A guide to learning Swedish
Not traditional, but a quick rough way.
Did you take a language class in school but didn’t really learn a lot?
The traditional way of learning a language can be problematic because it can feel like you aren’t making any progress over a long period of time. Tim Ferris states in boxing, they say “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.” Well, in language learning, we could just as easily say that “everyone has the perfect conversation in mind until they speak to a real native.” In my opinion, it’s important to make self-learning as fun and practical as possible.
Find some motivation, it makes self-learning fun.
My motivation started when I was at school and started hearing Swedish left and right. I realized I had no idea what my friends were saying in Swedish, so I made it a fun goal to learn new phrases here and there. I also hope to visit Sweden someday. I have always wanted to channel my inner Viking. So if you can define your motivation for learning a language it will make it less painful and more fun.
Express Yourself.
It can be intense and uncomfortable to speak a different language with someone who is a native but learning how to express yourself in a new language is key. At first, I tried to think of personal stories of mine so that I could eventually try to translate them into Swedish. So for example I think it makes it fun and exciting to speak of a time where you lost your wallet or went to a concert, explaining your personal stories can make it more fun. Google translate isn’t always super accurate but it will still do a good job!
Duolingo
You’ve probably heard of Duolingo before but it is a great way to get started with new phrases and basics for free. In my opinion, Duolingo can help train your ear when it comes to listening to the Swedish Language.
Go go and watch Swedish tv-shows
Hit up Netflix, put your subtitles on and listen in Swedish!
Voice message your pals
Now it’s time to start putting some of your skills to the test. It might be weird at first but sending quick voice messages to your friends can help you learn faster and better yet they can give you feedback on how to pronounce sentences better or simply how to say phrases in different ways.
Get on Clubhouse
Clubhouse is an exclusive iPhone app that allows people to host and join audio conversations with other users. Once you receive an invitation from an existing user you can join clubs within the app. You can search for Swedish clubs or Language Learning clubs, once following a club you can join into rooms and have live conversations with people who can help you speak Swedish. It is a great way to start improving your pronunciation.
Learning to be comfortable
There is no shortcut to learning a new language, it really comes down to practicing and learning as much as possible. I hope you found this helpful.
