How to Learn Swedish: Tips from 15 Years Teaching Experience

Incor’s CEO, Zrinka Stanić, has been teaching Swedish language for over 15 years. She recently published an article listing the exact steps you need to take to learn Swedish on her school website. Her original article is much more detailed, but we’re bringing a translated and shortened version here. Find out how to learn Swedish below.

1. Study Plan

Zrinka says you should first consider whether you can learn on your own or if you’d need to take a course that will keep you motivated and accountable. You should also consider your budget. Do you have enough resources to take a course? If not, perhaps you could start with free materials. As a side note, if you’re planning to get a job in Sweden, you can get financial support from your employer. Read a review by Dr. Mećava, whom we helped obtain it.

The last two things to do are estimating how much time you can dedicate to learning and setting realistic goals. Zrinka’s Swedish School, for example, is held entirely online, allowing participants to more easily balance learning with work obligations and achieve what they have envisioned.

2. Basic Vocabulary

Zrinka advises that you start with basic vocabulary and grammar, regardless of your final goal. Even if you aim to work in the Swedish healthcare system as a doctor and will need a C1 level of Swedish, you still begin with the very fundamentals of vocabulary and grammar. Zrinka also notes that learning is significantly easier for those who already speak English or German, as Swedish vocabulary is closely related to these languages.

Swedish Language – Pronunciation

She highlights that you should combine vocabulary learning with pronunciation learning. It’s one thing to know how to write or recognize a word in writing, and another thing to know how to pronounce it and correctly interpret it while talking to Swedes. That’s why Zrinka’s Swedish School combines audio exercises and group meetings in real time, during which the participants can practice pronunciation with the lecturer and other colleagues.

If you haven’t enrolled in this or a similar course, you can find free videos and audio recordings online. Also, you can access the first lessons for each level in Zrinka’s Swedish School for free – here’s the free first lesson for the A1 level.

3. Basic Grammar

Basic vocabulary should also be combined with basic grammar. Zrinka recommends starting by learning grammatical genders, personal pronouns, basic adjectives, the present tense, and basic sentence structures – like the rule that the verb comes in second place in a sentence. The easiest way to learn grammar is through practical examples and, of course, practice. You can find free exercises online. If you’re enrolling in a course, make sure it includes exercises and the lecturer’s feedback.

4. Active Communication

You’re probably learning Swedish because you plan to use it in communication. To do that confidently in the future, start practicing now. Courses give you an opportunity to talk to other participants and the lecturer, which is often their main benefit. If you’re not able to take one, try to find practice buddies online – for example, Swedish speakers who want to learn your language. Today, you can also record audios and send them to AI for correction and feedback.

5. Communication Analysis

Zrinka says that, as we learn, it can be really useful to hear ourselves pronounce certain words, use different tenses, and speak in Swedish in general. She recommends recording yourself, then analyzing that recording. Although this could be an uncomfortable experience at first, you’ll see how much you’ve advanced over time, which will keep you motivated.

6. Learning About Culture

Zrinka points out that successful communication in Swedish also requires understanding Swedish culture, so she recommends making room for that as well. So, it’s important to leave space for learning about that, too. Reading Swedish newspapers, watching videos from locals, and taking courses that will teach you about it could be extremely useful.

Coffee mugs and hands on a table — Fika, or a coffee break, is an important ritual in Sweden. (Curated Lifestyle, Unsplash+)

Learn Swedish in Zrinka’s School

Hopefully, this helped you understand how to learn Swedish. If, however, you would like to enroll in a structured course that includes all of the above, you can also explore the offer at Zrinka’s Swedish School. The courses are held entirely online, partially through group meetings in real time, and partially through on-demand materials that you can review at your own pace. Courses are available for levels A1-C1, with a specialized module for medical Swedish.