10 tricks for mastering Swedish
Learning a new language is not simple and it requires a lot of time spent on practicing. At times, you will lose motivation and want to give up. But you would not if you knew the following 10 tricks for mastering Swedish:
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#1. Listen to Swedish songs
Listen to simple Swedish songs on Youtube or Spotify would help you develop your listening and speaking skills. The songs are usually memorable and repeatedly listening to them would learn you a lot of new words and phrases. This method works best if you are a fan of music and singing along is your thing. This playlist contains 100 simple Swedish songs.
It’s best if you could find favourite songs of yours based on which you could analyse the lyrics for better understanding. My favourite is “Tusen bitar” which is embedded in this post.
#2. Listen to Swedish radio
If you are a beginner in Swedish, you could listen to Radio Sweden på lätt svenska which is composed for foreigners who are living in Sweden. The channel helps you practice your listening through daily conversations and common topics. Additionally, there is a radio channel for native speakers which you could challenge yourself with if you are familiar with Swedish and would like to improve.
#3. Read Swedish books
This goes best with book lovers. Libraries in Sweden are open for everyone so it’s dead easy to come and read all types of books. You only need an ID to apply for the library card. If you are at beginner or intermediate level, try reading children books such as fairy tales (sagor). Don’t underestimate these seemingly simple stories, not only do they train you on grammar, they also deliver vocabulary effectively. Try reading these fairy tales in Swedish: Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, The Frog Prince
#4. Watch Swedish movies
Barnkanalen (children’s channel) is the perfect place for beginners. The movies or series there target children from preschoolers to teenagers so it covers a wide range of topics including common conversations within family, classrooms and social contexts. There are subtitles in Swedish so you could still follow what is being said. The children speak quite fast as well making it a bit challenging without subtitles for beginners. Each of the episodes is quite short, varied from 5 to 25 minutes. Watch Barnkanalen here.
If you feel comfortable listening to Swedish, you could try more advanced Swedish movies at SVT Play, a Swedish online TV site. Netflix, an online streaming site, also has also a wide range of Swedish movies, Swedish dubbed movies or Swedish subtitled movies.
#5. Duolingo
Duolingo is a pretty good tool for fortifying your Swedish foundation, daily communication and basic grammar. Only 5 minutes a day will quickly build up your vocabulary. Indeed, I myself used this app before I started going to SFI (Swedish for immigrants) classes. The tool could be accessed via website, GooglePlay or ITunes.
#6. Lexin, Google Translate and Synonymer
Lexin is one of the best offline Swedish dictionaries out there. Not only does it translate the words, it also gives examples of how the words are used, their different forms and synonyms. Download Lexin – Svensk Lexikon Ordbok for Android here or access the website directly here.
Google Translate is convenient when you would like to translate sentences or paragraph but it does not build up a good habit of learning Swedish so I would not recommend unless you only use it for word translation. The offline feature works pretty well too. Get the app here.
Synonymer is a dictionary particularly written for looking up synonyms. It’s pretty challenging but I usually use it first when encountering an unknown word for hope that I would understand at least one of the synonyms. It’s a decent tool for expanding your vocabulary. Start using Synonymer here.
#7. Read Swedish newspapers
Metro is a newspaper issued for free everyday. You can find it pretty much on every bus stop or even left on the bus seats. It can also be read online here.
8sidor is perfect for beginners as it is written in simple Swedish. There’s also a read-aloud feature which could help you practice your listening skills. Practice your Swedish now with 8sidor here.
#8. Listen/Watch Swedish news
Online news could be watched at SVT Play as well. You can access it online here or download this app to your phone.
Beginners in Swedish could alternatively use Nyheter på lätt svenska.
#9. Use Swedish as much as possible
Don’t hesitate to speak. Try using it everywhere without being afraid of looking silly. Just imagine how you would react on a foreigner trying to speak your language. Delightful, isn’t it? In case you cannot follow the conversation, there are some lifesavers for you:
Kan du säga det en gång till? – Can you say it again?
Kan du repetera? – Can you repeat?
Kan du säga/prata lite långsamt? – Can you say a bit slowly?
Jag förstår inte, kan du förklara/berätta för mig? – I don’t understand, can you explain/describe to me?
Jag vet inte på riktigt, vad betyder det? – I honestly don’t know, what does it mean?
Don’t hesitate to use Swedish in your electronic devices such as mobile phones or tablets.
#10. Don’t force yourself, have fun learning Swedish
You cannot really force yourself mastering a language without being really interested in it. Therefore, finding a way to enjoy the journey would lift your spirit and keep your motivation up. Have fun!
