The Newbie Guide to Sweden

We explain Sweden

language schools

How I found some of the most interesting things in Sweden

By Leave a Comment

I’ve taken my own sweet time to find things to do here. I’ve made mistakes, learned from them, understood how things work and had some insights which will stick with me for life. Here are some of the most interesting things I found.

Amazing Free-standing courses at the university

I wanted to do a Master’s in Stockholm but missed the application deadline by a day. I had forgotten about the last date of application. Much later, I was breaking my head over what more to do in the city. After long hours of research, I found that every university has Free-Standing courses every semester  (4 semesters/year).

You can apply to a maximum of 25 courses each semester. There were a lot of these courses and the best place to find them is Universitadmissions.  I applied to many interesting courses but unfortunately got through only 3 of them. The mistake I did then, was to not look at the eligibility criteria and the course description carefully.

This semester I am studying Oceanography (Introduction to Sea), Geological Sciences and Cultural Policy and Management, Performance Studies at Stockholm University.  Both the courses are so diverse that I would have never dreamt of doing these at the same time. The Sea course, is very scientific, tells you more about the history of the earth, geological phenomenons, tectonics, climate, ocean currents and marine life. While the Cultural policy course is more theoretical, it discusses theatre systems across Europe, their financing and the policies adopted by institutions.

Both the courses have interesting projects and papers to write. But the Sea course had an excursion planned. They took us to Askö Laboratory, Stockholm University’s field station for marine research in the Baltic Sea. We went on a boat with a drill machine to dig sediments from the Baltic Sea and then later analysed the core in the lab. It was interesting to deduce the marine activity, ice sheets and various other phenomenons by looking at the core from the sea bed.

     

Doing a Bachelor’s/Master’s course

If you are looking to do a degree, higher education or distance courses visit Universitadmissions.se This is the mecca of all courses in all universities across Sweden which are sponsored by the government. If you are a resident here, all these courses are FREE. be sure to find the right starting semesters for your course, eligibility and application dates.

Learning Arts, Crafts, Dance, Music, Technology and other skills

Folkuniversitetet and Medborgarskolan have courses for people of all ages in Arts, Crafts, Writing, Photography, Culture and Technology. They have courses on weekends, weekdays, early morning courses, courses for people on parental leave and everything with amazing flexibility.  Though these courses have a fee, it can be a quick way to develop your skills.

Volunteering

There are a lot of activities, seminars, festivals and shows always happening in and around Stockholm. If you find one that interests you, don’t shy away from writing to the management about how you could contribute and just step up and volunteer. You could make some excellent friends, learn a new skill and find new things about the place which you never knew.

I worked with India Unlimited for the Stockholm Kultur Festival and with Stockholm Film Festival. Both projects were entirely different. At the Kultur Festival I learnt how a festival of this scale is executed, how negotiations take place and how business & networking go hand in hand. However, at the film festival I worked with the ticketing team for a more tech-focused role. At both the places I made some great friends.

 

 

Facebook Events, Meetups and Eventbrite

Whatever your interests are or whatever new you are hoping to do, everything can be found here. Yes, Facebook Events, Meetups and Eventbrite are the most important things for my survival. I have found events related to yoga, reading clubs, language, technology,running, rowing, startups, food, cooking, board games and everything else under the sun at these 3 websites. You just need to keep looking.

AcroYoga

I met a friend at a tech seminar who apart from talking about her professional skills told me about Acro Yoga. She showed me some stunts and lifted me in the air. That made me inquisitive and I wanted to do it too. To my surprise ,I found a big Acro Yoga community on Facebook and a beginners course in Stockholm. I now know some brilliant poses, exercises and have learnt to stretch my limits.

Music Concerts, Theatre and Culture

Stockholm is an interesting place for theatre, music, dance, circus and art productions. Many artists visit the city year round. I have been a regular at music and theatre performances. The best way to find the most popular things in the city is probably to look at the wall filled with posters outside Slussen station. Of course, there will be Facebook events as well. But some of the popular venues and ticketing sites are Dansenshus, Royal Swedish Opera, Kultur Huset, Folkoperan, Globen, Friends Arena, Grona Lund, Sodra Teatern, Circus Arena, Nalen, Ticketmaster and AXS

Written by: Akanksha Srivastava

Hi I am Akanksha. After living and travelling to multiple cities and villages in India, I’ve recently moved to Stockholm. Backpacking across Europe, discovering cities and nature (especially Sweden’s Allemansrätt) convinced me to make this big move. Though I am still trying to find my feet in this city, I am glad to be discovering new stuff and things to do. Food, technology, motorbikes, the fast pace at start-ups and sunshine always keeps me ticking. If you are ever looking for a fika-buddy or a movie-buddy, feel free to shout out!

10 struggles when learning Swedish

By 1 Comment

Before you move to another country, it is good if you have some understanding of the language, at least to a certain extent. We are so lucky that we have to learn the “easy” language that’s Swedish, which often isn’t that easy at all! Here is some of the struggles when learning Swedish. 

“Ju” is the vaguest word ever

You see it everywhere, yet there is not really a good description of what it means and Swedes can’t really explain it either. What does it mean?!

Confusion when you didn’t know “utan” sometimes meant “but”

Simple sentences could leave you very confused. “Kvinnan dricker inte te, utan kaffe”, the woman doesn’t drink tea without coffee?! Is that normal in Swedish culture?

E-learning course: Your Swedish learning options

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed about The Swedish stuff? Where can you learn? How does it work? Can you join the different options if you don’t have a Swedish personal number? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just confusing this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to make a good decision. Here you will learn about:

 

  • The different study options to learn Swedish in Sweden.
  • The differences between study alternatives.
  • How much Swedish (and other things) you need for other educational paths in Sweden as well as to work in Swedish.

After finishing this course, you will be able to make an educated study choice and you will learn the most important key words and phrases for studying Swedish in Sweden. Hopefully, Swedish will start making sense!

 

Sign up to your course here

It’s difficult to not laugh sometimes

Swedish always sounds adorable, but when you don’t know what the words mean it seems like it goes up and down even more!  As long as you don’t laugh at people speaking Swedish in person it’s all good! Although that can also be hard sometimes.. this is one of struggles when learning Swedish.

You think you know the language almost perfectly, until you’re actually in the country

Apparently there are still sooo many words you didn’t know. But no worries! Once you’re actually in the country, you learn it much easier as you’re surrounded by it constantly.

The a and å are so annoying

They look very similar, but Words have a totally different meaning if you write an a instead of an å. Super annoying and confusing! Jättesvart! Eller… svårt.

In your head you sound fluent, but when you say it out loud you sound like a potato

Even the most difficult words are no problem to pronounce in your head, but for some reason your mouth isn’t always able to make the sounds (Kungsträdgården.. I still struggle with that!)! Practice practice practice

When people ask you to speak Swedish…

“OH you’re learning Swedish!?”

” Yes :)”

“Ooh can you say something in Swedish?”

“Sure! Ehh.. Well *forgets entire language*”

It feels so good when you start to understand more and more

You can finally listen to a podcast and understand most of it. All the work is finally paying off! And it feels sooo good! Until you listen to the song Boten Anna and still don’t understand what they’re talking about..

Sometimes you just want to give up

It can be sooo frustrating! is it really worth it? they all speak English anyway.. But YES, it is worth it!  Just work hard, it’ll be easy at some point. Lycka till  🙂

Check out my tips to learning Swedish

Written by Lydia Hallie 

I’m Lydia, a 19-year-old Dutch girl living in Stockholm. I try to write many helpful posts to help younger people who recently moved to Sweden to get to know the country and how everything works here! 

“Learning Swedish isn’t difficult”

By 7 Comments

If you’re planning on moving to Sweden, you have to start learning Swedish. Yes, Swedes are very good at English, but you really have to know Swedish for many small things! You probably saw the term SFI often, or svenska för invandrare, on many websites. These are free Swedish courses provided by the government, however, you really don’t have to do this in order to become good at Swedish.

By doing the following things I became good at Swedish in a very short time, without SFI!

Use the app ‘Memrise’

Memrise is a really good app to learn both basic everyday sentences, but also much more difficult and detailed ones, depending on your level. This app is much better than Duolingo in my opinion, as a native Swede pronounces the words and sentences with a realistic speed (not like Duolingo), and they keep on giving you sentences that you will actually need in your daily life. I’m sorry Duolingo, but hopefully I will never have to use the sentence ‘the turtle ate the orange cat’, like you taught me (that’s ‘sköldpaddan åt orange katten’ in Swedish by the way, in case you urgently needed to know it).

E-learning course: Your Swedish learning options

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed about The Swedish stuff? Where can you learn? How does it work? Can you join the different options if you don’t have a Swedish personal number? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just confusing this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to make a good decision. Here you will learn about:

 

  • The different study options to learn Swedish in Sweden.
  • The differences between study alternatives.
  • How much Swedish (and other things) you need for other educational paths in Sweden as well as to work in Swedish.

After finishing this course, you will be able to make an educated study choice and you will learn the most important key words and phrases for studying Swedish in Sweden. Hopefully, Swedish will start making sense!

 

Sign up to your course here

Listen to many podcasts

If you just started to learn Swedish, you should listen to ‘Radio på lätt svenska’. They talk very slowly and you can find what they say online, so you can study the new words and focus on pronunciation. If that’s too easy for you, I’d recommend listening to sommar/vinter i P1, or if you like crime: P3 Dokumentär. You probably won’t understand everything, but unconsciously you will improve your listening skills a lot!

Watch Swedish vloggers

I often watched Clara Henry, Keyyo, and Therese Lindgren, but they might not be the best choice for everyone J There are more than enough choices though, it’s good to just quickly watch a short video if you don’t have time to study, so you can still learn some new words and sayings!

Switch your phone and computer to Swedish

Okay I’ll have to be honest: I accidentally deleted 60 pictures right after doing this the first time (don’t ask me how.. I don’t know), but it really works! By making everything around you as Swedish as possible, you are forced to read it every day, and you will learn many words that are often used.

Watch Swedish movies

If you don’t like crime or investigation movies, it’s pretty difficult to find good Swedish movies. I often watched the Swedish version of Disney or Pixar movies, which is perfect as the language isn’t that difficult, and they’re always fun to watch! If you have Netflix and you’re in Sweden, always turn on Swedish subtitles when you’re watching a movie in another language.

Talk to Swedes online

I use the app ‘HelloTalk’ to meet Swedes  who would like to learn another language (sometimes they want to learn Dutch, but I often just ask if they can help me with Swedish). It’s really good to type a lot in Swedish, you’ll realise that it’s pretty difficult to come up with sentences yourself and that you don’t know many important words. As with everything you do: the more you do it, the better you get. You might even end up getting good Swedish friends you can fika with!

Download Swedish news apps

SVT Nyheter and Aftonbladet are probably the best ones, with long articles and news reports. Of course this is good for your vocab, but it’s also good to know what’s going on in Sweden!

Read an easy Swedish book

Or a book that you’ve already read before, but that depends on your level. I read many Astrid Lindgren books, as I already knew what the stories were about, so I could guess the meaning of many words. Reading helped me a lot with understanding the structure of the sentences, and of course it’s great for your vocab.  

Buy Swedish study books

Captain Obvious, yes I know. If you are focused enough to study out of a book in your free time, this is the best way to do it though. The books På svenska 1 and 2 are really good, but I’m sure that there are many others I don’t know about. Make sure it’s not too easy though, so it doesn’t get boring!

Learning Swedish isn’t difficult, it just takes a while and a lot of concentration to become good at it. But remember that in the end, it’s definitely worth it! Lycka till!

Few tips on how to act like a typical Swede 😉

 

Written by Lydia Hallie 

I’m Lydia, a 19-year-old Dutch girl living in Stockholm. I try to write many helpful posts to help younger people who recently moved to Sweden to get to know the country and how everything works here! 

How to go from being a visitor to a resident in Sweden

By 3 Comments

When I was younger, I always said that ‘I’d never move to a country that’s even darker and colder than the Netherlands!’. Little did I know that not many years later, I’d be walking (or more like ice skating) at Drottninggatan in the centre of my new home city with a kanelbulle from Pressbyrån, listening to P3 Dokumentär, screaming URSÄKTA! to all the tourists that suddenly decided that their map or phone was more important than the people around them. I had moved to the dark, cold city that’s Stockholm! How to go from being a visitor to a resident in Sweden

During my teens, Scandinavia started to fascinate me. The beautiful Norwegian nature and the relaxed mentality of Sweden really attracted me, especially since I come from a country which doesn’t have either of these. It was really nice growing up in the Netherlands, but after I graduated high school I just wanted to leave as fast as possible! I decided to volunteer in Iceland, Sweden and Norway to learn more about the Scandinavian culture, and to get more information than just knowing it’s cold up there and there are some wolves and moose walking around. After having spent weeks in the Norwegian fjords, Icelandic volcanoes and Swedish countryside, I came to the conclusion that it would be best to move to Stockholm already and get to know the city and people.

A couple of weeks later, I said bye to my family and dog, and took the plane to Arlanda with as much stuff as I could pack, ready to start my life in another city. Luckily it wasn’t my first time in Sweden. Seeing the å, ö, and ä in almost every word wasn’t scary anymore, and hearing the magical Swedish language wasn’t as funny as it was the first time hearing it. I knew the do’s and don’ts. Sort of. You’re surrounded by Swedes, so you still never really know if you’re doing it right or not. But seeing all the forests, the calm people, and all the space around you immediately made me feel welcome!

Although I had been studying Swedish for two years, it was so much easier to just speak English as everyone’s English is perfect here, and it’s so easy to make awkward mistakes (is it ett or en, and do I say sk or sj?). I walked through Stockholm with the ‘Stockholm’ app which guided me to every tourist place imaginable,  but somehow still kept on getting lost in the small streets of Gamla Stan. It was getting colder and darker every day, but the Christmas lights, markets, and snow made Stockholm even cosier! I found English speaking jobs, and basically kept on living my life like I used to, just in a different city with different people.

Even though I’d been living there for a couple of weeks, I still didn’t really feel like I was part of it. I tried to figure out why not, and the answer was rather easy.. I didn’t speak Swedish, I still wasn’t very comfortable with the awkward silences on the train, “lagom”, standing 7 meters apart from each other at the train station, walking on the left side (yeah that’s a thing), and so on. I was living here like a tourist. It is very nice that Swedes speak English so well, and that you can live here without changing too much (depending on where you’re from), but you really shouldn’t do that if you want to feel at home in Stockholm!

So I decided to change it all. I started to not care anymore if I made mistakes in Swedish, I just wanted to speak their language and not feel like the ignorant foreigner. I switched my phone and computer to Swedish, started reading Swedish books,  and really tried to start liking the cultural differences between Sweden and the Netherlands. Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone for a short while in order to feel much more comfortable later.

And indeed, it didn’t take that long before I felt so much better! The feeling of being the outsider is practically gone, and I feel much more self-confident. I don’t  live like a tourist anymore, but like someone who actually lives here. I love the silence on the train now,  I don’t even notice the antisocial behaviour anymore, and “lagom” actually makes a lot of sense. 

Stockholm is an awesome city to live in, but you have to change some things in order to feel at home. I know it’s really easy to just speak English all the time and act like you always did, but you will never feel like “one of them”. Be brave, act as Swedish as possible, and don’t be scared to step out of your comfort zone. Fake it till you make it! 

Read more stories by lydia here.

Written by Lydia Hallie 

I’m Lydia, a 19-year-old Dutch girl living in Stockholm. I try to write many helpful posts to help younger people who recently moved to Sweden to get to know the country and how everything works here! 

Private Swedish courses and teachers

Private Swedish courses and teachers

Private teaching has many advantages. It can focus on your weakness and needs and therefore be a great way to complement your regular language learning. A private teacher can also adapt to your schedule in a way regular language courses never can.

ELANS Swedish education

ELANS

Want to learn Swedish but want don't want to deal with schedules and fixed class times? Take ELANS digital course whenever, wherever.

The Swedish Teacher

The Swedish Teacher

The Swedish Teacher offers high-quality Swedish lessons over Skype, customized to your unique needs and is flexible concerning time and place.

Swedish at a Swedish university

Exchange students are not the only ones who can take Swedish at a Swedish university. There are many Swedish courses at Swedish universities and the main requirement is mostly just to be eligible for higher studies in your  home country.

The courses cover pure language courses, preparations courses for TISUS and traditional university studies for people interested in Scandinavian Studies.

However, note that the admission requirements may differ from one university to another and depend on the type and level of studies.  Always check the requirements on the university web page or at the University Admission before applying!

Stockholms university

The university in Stockholm offers a preparation course for the TISUS. The course is called Svenska som främmande språk, förberedande kurs, 30 hp and lasts one semester. To be eligible for this course you need to have previous knowledge of Swedish- level B1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This will be tested through the admission test.
They also offer a one semester course called Behörighetsgivande kurs i svenska, 30 hp which makes you eligible for higher studies just as TISUS does. It is possible to do the TISUS exam at Stockholm University.

 (Information in Swedish)

Uppsala university

The university in Uppsala has many Swedish courses. One – among many – is the course “Swedish for Academics”. The course is designed to give non-Nordic employees basic skills in the Swedish language and knowledge of Swedish culture and Swedish society. The course is only open for employees and Scholars.

(information in Swedish)

E-learning course: Your Swedish learning options

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed about The Swedish stuff? Where can you learn? How does it work? Can you join the different options if you don’t have a Swedish personal number? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just confusing this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to make a good decision. Here you will learn about:

 

  • The different study options to learn Swedish in Sweden.
  • The differences between study alternatives.
  • How much Swedish (and other things) you need for other educational paths in Sweden as well as to work in Swedish.

After finishing this course, you will be able to make an educated study choice and you will learn the most important key words and phrases for studying Swedish in Sweden. Hopefully, Swedish will start making sense!

 

Sign up to your course here

Lunds University

The university in Lund also offer many Swedish courses. An interesting option for newbies is the “Study Abroad Swedish Language program”. This program is designed for non-EU students who wish to dedicate a full-year study to the Swedish language.

Swedish for academics at the university

You can study Swedish for academics  (Svenska för akademiker) at the university. These courses are aimed toward foreign-born graduates in general. The study pace is high and a good portion of motivation is needed. You will need a personnummer to participate in this courses.

Miss something? Or does something feel unclear? Contact us and help us improve.

Svenska som andraspråk, SAS

SAS stands for “Swedish as a second language” and is a continuation of the SFI teaching. SAS consist of four courses and the content in the three last courses is equivalent to the Swedish students learn in high school.

All SAS courses are free of charge and you’re also entitled to student aid – CSN while taking SAS. The successful completion SAS will make you applicable for higher studies in Sweden (in the same way the TISUS exam does).

Good to know about SAS

  • The quality of the teaching can vary between the schools and the municipalities. Don’t give up if you end up in a course that doesn’t suit your learning type. Try to speak to a study counsellor (studievägledare) to see if he or she can advise you on what course or school would be better for you.
  • Most SAS courses are taught at KOMVUX (a secondary education institution for adults) and there are many different types of courses (full-time, part-time, flex and distance learning).

E-learning course: Your Swedish learning options

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed about The Swedish stuff? Where can you learn? How does it work? Can you join the different options if you don’t have a Swedish personal number? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just confusing this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to make a good decision. Here you will learn about:

 

  • The different study options to learn Swedish in Sweden.
  • The differences between study alternatives.
  • How much Swedish (and other things) you need for other educational paths in Sweden as well as to work in Swedish.

After finishing this course, you will be able to make an educated study choice and you will learn the most important key words and phrases for studying Swedish in Sweden. Hopefully, Swedish will start making sense!

 

Sign up to your course here

Frequently asked questions

We have received many questions about SAS and here we answer the most common ones. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions.

1. Which are the requirements for participating in SAS?

2. Is the SAS free of charge?

Yes, the SAS education is free of charge. You only have to pay for the books that are used in the teaching. Note, some SAS courses are provided by private as well as state-owned schools, but all are free of charge.

3. Am I eligible for student aid while coursing SAS?

Yes, you are generally entitled to student aid (called CSN in Swedish) while studying SAS (as opposed to SFI where you are not entitled to student aid). Your SAS school can help you with the application and advise you on how to proceed. Learn more about CSN here.

4. How do I apply for SAS?

  • You apply to SAS School in your municipality. However, it is possible to take a SAS-course in another municipality if there is no suitable offer for you in your own municipality.
  • The actual application is generally made online. However, we recommend you to check the school in real life before applying online and if possible speak with a study counselor – studievägledare at the school, to make sure that the school and the teaching are suited for you.

5. What do I learn at SFI?

SAS education consist of four courses:

  • Svenska som andraspråk grundläggande (Swedish as a second language basic)
  • Svenska som andraspråk levels 1, 2, 3. (Swedish as a second language 1, 2, 3)

What you learn in the three last courses is equivalent to what Swedish students learn in high school. The main aim of SAS is to make you eligible for higher studies in Sweden. Taking all four courses takes about 1 – 2 years depending on the pace you choose. Note, that you can also write the TISUS exam if your intention is to study at a Swedish university.

6. Different courses

There are different types of SAS courses: part-time, full time, flex and distance courses. Not all courses are offered at all schools and municipalities. However, the distance SAS courses can generally be coursed regardless of your location. Try to choose the type of course that is best suited for your learning and contact a study counselor if you feel unsure about which course to choose.

Further reading

We have a lot of information and blog posts from newbies about learning Swedish – or not to learn Swedish. Enjoy!

 

Missing something? Or does something feel unclear? Contact us and help us improve.

Swedish for professionals and academics

There are specialized Swedish courses for foreign-born graduates and professionals in Sweden. These courses usually combine Swedish studies with specific content related to your professional and academic field, whereas regular SFI courses are general.

There are two types of courses:

  • one for foreign-born graduates in general,
  • one for foreign-born professionals within certain work fields.

Swedish for academics

The Swedish for academics courses (Svenska för akademiker) are aimed toward foreign-born graduates in general and cover levels SFI C and SFI D. The study pace is high and a good portion of motivation is needed.

Many cities offer these sorts of courses (see list below) yet we recommend you to contact your municipality if you cannot find one course in your region/city. Some municipalities offer Swedish courses for academics, even though the lack of information about this online.

Note that many of these courses require general eligibility for higher studies (except from Swedish), meaning that you have a finished degree from a higher institution of learning as well as English level 6 in the Swedish educational system. Contact the school you are interested in to find out how you can prove your English level.

E-learning course: Your Swedish learning options

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed about The Swedish stuff? Where can you learn? How does it work? Can you join the different options if you don’t have a Swedish personal number? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just confusing this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to make a good decision. Here you will learn about:

 

  • The different study options to learn Swedish in Sweden.
  • The differences between study alternatives.
  • How much Swedish (and other things) you need for other educational paths in Sweden as well as to work in Swedish.

After finishing this course, you will be able to make an educated study choice and you will learn the most important key words and phrases for studying Swedish in Sweden. Hopefully, Swedish will start making sense!

 

Sign up to your course here

Swedish for professionals

Swedish for professionals (Svenska för yrkesutbildade) is specialized Swedish language courses for professional newbies. The goal is to shorten the path through the educational system, and the time it takes before you can start working in your profession in Sweden. Some also trains you for a certain profession while teaching you Swedish as well. Usually, these programs teaches Swedish from beginner’s level all the way up to Swedish 3, which is the level you need to be eligible for higher studies and is equivalent to C1 in the CEFR. There are many different programs available, for example:

  • Swedish for bus drivers
  • Swedish for entrepreneurs
  • Swedish for craftsmen
  • Swedish for engineers
  • Swedish for truck drivers
  • Swedish for medical staff
  • Swedish for educators
  • Swedish for lawyers, economists and social scientists
  • Swedish for IT programmers

Swedish for professionals in Stockholm

The municipalities in the region Stockholm has a joint website, with information about Swedish courses for foreign-born graduates and professionals.

Learn more here. The information comes in a number of languages.

Contact your municipality to find out if there are special Swedish courses for foreign-born graduates and professionals in your city/region.

More support for foreign-born academic and professional 

Learn more about the support you can receive as a foreign-born professional and/or academics.

Korta vägen

Korta vägen is an integration and training program for academic Newbies. The aim is to provide you with the skills needed to enter the Swedish labour market. Korta vägen is held at many different educational institutions in Sweden. The program is free and open for academic Newbies with at least three years of documented university studies. You need to speak to your contact person at Arbetsförmedlingen (the Swedish National Employment Agency) to find out if you are eligible and able to apply.

Sveriges Internationella Talanger, SIT

Sveriges Internationella Talanger is a network of foreign-born graduates. Their aim is to help Newbies find work in Sweden.

Join their LinkedIn group here

Svenska för invandrare, SFI

Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) is an educational program for Newbies, where you learn Swedish and about the Swedish society. The concept is simple – free Swedish courses, all over the country, for all newbies (over 16) who legally reside in Sweden and who lack knowledge in the Swedish language.

Note: that SFI is free of charge but it doesn’t make your eligible for student aid from CSN.

Good to know about SFI

Swedish for immigrants was introduced in Sweden in the mid-sixties and has approximately 100 000 students annually. SFI has however been struggling with their learning approach. Some Newbies find the tempo too slow while others find it to fast. The quality of the teaching can also vary widely between the SFI schools. It is, however worth a try. You get a teacher, classmates, a learning structure and last but not least; it is free!

Frequently asked questions about Swedish for immigrants

We have received many questions about SFI and here we answer the most common ones. Feel free to contact us if you have further questions.

1. Which are the requirements for participating in SFI?

You must be:

  • over 16 years old
  • reside legally in Sweden (which means that you need to be registered with the Swedish tax Agency (Skatteverket) and have a personal number (personnummer). It is in some cases possible to study SFI with a co-ordination number – a so called samordningsnummer (see below, question 7 & 8).
  • lack knowledge in the Swedish language (but it is ok to have some basic Swedish skills).

E-learning course: Your Swedish learning options

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed about The Swedish stuff? Where can you learn? How does it work? Can you join the different options if you don’t have a Swedish personal number? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just confusing this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to make a good decision. Here you will learn about:

 

  • The different study options to learn Swedish in Sweden.
  • The differences between study alternatives.
  • How much Swedish (and other things) you need for other educational paths in Sweden as well as to work in Swedish.

After finishing this course, you will be able to make an educated study choice and you will learn the most important key words and phrases for studying Swedish in Sweden. Hopefully, Swedish will start making sense!

 

Sign up to your course here

2. Is SFI really free and how can that be?

Yes, Swedish for immigrants is free of charge for Newbies. Your municipality and in the end the state and everyone who pays taxes in Sweden will pay for the expenses related to your studies. However, the actual teaching is conducted by municipal and private schools.

3. Am I eligible for student aid while coursing SFI? And if not, how shall I pay my bills while studying Swedish?

No, you are not eligible for student financial aid from CSN while taking SFI. However you can combine your SFI studies with internships, jobs or studies if you wish to.

Note: you will be eligible for student aid if you wish to continue your studies at Swedish as a second language, SAS.

4. How do I apply for SFI?

You apply to SFI by contacting the adult education department at your municipality. You can also contact the private SFI provider in your municipality. They will help you with the application process and you’ll also be offered to do a language level test if you aren’t starting from scratch. 

5. What do I learn at SFI?

SFI provides you with basic knowledge of Swedish so that you can communicate in both oral and written form. The SFI training shall also provide you with an introduction to Swedish society.

SFI is open for all Newbies, regardless of educational background.

You can proceed your Swedish learning process by taking the Swedish as a Second Language one your finished the third and last SFI course.

6. What SFI course should I start with?

You are recommended to make a level test at the adult education centre in your municipality before you start your studies (unless you start from scratch). This test will show what Swedish level you are at. Note, that the SFI teaching is divided into three different levels:

Level 1 is for people who lack greater educational background (people who didn’t attend primary school and/or need to learn the Swedish alphabet. This level proceeds in a slower pace so that everyone can keep up with the course work.

Level 2 and 3 are for people who have knowledge equivalent to primary school from their home country. These steps go a little faster and do therefore require a certain experience with the school environment. After completing Step 3, you can proceed to Swedish as a second language, SAS.

7. Is it possible to study SFI with a co-ordination number, a so-called samordningsnummer?

EU citizens with a co-ordination number (called samordningsnummer in Swedish) are since 2015 entitled to study SFI in Sweden. However, not all municipalities are aware of this and might still ask you for a Swedish personal number. The possibility to study SFI with a co-ordination number is (as far as we know) limited to EU citizens.

8. What is a co-ordination number, a so-called samordningsnummer and how do I get one?

The process of getting a Swedish personal number might take a while (because of several reasons). One option is to apply for a temporary co-ordination number (called samordningsnummer in Swedish). You apply for a samordningsnummer by registering with the Swedish Employment Service – Arbetsförmedlingen.

Note, not all  staff at the Swedish Employment Service – Arbetsförmedlingen are aware of the proceedings concerning samordningsnummer and might refer you to the Swedish Tax Agency. However, you cannot apply for a samordningsnummer by yourself at the Swedish Tax Agency and it is the task of the Employment Service to apply for a co-ordination number for you.

Further reading

Not sure if SFI is the thing for you? Or if it’s worth learning Swedish at all? We have many blog posts from newbie bloggers about these topics.

Missing something? Or does something feel unclear? Contact us and help us improve.

Self-studies and tools

Work your way through a Swedish grammar book or take a Swedish online course. Learning Swedish by self-study has many benefits. It gives you the freedom to study whenever you want. You can do it at your own pace and independent of your location, so, you can basically start your studies even before you arrive in Sweden. 

There are plenty of good, free or cheap online courses (see below). You can also borrow a Swedish course at your local Swedish library. Remember to check the quality of your books and online courses before you buy them. They are your primary learning tool, so they must be good. A poorly written dictionary will confuse more than it will help.

However, the great disadvantage of this method is that it is entirely up to yourself and requires a great amount of motivation, dedication and constancy. It is hard to structure the whole learning process on your own and you might find it a bit lonely to do all the studying by yourself.

Online learning tools

There are a number of online learning possibilities. Here we post some options for you. We have mainly chosen language learning tools that are free of charge.

Say it in Swedish

Learn how Swedes really speak with free audio lessons, vocabulary lists and videos produced by real Swedes. Be a part of the learning community and get help from the team and your fellow students on the site or social media. Create an account and start speaking Swedish immediately.

E-learning course: Your Swedish learning options

Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed about The Swedish stuff? Where can you learn? How does it work? Can you join the different options if you don’t have a Swedish personal number? We’ve got you covered. Over the years we’ve been repeatedly told just confusing this process can be so we created a digital course with all the information you need to make a good decision. Here you will learn about:

 

  • The different study options to learn Swedish in Sweden.
  • The differences between study alternatives.
  • How much Swedish (and other things) you need for other educational paths in Sweden as well as to work in Swedish.

After finishing this course, you will be able to make an educated study choice and you will learn the most important key words and phrases for studying Swedish in Sweden. Hopefully, Swedish will start making sense!

 

Sign up to your course here

Swedish 101 – learn the 1 000 most common Swedish words

The website 101languages.net helps you learn the 1000 most commonly spoken Swedish words. And the top 100 words come with an audio pronunciation.

Språkkraft Läscoach

Språkkraft Läscoach is a game-like learning app that is designed to help new arrivals to start reading Swedish. The app is designed for mobile phones and tablets where users can start by reading tweets then move on to news articles, then regular news and finally the whole short stories and novels, at their own pace.

ILT Inläsningstjänst – read and listen at the same time!

ILT Inläsningstjänst makes it possible for you to listen to the book/text while reading it. You can adjust the speed to your reading pace and jump to different sections in the book. ILT Inläsningstjänst also offers a service called “Studiestöd på modersmål“ where you can read & listen in Swedish and in your mother tongue.

What does it cost? Many schools and municipalities have agreements with ILT Inläsningstjänst, which means that you could have free access to their services (so, ask around to see if your school or municipality has an agreement). However, you can also sign up for the different services on your own and pay a fee for it.

Duolingo

Duolingo is a language-learning platform that includes a language-learning website and app. All its language courses are free of charge and the app is available on iOS, Android and Windows 8.

Memrise

Memrise is an online learning tool with language courses and flashcards. It enables you to study and learn vocabulary through the flashcards that are especially designed to make it easier for you to remember the word and its meaning (a technique called mnemonics). Memrise is free of charge and only requires you to register.

Quizlet

Quizlet is mainly a memorising tool for learning languages. It can be a great tool for learning vocabularies, but it does require some discipline as you need to create your vocabulary list (the words and their meaning) on your own. An alternative to Quizlet is to make your own paper flash cards by writing the word you want to learn with the meaning on the other side.

Lingio

Lingio is a language app that enables you to play games and connect with people all over the world who are learning the same language as you. Lingio is designed for learning Swedish, German, Portuguese, French, Italian, Arabic, English and Spanish. It is also free of charge.

Google translate

Google translate is a useful translation tool. Might not always be entirely correct but a good helper in the beginning.

En or Ett

A fantastic app by Swedish for Professionals. Learn while you play, what’s not to like?

OptiLingo

A fairly new contender on the language arena is OptiLingo. It is free if you register before the 15th of September 2020 and focuses on learning conversation skills and fluency. Offers 20 languages to choose from.

Online dictionaries

Lexin

Lexin is an online Swedish dictionary that translates between Swedish and 17* other languages. Lexin is provided by the Swedish Language Council – Språkrådet, and has beside the traditional dictionary functions also animated videos and image dictionaries.

Lexin is probably the best free dictionary online (even though the design isn´t to impressive) and completely free of charge – highly recommendable for all newbies. Note that the English <-> Swedish function has been moved to The Peoples Dictionary, se below.

*Lexin translates from Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Azerbaijan, Bosnian, Finnish, Greek, Croatian, Kurdish, Pashto, Persian, Russian, Serbian, Somali, Spanish and Turkish.

The Peoples Dictionary – Folkets lexicon

The Peoples Dictionary – Folkets lexicon is based on the Lexin Swedish-English dictionary and is continuously expanded and improved by its users. It is, just as Lexin, completely free of charge.

Interglot

Interglot is an online multilingual dictionary that translates between Swedish and six* other languages and provides verb conjugation help. Works well as a complement to Lexin. Free of charge. *Interglot translates from English, German, Spanish, Dutch, French and Swedish.

bab.la

bab.la is an online dictionary that translates from English and German to Swedish and vice versa. You can also play languages games and interact by creating your own vocabulary lists.

Listen, read and watch

Another way to learn Swedish is to watch movies & documentaries, listen to news and radio programs or read books in “easy” Swedish, so called “lättlästa böcker”.

  • Klartext – is a service from the Swedish public radio that brings you news from Sweden and the world in Swedish. The special thing with Klartext however, is that Klartext tells the news at a slower pace and with words that are easier to understand. A great way to keep updated while learning Swedish. You can listen to Klartext every Monday to Friday between 18.00 and 18.10 on the Swedish Radio channel P4 or on their website sr.se.
  • Sveriges Radio – the Swedish national radio has a wide and diverse offer of news, music, documentaries and different entertainment programs.
  • SVTPLAY – the Swedish public television online. Watch whenever and whatever you want. All exposure to the Swedish language will help you improve your Swedish and doing so by reading, listening and watching will give a context to what you learn.
  • 8 SIDOR a Swedish online newspaper. Here you get news in easy Swedish. The articles are kept short and told with easy Swedish words. You can also choose to listen to the article if you want. An excellent way to learn about Sweden and the world while you practice your Swedish.

Learn more about what you can do to improve your Swedish learning process here.

Have we missed something? Does something seem unclear?  Contact us and help us improve.

Swedish requirements for higher Education

Entering any institution of higher education in Sweden, requires in many cases, that you can show documented Swedish skills. Most programmes and courses at Swedish universities and University colleges are held in Swedish and require documented proof of Swedish proficiency. And if you wish to enter any of these, you have two options to obtain the required skills and documentation. The TISUS exam – a Swedish proficiency test, held twice a year or the SAS 1-3 course at your local Komvux.

However, it may be good to know that most universities and University colleges offer a great variety of international courses and programmes that are held in English. These don’t require Swedish proficiency. Studies on a Phd level may require  documented Swedish skills, so make sure to check with the relevant Phd program.

Check with the University of your choice for information on their International curriculum.

The TISUS (Test in Swedish for University Studies)

TISUS is a Swedish language test recognised by all universities in Sweden as a statement of eligibility regarding Swedish language proficiency. The test consists of three equally weighted components: reading, writing and speaking. It is held twice a year at a number of Swedish embassies and teaching institutions in and out of Sweden. The exam takes about 4,5 h.

You get the test result within three weeks and there are only two grades: godkänd (passed) & underkänd (failed). You need to pass all three parts in order to pass the exam. You can retest if you fail one part, but you will have to take the whole test again if you fail two parts.

The test in its entirety costs 1 800 SEK, and repeating a section of the test costs 700 SEK.

Tips for the exam day

The TISUS is challenging. Your biggest issue for the first two parts (reading and writing) will probably be time management. Make sure to plan your time carefully and avoid getting stuck with one question. It is also highly recommended to take the sample tests in order to get familiar with the exam structure.

Pros and Cons of TISUS:

  • TISUS is not an easy exam
  • it makes you independent, as it doesn’t bind you in time and space
  • you can prepare for the exam anywhere in the world
  • you are free to use any type of learning method you want.

Preparation courses for higher education

University of Stockholm (SU) offer two preparation courses – basic and  advanced. The courses are held on campus, for a whole semester and you can choose between full-time or pastime studies.

A passing grade in the preparatory course “Svenska som främmande språk” makes you eligible for the advanced course “Behörighetsgivande kurs i Svenska” which will automatically make you applicable for higher studies in Sweden if you pass it.

Swedish as a second language, SAS

Another option is to take the SAS 1- 3. The SAS means Swedish as a second language and is a Swedish language course held at Komvux institutions all around the country. The SAS is equivalent to high school Swedish. The main purpose of the SAS is to make you eligible for higher studies in Sweden, which you will be if you pass all the courses.

The SAS includes three courses, called SAS 1, SAS 2 and SAS 3. There is also a basic course called SAS grundläggande, which is a preparation course for the SAS 1-3. The duration of the courses vary depending of the pace you choose. You can study fulltime, part time or going for the fast track by choosing SAS intensive.

The SAS is also offered as a distance course, making it possible to study from another location. However, being in Sweden is necessary as you will be required to come the school to write the tests. The SAS is free of charge.

Student aid for taking the SAS

An important thing about the SAS is that you can get CSN (student aid) which is very positive as the SAS takes about a year of full time studies and is known to be challenging, especially the SAS 2 and 3. Your Komvux can help you with the application for CSN.

 (in Swedish)

Missing something? Or does something feel unclear? Contact us and help us improve.

Swedish Spelling Software

Can’t Spell? You may need a spelling software to help. Spelling in Swedish is a challenge. One single letter can change the whole meaning of a word; grattis (congratulations) is not the same as gratis (for free), even though it sounds more or less the same. So what do you do to avoid making annoying spelling mistakes?

This is what you do

  • live by the device that “practice makes the master” and accept that you will make mistakes
  • turn to the proofing eye of a Swedish-speaking friend
  • start using a spelling and grammar software.

 Stava Rex

Stava Rex was originally a computer program for people with reading and spelling disorders, such as dyslexia. But it works perfectly for everyone who needs a bit of help with their Swedish spelling.

Stava Rex not only corrects incorrect spelling and grammar, it also points out words that are easily mixed up. Stava Rex is suitable for PC and Mac and you can download a 30 days demo version of the program for free. Download it here.

Missing something? Or does something feel unclear? Contact us and help us improve.