a similar approach to that of Easy Swedish. He goes up to couples, families, and children at parks and public spots in Sweden, and just strikes up conversations about topics that may interest you (or the locals).

The biggest pro of this channel is the bilingual subtitles. Erik integrates transcripts in both English and Swedish within the videos. This makes his channel a great resource for intermediate learners, or even beginners who want to start getting their feet wet.

8. IJustWantToBeCool

Category: Comedy
Level: Advanced

Understanding comedy in a foreign language is a great indicator of mastery. As one of the most popular Swedish YouTube channels, IJustWantToBeCool is the resource for those who want to get familiar with Swedish comedy and basically anything slang-related. 

The channel provides no Swedish or English subtitles, and it’s not designed for Swedish learners in particular. Therefore, I recommend this channel for more advanced Swedish learners who want to brush up on their language skills.

9. TheSwedishLad  

Category: Vlogging
Level: Beginner

TheSwedishLad is a great channel for beginners who want to delve deeper into Swedish and pack in some new vocabulary to enrich their conversations. Martin—the owner of the channel—integrates both English and Swedish subtitles within the videos, making it the perfect channel for beginner learners. 

In a recent video (Building IKEA furniture), Martin breaks down the assembly of an IKEA chair in Swedish, supported by bilingual subtitles. 

There’s another category of videos on his channel, in which he brings up native speakers of languages such as German and Polish and challenges them to say certain Swedish expressions. Watching these videos could be a very fun and interactive way to examine and practice your own Swedish pronunciation. 

10. Evan Thomas

Category: Vlogging
Level: Starter, Beginner

One of the top Swedish YouTube channels for learners, this one features many videos of Evan and his Swedish partner sharing interesting insight and facts about Sweden. While it’s mostly not language-focused, it will give you an overview of what life in Sweden is like through both Swedish and American lenses.

11. Conclusion

Perfect! (Perfekt!) You’re one step ahead of everyone in your language immersion game. Have you already watched stuff from any of the Swedish language YouTube channels we mentioned? If so, feel free to share your thoughts on them in the comments below!

Make YouTube your first social media outlet to be mainly or partially Swedish, then slowly switch it up to other outlets.

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate learner, or advanced learner, getting that “feel” of Swedish gives you a huge leg up. Swedes will find it easier to communicate with you when you make up for language with body gestures and cultural context.

Want to dig even further and take Swedish even more seriously?

SwedishPod101—the name of the first channel on the list and the website you’re reading this on—provides a full Swedish learning program that covers learners of all levels.

Picture an all-in-one platform with video, audio, and text content—all organized within a proven system—and you get a good image of what SwedishPod101 is like.

You can even use the efficient integrations on our website without having to resort to a textbook or other apps. If you want to save newly learned vocabulary, SwedishPod101 has a feature for doing just that (digital flashcards). If you want to compare your pronunciation to that of a native speaker’s, there’s a feature for that too. And the list goes on…

And the best part? You can try it all out for yourself with a free signup on the SwedishPod101 homepage.

Whether you want to use the app or the website, no credit card is required to get started.

Go to SwedishPod101.com and take your Swedish to the next level.

Lyckligt lärande!
Happy learning!

Many say that conversation is an art. And more than that, conversations are our primary way of getting to know other people. There are conversations for every situation, and a good one should address topics that are of interest to both people. 

The best way to start a conversation is by asking a question. But asking questions in a foreign language can feel intimidating, especially when you’re not sure what kinds of questions to ask in the first place.

Learning how to ask questions in Swedish is one of the first steps that students of the language must take, after basic greeting phrases. This is mainly because questions are such a good way to start a conversation, and the trick to learning any new language is to practice as much as possible. 

When you’re a beginner, it might feel a bit scary to start speaking. But remember that practice makes perfect, and that Swedes are kind and forgiving when it comes to language mistakes. The fact is, they’ll probably be impressed that you know any Swedish at all!

 

→ In this article, we’re going to focus mainly on common Swedish questions and answers. If you want more information on what an introductory conversation would look like, read our relevant article!

Table of Contents

1. The Basics
2. The Top Swedish Questions and Answers
3. Ending the Conversation
4. Conclusion

1. The Basics

Before we move on to our guide on the top Swedish questions for beginners, there are a few things you need to know. Namely, the Swedish question structure and question words. Let’s take a look.

Swedish Question Words

A question in Swedish will usually start with a question word. Here’s a quick table for you: 

What	Vad
Which (singular)	Vilken
Where	Var
When	När
Who	Vem
Whose	Vems
Why	Varför
Which (plural)	Vilka
From where	Varifrån
How	Hur

Swedish Question Word Order

Learning the Swedish question structure can be difficult for new learners, especially those who speak English as their first language. But there’s a simple pattern for you to memorize: 

Question Word + Verb + Subject

Here are some examples:

• Where are you from?

Question Word	Verb	Subject	Complement
Var	kommer	du	ifrån?
Where	come	you	from?

• What is Lisa doing?

Question Word	Verb	Subject
Vad	gör	Lisa?
What	doing	Lisa?

→ Interested in learning more? SwedishPod101.com has a page dedicated to the basics of Swedish grammar for you to study!

2. The Top Swedish Questions and Answers

Without further ado, here are the basic Swedish questions every new Swedish learner should know, and how to answer them yourself! 

1 – What’s your name?

In Sweden, it’s important to introduce yourself properly before diving into the questions. Keep in mind that in Sweden, you don’t need to use titles such as “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” or “Dr.” when addressing someone. In addition, you needn’t worry about using a person’s last name either. You can and should use first names only, regardless of whether you’re speaking with a new friend, a manager, or a colleague.

Introducing yourself in Swedish is pretty straightforward. Here’s an example of how you can begin the conversation:

• Hej jag heter ___. Vad heter du? 
  “Hello, my name is ___.” What is your name?”

The person you’re talking to will respond with:

• Hej, jag heter ___, trevligt att träffas! 
  “Hello, my name is ___, nice to meet you!”

And you should respond:

• Trevligt att träffa dig också! 
  “Nice to meet you too!”

 2 – How are you?

In British and American culture, a “How are you?” can be thrown into a greeting with no expectation of an answer. But the importance of this question in Swedish can’t be overstated. 

When Swedes ask this, they really want to know. They’re not asking just to be polite! 

In Swedish culture, asking how someone is signifies that you care about that person, and it plays an important role in the conversation. Asking this question can establish the status of the day, and maybe even give you or your friend the opportunity to complain a little or talk about your fantastic day.

Here’s an example conversation:

A: Hur mår du? (“How are you?”)

B: Jag mår bra, tack! Hur mår du själv? (“I am well, thanks! How are you?”)

A: Inte så illa. (“Not too bad.”)

However, life’s not always so perfect. What if your friend says something like this?

• Inte så bra. 
  “Not so good.”

Well, you can expect your friend to add an explanation to this answer. Here are examples:

• Jag är trött. 
  “I am tired.”

• Jag har haft mycket att göra idag. 
  “I had a lot to do today.”

• Jag hade en stressig morgon. 
  “I had a stressful morning.”

You should then reply with something empathetic, such as:

• Vad tråkigt att höra. 
  “I am sorry to hear that.”

Other ways of responding to the question Hur mår du? (“How are you?”) are:

Mycket bra, tack! 
“Very well, thank you!”

Helt okej! 
“It’s okay!”

Det är bra! 
“All good!”

Regardless of the answer, it’s very important to listen and show empathy and interest when replying. Otherwise, the Swede you’re talking with might think you’re rude.

→ Need more vocabulary to answer this question? Check out our free list of Words and Phrases to Help You Describe Your Feelings.

3 – Where are you from?

A good way to continue a conversation is by telling your interlocutor where you’re from:

• Jag är från England, var kommer du ifrån? 
  “I am from England, where are you from?”

Of course, you can replace “England” with any other country. Just remember to look up what your country is called in Swedish!

If you’re quite sure that the person you’re talking to is from Sweden, you can say:

• Jag är från England, är du från Sverige? 
  “I am from England, are you from Sweden?”

The response to this question could be either a ja (“yes”) or a nej (“no”). If it’s the latter, you can always add:

• Var kommer du ifrån? 
  “Where are you from?”

Find your home country in our Nationalities vocabulary list! 

4 – Where do you live?

In Sweden, finding out where someone lives is also a way to get clued in on that person’s social status. Sweden has no official class system, but unofficially, people will classify you and themselves according to where you live. What street do you live on? Do you live in a house, a building with flats? Which floor? 

All of these things have meaning, which is why it’s so important for Swedes to ask this question:

• Var bor du?
  “Where do you live?”

If you live in a city, such as Stockholm, always add the name of the street that you live on as well:

• Jag bor i Stockholm på Hornsgatan. 
  “I live in Stockholm on Hornsgatan.”

If you live in a smaller town or village, it’s enough to say:

• Jag bor i ___. 
  “I live in ___.”

5 – Which languages do you speak?

Many Swedes speak at least two languages. The most common are Swedish and English, but many Swedes also speak French, Spanish, or German since it’s mandatory for students to add a language for most high school and college level courses. Another reason for this is that Sweden is a relatively small country and Swedes don’t expect people from other countries to know their language. 

Here’s a dialogue that uses a relevant question and answer in Swedish.

A: Vilka språk talar du? (“Which languages do you speak?”)

B: Jag talar svenska, engelska och franska. Vilka språk talar du? (“I speak Swedish, English, and French. Which languages do you speak?”

A: Jag talar engelska och lär mig svenska. (“I speak English and am learning Swedish.”)

6 – Where did you study Swedish?

Swedes are almost always surprised when they find out that a foreigner is learning their language. It’s a small country, and as mentioned, most people speak at least one language in addition to Swedish, usually English. They’ll be curious and ask you where you learned Swedish:

• Var lärde du dig svenska? 
  “Where did you learn Swedish?”

Here are two possible ways you can answer:

• I språkskolan ___. 
  “In the language school ___.”

• På onlinekursen ___. 
  “In the online course ___.”

7 – Why did you study Swedish?

You’re very likely to receive this follow-up question:

• Varför ville du lära dig svenska? 
  “Why did you want to learn Swedish?”

Of course, your answer will vary depending on your personal reasons for wanting to learn. But if you don’t have a particular reason, you can always reply with:

• Jag är intresserad av Sverige och svensk kultur. 
  “I am interested in Sweden and Swedish culture.”

→ Not sure how to give your answer in Swedish? Check out our vocabulary list titled What’s Your Number One Reason for Learning a Language?

8 – Have you been to Sweden?

If you meet a Swede outside of Sweden, they might want to know if you’ve ever been to their home country. They may ask:

• Har du varit i Sverige? 
  “Have you been to Sweden?”

To this, you can reply with a ja (“yes”) or nej (“no”). 

9 – Where in Sweden have you been to?

If you reply with a ja (“yes”), they might want to know where in Sweden you’ve been.

• Var i Sverige har du varit? 
  “Where in Sweden have you been to?”

You can then reply:

• Jag har varit i ___. 
  “I have been to ___.”

Simply fill in the blank with the place you’ve been to. 

→ See our free vocabulary list of the most popular tourist destinations in Sweden, and see if your answer is here! 

10 – Which other countries have you traveled to?

If your interlocutor happens to be a huge travel buff, they may also want to know where else you’ve been.

• Vilka andra länder har du rest till? 
  “Which other countries have you traveled to?”

You can then reply:

• Jag har varit i ___ och ___. 
  “I have been to ___ and ___.”

3. Ending the Conversation

In Swedish, there’s mainly one way to say goodbye: Hej då. However, Swedes will often add to this when ending a conversation.

• Hej då! Vi ses! (“Bye! See you!”)
• Hej då! Vi hörs! (“Bye! Keep in touch!”)

To reply, you can simply say:

• Vi ses! (“See you!”)
• Vi hörs! (“Keep in touch!”)

When a Swede says to “keep in touch,” this should not be taken as a promise or indication that the person wants to actually keep in touch—but they might want to! Depending on the tone, you can determine if they really want to see you again or keep in touch.

If you’re not sure what they mean and you liked the person, don’t be afraid to reach out and invite him/her for a Swedish Fika. This simply means having a cup of coffee, something sweet, and another conversation.

4. Conclusion

By now, you should have a better understanding of what kinds of questions you should expect to hear when visiting Sweden (and how to answer them). Are there any question patterns we didn’t cover in this article that you want to know? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll do our best to help you out! 

Learning questions in Swedish is a major step forward in your language-learning journey, but there’s still so much more. SwedishPod101.com has tons of lessons for beginners, intermediate learners, and more advanced students—this means that there really is something for everyone! 

For more information on the Swedish language, check out the following pages:

• SwedishPod101’s Essential Swedish Travel Phrase Guide
• Language-Learning Tips: How to Avoid Awkward Silences
• How to Improve Your Listening Skills
• How to Improve Your Speaking Skills
• Essential Idioms That Will Make You Sound Like a Native Speaker

Until next time, happy Swedish learning!

You asked, so we provided—easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up your electronic devices to write in Swedish! We’ll also give you a few excellent tips on how to use this keyboard, as well as some online and app alternatives if you prefer not to set up a Swedish keyboard.

Table of Contents

1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Swedish
2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Swedish
3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer
4. How to Change the Language Settings to Swedish on Your Computer
5. Activating the Swedish Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet
6. Swedish Keyboard Typing Tips
7. How to Practice Typing Swedish

1. Why it’s Important to Learn to Type in Swedish

Learning a new language is made so much easier when you’re able to read and write/type it. This way, you will:

• Get the most out of any dictionary and Swedish language apps on your devices
• Expand your ability to find Swedish websites and use the various search engines
• Be able to communicate much better online with your Swedish teachers and friends, and look super cool in the process! 

2. Setting up Your Computer and Mobile Devices for Swedish

It takes only a few steps to set up any of your devices to read and type in Swedish. It’s super-easy on your mobile phone and tablet, and a simple process on your computer.

On your computer, you’ll first activate the onscreen keyboard to work with. You’ll only be using your mouse or touchpad/pointer for this keyboard. Then, you’ll need to change the language setting to Swedish, so all text will appear in Swedish. You could also opt to use online keyboards instead. Read on for the links!

On your mobile devices, it’s even easier—you only have to change the keyboard. We also provide a few alternatives in the form of online keyboards and downloadable apps.

3. How to Activate an Onscreen Keyboard on Your Computer

1- Mac

1. Go to System Preferences > Keyboard.

2. Check the option “Show Keyboard & Character Viewers in Menu Bar.”

3. You’ll see a new icon on the right side of the main bar; click on it and select “Show Keyboard Viewer.”

2- Windows

1. Go to Start > Settings > Easy Access > Keyboard.

2. Turn on the option for “Onscreen Keyboard.”

3- Online Keyboards

If you don’t want to activate your computer’s onscreen keyboard, you also have the option to use online keyboards. Here are some good options:

• Gate2Home
• Branah
• Free Swedish Keyboard
• vkboard

4- Add-ons of Extensions for Browsers

Instead of an online keyboard, you could also choose to download a Google extension to your browser for a language input tool. The Google Input Tools extension allows users to use input tools in Chrome web pages, for example.

4. How to Change the Language Settings to Swedish on Your Computer

Now that you’re all set to work with an onscreen keyboard on your computer, it’s time to download the Swedish language pack for your operating system of choice:

• Windows 8 (and higher)
• Windows 7
• Mac (OS X and higher)

1- Windows 8 (and higher)

1. Go to “Settings” > “Change PC Settings” > “Time & Language” > “Region & Language.”
2. Click on “Add a Language” and select “Swedish.” This will add it to your list of languages. It will appear as svenska with the note “language pack available.”
3. Click on “svenska” > “Options” > “Download.” It’ll take a few minutes to download and install the language pack.
4. As a keyboard layout, you’ll only need the one marked as “Swedish – svenska.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts.

2- Windows 7

1. Go to Start > Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region.

2. On the “Region and Language” option, click on “Change Keyboards or Other Input Methods.”

3. On the “Keyboards and Languages” tab, click on “Change Keyboards” > “Add” > “Swedish.”

4. Expand the option of “Swedish” and then expand the option “Keyboard.” Select the keyboard layout marked as “Swedish.” You can ignore other keyboard layouts. Click “OK” and then “Apply.”

3- Mac (OS X and higher)

If you can’t see the language listed, please make sure to select the right option from System Preferences > Language and Region

1. From the Apple Menu (top left corner of the screen) go to System Preferences > Keyboard.

2. Click the Input Sources tab and a list of available keyboards and input methods will appear.

3. Click on the plus button, select “Swedish,” and add the “Swedish” keyboard.

5. Activating the Swedish Keyboard on Your Mobile Phone and Tablet

Texting and searching in Swedish will greatly help you master the language! Adding a Swedish keyboard on your mobile phone and/or tablet is super-easy.

You could also opt to download an app instead of adding a keyboard. Read on for our suggestions.

Below are the instructions for both iOS and Android mobile phones and tablets.

1- iOS

1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard.

2. Tap “Keyboards” and then “Add New Keyboard.”

3. Select “Swedish” from the list.

4. When typing, you can switch between languages by tapping and holding on the icon to reveal the keyboard language menu.

2- Android

1. Go to Settings > General Management > Language and Input > On-screen Keyboard (or “Virtual Keyboard” on some devices) > Samsung Keyboard.

2. Tap “Language and Types” or “ + Select Input Languages” depending on the device and then “MANAGE INPUT LANGUAGES” if available.

3. Select “svenska” from the list.

4. When typing, you can switch between languages by swiping the space bar.

3- Applications for Mobile Phones

If you don’t want to add a keyboard on your mobile phone or tablet, this is a good app to consider:

• Swedish for Smart Keyboard

6. Swedish Keyboard Typing Tips

Typing in Swedish can be very challenging at first! Here’s a good tip to keep in mind when typing in Swedish:

• The key for “å” is usually on the right of the P key, “ö” on the right of the L key, and “ä” is on the right of the “ö” key. 

7. How to Practice Typing Swedish

As you probably know by now, learning Swedish is all about practice, practice, and more practice! Strengthen your Swedish typing skills by writing comments on any of our lesson pages, and our teacher will answer. If you’re a SwedishPod101 Premium PLUS member, you can directly text our teacher via the My Teacher app—use your Swedish keyboard to do this!

Can You Really Learn Swedish Alone?

Learning a language on your own or without traditional classroom instruction may seem quite daunting at first. What if you run into questions? How do you stay motivated and on track to achieving goals?

Don’t worry, not only is it possible to learn Swedish or any language without traditional classroom instruction: SwedishPod101 has created the world’s most advanced and extensive online language learning system. Not only is SwedishPod101 specifically designed to help you with learning a language on your own, it’s actually faster, more convenient, and less expensive than traditional classroom options!

Let’s look at some of the benefits of learning Swedish or any language alone.

Also, don’t forget to download your free cheat sheet – How to Improve Your Language Skills too!

3 Reasons to Learn a Language Alone

1. Learn at Your Own Pace and On Your Schedule

In today’s fast-paced world, there just isn’t time for traditional classroom instruction. Between getting to class and studying on some professor or teacher’s schedule, traditional classroom learning is simply impossible to fit in. But when you learn Swedish alone, you can study in bed if you like and whenever suits your schedule best, making it far easier to actually reach your goal of learning and mastering the language.

2. Learning a Language on Your Own Reduces Stress and Anxiety

Speaking in front of a class, pop quizzes, and tests are just a few of the stressors you will encounter when you learn a language in a traditional classroom setting. Specifically, these are external stressors that often derail most people’s dream of learning a new language. But when you learn Swedish alone, there are no external stressors. Without the external stress and anxiety, it becomes much easier and more exciting to study Swedish and reach your very own goals—all on your own!

3. Learning Swedish Alone Helps Improve Cognitive Function and Overall Success

Learning a language on your own is indeed more challenging in some ways than being taught in a traditional classroom setting. In fact, while classroom instruction requires more rote memorization and following instructions, studying a language on your own requires more problem-solving and higher cognitive function to self-teach lessons and hit goals. So while it’s more challenging and requires higher levels of cognition, teaching yourself a language pays dividends throughout life by better preparing you for social/work opportunities that arise.

How to Learn a Language on Your Own with SwedishPod101

1. Access to the World’s Largest Collection of Swedish Audio & Video Lessons

The best way to learn a language on your own is to study from native speaking instructors. Ideally, you want audio and/or video lessons that teach vocabulary, grammar, and provide actual Swedish conversations and dialogue to help you with pronunciation. SwedishPod101 has hundreds of hours of HD audio and video lessons created by real Swedish instructors and every lesson is presented by professional Swedish actors for perfect pronunciation. Plus, all lessons can be accessed 24/7 via any mobile device with Internet access. And, if you download the PDF versions of each lesson, you can even study without Internet access once the lesson is stored on your device!

2. “Learning Paths” with Swedish Courses Based Upon Your Exact Needs & Goals

Although SwedishPod101 has more than thousands of video and audio lessons, you need not review each and every one to learn the language. In fact, SwedishPod101 has developed a feature called “Learning Paths”. You simply tell us your goals and we will identify the best courses and study plan to help you reach them in the shortest time possible. So even though you are technically learning a language on your own, our team is always here to help and make sure you reach your goals FAST!

3. Advanced Learning Tools Reduce Learning Time and Boost Retention

When you have the right tools and Swedish learning resources, it’s actually easy to teach yourself a language! In the past 10+ years, SwedishPod101 has developed, tested, and refined more than 20 advanced learning tools to boost retention and reduce learning time, including:

• Spaced Repetition Flashcards
• Line-by-Line Dialogue Breakdown
• Review Quizzes
• Voice Recording Tools to Help Perfect Pronunciation
• Teacher Feedback and Comments for Each Lesson
• Swedish Dictionary with Pronunciation
• Free PDF Cheat Sheets
• And Much More!

Armed with our growing collection of advanced learning tools, it’s truly a breeze to learn Swedish alone and reach your goals!

Conclusion

Learning a language on your own is not only possible, it’s actually easier and more beneficial for you than traditional classroom instruction. In fact, when you learn Swedish on your own you can study at your own pace, eliminate stress, and actually increase cognitive function.

SwedishPod101 is the world’s most advanced online language learning system and a great resource to help you teach yourself a new language. With the world’s largest collection of HD audio and video lessons, more than 20 advanced learning tools, and customized “Learning Paths”, SwedishPod101 makes learning a new language easier, more convenient, and less expensive than traditional classroom instruction.

And the best part is: With SwedishPod101, you can study in bed, your car, or wherever you have a few spare minutes of time. Create your Free Lifetime Account now and get a FREE ebook to help “kickstart” your dream of learning a language on your own below!

Yes, even beginners can quickly learn conversational Swedish well enough to carry on real conversations with native speakers. Of course, beginners won’t be able to carry a conversation the same way they could in their native language. But, just knowing a few tips like which questions to ask to keep a conversation going are all you need to speak and interact with real native speakers! But before we get to specific suggestions, let’s first take a closer look at how having real Swedish conversations is so vital to your mastery of the language.

Learning to Carry a Conversation is Vital to Mastery of Any Language

Communicating with other people is the very point of language and conversation is almost second nature in our native tongue. For beginners or anyone learning a new language, conversations aren’t easy at all and even simple Swedish greetings can be intimidating and awkward.

However, there are 3 vital reasons why you should learn conversational Swedish as quickly as possible:

• Avoid Awkward Silences: Nothing kills a conversation faster than long periods of awkward silence, so you need practice and specific strategies to avoid them.
• Improve the Flow of Conversation to Make a Better Impression: When you know what to say to keep a conversation going, communication becomes much easier and you make a better impression on your listener.
• Master the Language Faster: Nothing will help you learn to speak Swedish faster and truly master the language than having real conversations with native speakers. Conversations quickly expose you to slang, cultural expressions, and vocabulary that force you to absorb and assimilate information faster than any educational setting—and that’s a great thing!

But how can you possibly have real conversations with real Swedish people if you are just starting out?

3 Conversation Strategies for Beginners

1. Ask Questions to Keep a Conversation Going

For beginners and even more advanced speakers, the key is to learn to ask questions to keep a conversation going. Of course, they can’t be just random questions or else you may confuse the listener. But, by memorizing a few key questions and the appropriate time to use them, you can easily carry a conversation with minimal vocabulary or experience. And remember, the more Swedish conversations you have, the quicker you will learn and master the language!

2. Learn Core Vocabulary Terms as Quickly as Possible

You don’t need to memorize 10,000’s of words to learn conversational Swedish. In fact, with just a couple hundred Swedish words you could have a very basic Swedish conversation. And by learning maybe 1,000-2,000 words, you could carry a conversation with a native speaker about current events, ordering in restaurants, and even getting directions.

3. Study Videos or Audio Lessons that You Can Play and Replay Again and Again

If you want to know how to carry a conversation in Swedish, then you need exposure to native speakers—and the more the better. Ideally, studying video or audio lessons is ideal because they provide contextualized learning in your native language and you can play them again and again until mastery.

SwedishPod101 Makes it Easier and More Convenient Than Ever to Learn Conversational Swedish

For more than 10 years, SwedishPod101 has been helping students learn to speak Swedish by creating the world’s most advanced online language learning system. Here are just a few of the specific features that will help you learn conversational Swedish fast using our proven system:

• The Largest Collection of HD Video & Audio Lessons from Real Swedish Instructors: SwedishPod101 instructors have created hundreds of video and audio lessons that you can play again and again. And the best part is: They don’t just teach you Swedish vocabulary and grammar, they are designed to help you learn to speak Swedish and teach you practical everyday topics like shopping, ordering, etc!
• Pronunciation Tools: Use this feature to record and compare yourself with native speakers to quickly improve your pronunciation and fluency!
• 2000 Common Swedish Words: Also known as our Core List, these 2,000 words are all you need to learn to speak fluently and carry a conversation with a native speaker!

In all, more than 20 advanced learning tools help you quickly build vocabulary and learn how to carry a conversation with native speakers—starting with your very first lesson.

Conclusion

Although it may seem intimidating for a beginner, the truth is that it is very easy to learn conversational Swedish. By learning a few core vocabulary terms and which questions to ask to keep a conversation going, just a little practice and exposure to real Swedish conversations or lessons is all it really takes. SwedishPod101 has created the world’s largest online collection of video and audio lessons by real instructors plus loads of advanced tools to help you learn to speak Swedish and carry a conversation quickly.

Act now and we’ll also include a list of the most commonly used questions to keep a conversation going so you can literally get started immediately!

Today, classrooms are no longer the only or even best place to learn a new language like Swedish. More and more people are finding that they can easily learn a language just about anywhere they have a few minutes of spare time, including their daily commute to work. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American spends over 50 minutes a day commuting to and from work, or over 300 hours a year.

Rethinking Your Daily Commute to Work

But rather than simply sitting in traffic and wasting the time, you can instead use your daily commute to literally learn Swedish in just a few short months! SwedishPod101 has developed specialized learning tools that you can use on your commute to work (and home again) to master the language in your spare time. Keep reading to learn how to get your free audiobook to use on your next commute so you can see for yourself how easy it is to transform “dead time” into realizing your dream of learning a new language!

But before we look at how to transform your commute home into a mini-classroom, let’s take a closer look at 4 reasons why traditional classroom settings just aren’t the best option for most people in today’s fast-paced world.

• Difficulty Getting to and From Class
• Learning on Someone Else’s Schedule
• Very Expensive and May Cost $1,000’s to Complete
• Can Take Years to Finally Complete Classes and Learn the Language

The simple truth is that traditional classroom instruction is simply not a viable option for most people in today’s very fast-paced, time-starved world. Now let’s examine how you can learn a language faster, more easily, and at far less expense than traditional classes—all during your commute to work and back home again!

3 Reasons Your Daily Commute Can Help You Master a Language

1. The Average Commute Time is More than 300 Hours Per Year

Between the commute to work and getting back home again, over 6 hours a week is completely wasted and not helping you reach any goals or objectives. But thanks to online language learning platforms with audiobooks and other resources that you can access during your commute, you can easily transform wasted time into tangible progress towards learning a new language. With over 300 hours available annually, your daily commute could provide you with enough time to literally master a new language each and every year!

2. Increase Your Earning Potential While Commuting to Work

How would you like to transform all those spare commuting hours each week into more money for a new car, house, or even a dream vacation? According to research, someone making $30,000 per year can boost their annual income by $600 or more per year by learning a second language. Added up over the course of a lifetime, you can boost your total earnings by $70,000 or more while achieving your dream of learning a new language during your daily commute!

How? From work-at-home translation jobs to working overseas, there are many ways to leverage your second language into more money in your bank account! So instead of wasting your precious time, you can make your commute more productive and profitable and the more languages you learn, the higher your income potential.

3. Repetition is Key to Mastering a New Language

Not sure if it’s practical to learn another language while commuting to and from work each day? Well not only is it possible—learning in your car on the way to and from work each day can actually help you learn and master Swedish or any language much faster! The simple truth is that repetition is absolutely vital to truly internalizing and mastering any language. So, if you listen to audiobooks or even audio lessons on your commute to work and then repeat the same lesson on your commute home, the information is more likely to be “locked-in” to your long-term memory!

5 Ways SwedishPod101 Makes It Easy to Learn a Language On Your Commute

SwedishPod101 has been helping people just like yourself learn and master Swedish in the comfort of their home, during their daily commute, or any place they have a few minutes of spare time. Here are five features provided by SwedishPod101 that make it easy to learn a new language while commuting to and from work:

1. The Largest Collection of Audio Lessons on Planet by Native Speaking Instructors
Every single week, SwedishPod101 creates new audio lessons by native speaking instructors. All lessons are short, to the point, and guaranteed to improve your mastery of Swedish.

2. Word of the Day
Simply exposing yourself to new information and vocabulary terms helps increase your fluency and mastery of Swedish. So every single day, SwedishPod101 adds a new Word of the Day for you to learn and memorize during your commute.

3. Daily Dose Mini-Lessons
Have a short commute to work but still want to make progress towards learning and mastering Swedish? Not a problem! Our Daily Dose Mini-Lessons are 1-minute or less and designed to improve your grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.

4. All Content Available on a Convenient Mobile App
You don’t need a PC or tablet to learn Swedish during your daily commute. At SwedishPod101, all of our lessons, tools, and resources are available 24/7 via our Mobile App. That means you can access all of our audio lessons and other tools during your commute to work or any time you have a few spare moments!

5. Audiobooks and Other Supplemental Resources
In addition to the world’s largest online collection of HD audio lessons, SwedishPod101 has also created several audiobooks to enhance your understanding and make it more convenient than ever to learn a language during your commute!

Conclusion

The average commute time of most Americans is over 300 hours each year and it’s the perfect opportunity to learn and master a new language. In fact, you can use the “dead time” during your daily commute to learn a new language and potentially boost your lifetime earnings by up to $70,000 or more! Whatever your motivation, SwedishPod101 has the tools and resources necessary to help you learn a new language each year during your commute to and from work. Act now and we’ll even provide you with a free audiobook to try out on your next commute!

Learn 4 tools and techniques to stop translating in your head and start thinking in Swedish

Going through Swedish lessons is enough to get by and learn the basics of Swedish, but to truly become fluent you need to be able to think in Swedish. This will allow you to have conversations with ease, read smoothly, and comprehensively understand natives. To do this, you need to go beyond just completing daily or weekly lessons.

We naturally translate in our heads because it’s viewed as the easiest way to learn the definitions needed when learning a language. This way of learning can actually hinder your skills and fluency later on. If your brain has to make neural connections between the word you’re learning, what it means in your native tongue, and the physical object the connection will not be nearly as strong. When you bypass the original translation between Swedish and your native language then there is a more basic and strong connection between just the Swedish vocabulary word and the tangible object.

In this blog post, you will learn the 4 important techniques to easily and naturally begin to speculate about the daily occurrences in your life. The best part is all of these techniques are supported and can be achieved through SwedishPod101.com.

Create Your Free Lifetime Account and Start Learning the whole Swedish Language from the Beginning!

1. Surround yourself with Swedish

By surrounding yourself with Swedish constantly you will completely immerse yourself in the language. Without realizing it you’ll be learning pronunciation, sentence structures, grammar, and new vocabulary. You can play music in the background while you’re cooking or have a Swedish radio station on while you study. Immersion is a key factor with this learning process because it is one of the easiest things to do, but very effective. Even if you are not giving the program your full attention you will be learning.

One great feature of SwedishPod101.com is the endless podcasts that are available to you. You can even download and listen to them on the go. These podcasts are interesting and are perfect for the intention of immersion, they are easy to listen to as background noise and are interesting enough to give your full attention. Many of them contain stories that you follow as you go through the lessons which push you to keep going.

2. Learn through observation

Learning through observation is the most natural way to learn. Observation is how we all learned our native languages as infants and it’s a wonder why we stop learning this way. If you have patience and learn through observation then Swedish words will have their own meanings rather than meanings in reference to your native language. Ideally, you should skip the bilingual dictionary and just buy a dictionary in Swedish.

SwedishPod101.com also offers the materials to learn this way. We have numerous video lessons which present situational usage of each word or phrase instead of just a direct translation. This holds true for many of our videos and how we teach Swedish.

3. Speak out loud to yourself

Speaking to yourself in Swedish not only gets you in the mindset of Swedish, but also makes you listen to how you speak. It forces you to correct any errors with pronunciation and makes it easy to spot grammar mistakes. When you speak out loud talk about what you did that day and what you plan to do the next day. Your goal is to be the most comfortable speaking out loud and to easily create sentences. Once you feel comfortable talking to yourself start consciously thinking in your head about your daily activities and what is going on around you throughout the day.

With SwedishPod101.com you start speaking right away, not only this, but they have you repeat words and conversations after a native Swedish speaker. This makes your pronunciation very accurate! With this help, you are on the fast path to making clear and complex sentences and then actively thinking about your day.

4. Practice daily

If you don’t practice daily then your progress will be greatly slowed. Many people are tempted to take the 20-30 minutes they should be practicing a day and practice 120 in one day and skip the other days. This isn’t nearly as effective because everyday you practice you are reinforcing the skills and knowledge you have learned. If you practice all in one day you don’t retain the information because the brain can realistically only focus for 30 minutes at most. If you’re studying for 120 minutes on the same subject little of the information will be absorbed. Studying everyday allows you to review material that you went over previous days and absorb a small amount of information at a time.

It’s tough to find motivation to study everyday, but SwedishPod101.com can help. It’s easy to stay motivated with SwedishPod101.com because we give you a set learning path, with this path we show how much progress you’ve made. This makes you stick to your goals and keep going!

Conclusion

Following the steps and having patience is the hardest part to achieving your goals, it’s not easy learning a new language. You are essentially teaching your brain to categorize the world in a completely new way. Stick with it and you can do it just remember the 4 tools I taught you today! With them, conversations, reading, and understanding will become much easier. The most important thing to remember is to use the tools that SwedishPod101.com provides and you will be on your way to being fluent!

Learn Swedish With SwedishPod101 Today!

Have you ever returned to SwedishPod101 lessons you’ve completed?

Accessing a lesson once is enough to learn more Swedish. But to master what you’ve learned, to understand Swedish the second you hear it, to read with just a quick glance, and to speak smoothly, without thinking… you need to review.

In this blog post, you’ll learn the 5 review tactics and learning tools that will truly sharpen your Swedish (all of which I’ve been able to resources for on SwedishPod101.com).

Create Your Free Lifetime Account and Start Learning the whole Swedish Language from the Beginning!

1. Listen to lines over and over again!

One of the best ways to learn Swedish (or any language) is to listen to native speakers over and over again until you understand what they are saying. By listening closely and often, you start to pick up the rhythm of a language and pronunciation from a native speaker. It’s not surprising, then, that Innovative Language offers a great line-by-line feature that lets you listen (and read along!) as many times as you’d like. I really recommend taking advantage of this feature— aside from moving to Sweden, it is the best way to immerse yourself in the language.

2. Use a voice-recording tool to perfect pronunciation.

No one likes to hear themselves recorded, but it is a great way to perfect your pronunciation! Record yourself and compare against a fluent speaker. If you sound different, repeat after the fluent speaker until your pronunciation matches. Innovative Language has a great voice-recording feature that makes recording super easy. Never hesitate or be shy about your pronunciation again.

3. Master recorded conversations.

Another excellent way to review your Swedish is to record conversations and go over them again and again until you have the entire conversation mastered and can repeat it line by line. Now, it might be kind of awkward trying to explain to someone why you are recording them speak so it is fortunate that Innovative Language has dialogues available for download right off of their website. I found these also come with transcripts of the entire conversation, which is great if you don’t want to spend tons of time translating the conversation yourself.

4. Use mobile devices to reinforce previously learned conversations.

It might sound redundant at this point, but constant review is the best, and only, way to perfect Swedish. In that spirit, I strongly recommend downloading the recorded dialogue to your mobile device and incorporating it into your music playlist. You’ll be amazed how effectively quick reviews throughout a day can reinforce what you’ve learned.

Start Learning-on-the-Go with Your Free App

5. Read with line by line notes.

The guaranteed accurate transcript of the recorded dialogues is one of the most useful features Innovative Language offers. You can read along with a fluent speaker to really master pronunciation and natural conversation. You should start slow at first, then slowly increase the speed with each pass through. Every time you read through, your pronunciation will become more intuitive and your ability to understand fluent speakers will greatly increase.

Imagine a child who just learned how to read. At first, they slowly struggle through a sentence, but on the second try, they know what the most of the words sound like and so they read a bit faster and easier and on the third try, they read that sentence at normal, native speed.

Improve Now your Reading Skills by Learning More Vocabulary

Using these five simple review techniques the most challenging parts of learning Swedish will become your areas of comfort. Conversations will no longer be excruciating and embarrassing, but rather offer a chance to show off your new skills and communicate with someone from a different culture in their natural language. You will be able to casually listen to Swedish and understand everything. Reading, too, will become natural and enjoyable.

Learning any language takes time and dedication. With the right focus, however, you can ensure the maximum impact of your efforts. Consistently listening to fluent speakers, recording your own voice and comparing it against fluent speakers, mastering conversations, listening to them on go, and following along with written transcripts will put you on the path to becoming fluent in Swedish. Learn from the mistakes that so many have made, myself included, don’t let what you’ve already learned slip away.

Review, review, review!

Every Swedish learner will have these fears – “I’m not good enough yet.” “I don’t think I’m making any progress.” “What if I never reach my goals?” Swedish learning fears – we all get them from time to time. What are yours? And are they worth being scared of?

In this blog post, we’re killing the top 4 Swedish learning fears – 1) what are the fears learners tend to have the most and 2) how you can overcome them!

Here are the top 4 language learning fears according to our users:

1. “I’m not good enough to start speaking yet.”

Do you feel like you’re not good enough to start speaking yet? It’s a pretty common fear or misconception that most learners have. Here’s how you overcome it:

The best way to get good at speaking is to start speaking from day 1.
So if you’re holding yourself back, because you think you’re not good enough, well, that’s exactly why you’re not good enough. You need to open your mouth and start talking!

If you think you’re not good enough, just learn Swedish lines you want to say!
In our lessons, you get the exact phrases and scripts for introducing yourself making small talk, ordering food, expressing opinions, and much more! So if you think you’re not good enough, the lessons will give you the exact lines to say.

Want to speak Swedish with confidence? With Learning Paths, get your personalized courses based on your goals and interests. Check it now!

2. “I’m afraid I’ll never be fluent.”

Many successful Swedish learners worried about that, only as a beginner. They started learning Swedish and, it’s funny because the better their Swedish got, the less they were worried about that. So, how can you overcome this?

You’ve got to set small, specific goals.
Fluency is a big vague goal. Arguably, we don’t even speak fluent in our native language. There are over a million words and we use about 2,000 words only. So you should focus on smaller goals like being able to introduce yourself or having a 5-minute conversation. Or 10 minutes. Something you can measure so you know you reached it because you can’t really measure fluency. It’s a pretty vague goal! But you can measure small goals like having a 5-minute conversation. And as these small goals add up, you’ll be speaking very comfortably!

Discover now 10 Monthly Goals that will help you on your way to Swedish fluency!

3. “I’m afraid that I’m not making any progress.”

In other words, getting stuck. If you’re afraid you’re not making progress, there are two things you can do right now.

Use the dashboard to track your progress.
If you need numbers to believe it, our dashboard tracks all the lessons you’ve completed and shows how much you’ve accomplished.

Try a harder lesson on the site.
It sounds crazy and you might not understand it but you will in minutes. Our lessons come with line-by-line translations and the lesson hosts explain everything. THEN, you’ll be making progress because you now understand something you didn’t minutes ago.

From Beginner to Advanced, get the lesson that is perfect for you! Start learning Swedish now!

4. “I’m afraid of not understanding anything I hear”.

This is very common. You hear advanced grammar and vocabulary and it goes completely over your head. To beat this…

If you’re taking an advanced lesson, simply read along.
Reading along with our line-by-line tool is the best way to instantly understand advanced conversations. The translations and scripts are right in front of you.

For real-life situations, learn useful phrases.
Like “Can you say it more slowly?,” “Can you use simpler words?” or “I don’t understand what that meant.” There’s nothing wrong with saying that you didn’t understand something or with asking for help. And our Survival Phrases lessons cover must-know phrases like this.

So, these are the top 4 fears and how to overcome them. And if you want to have the perfect tools to overcome them, don’t forget to create your Free Lifetime Account at SwedishPod101.com!