Learn How to Speak the Swedish Language for only $19.95

Speak Swedish

The Swedish Language Program contains 10 hours of audio, and one textbook in PDF file format with 701 pages.

The first twelve units consist of dialogs which cover a range of situations relevant to your life and work in Sweden. The last few units are written in a narrative form and constitute a transition to further reading.

Each unit includes "Notes on Basic Sentences," which clarify certain Swedish grammar points, cultural information and idiomatic expressions that we think are particularly important.

Grammatical explanation should be thought of only as a tool when learning the Swedish language. But it is the key to understanding a structure and a system which might otherwise seem confusing. Even though Swedish grammar and Swedish vocabulary are related to their English counterparts, a word-by-word translation from either language into the other does not neoessarily produce good sense. Because of important differences in ways we have of expressing the same thoughts~ speakers of English and Swedish see each other as using different patterns of language. It is therefore invaluable to learn Swedish patterns to the point where they become a real part of your speech, so that the difference between English and Swedish becomes natural to you.

Swedish Drills are recorded first for listening, then for familiarization through repetition, and finally for participation. During the participation step, when the Swedish student performs the required manipulation, his utterances are confirmed on the audio immediately following the space provided for his participation.

Swedish Drills are generally in two groups in any unit: a) variation drills on pattern sentences, which provide opportunities for the Swedish student to develop flexibility in the use of patterns already memorized, and b) grammar drills, which are intended to provide practice for the Swedish student in the operation of the patterns explained in the immediately preceding grammar notes.

About the Swedish Language

Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Aland islands.Swedish is mutually intelligible with Norwegian and to a lesser extent with Danish. Along with the other North Germanic languages, Swedish is a descendant of Old Norse, the common language of the Germanic peoples living in Scandinavia during the Viking Era. Swedish is currently the largest of the North Germanic languages by numbers of speakers.

Standard Swedish, used by most Swedish people, is the national language that evolved from the Central Swedish dialects in the 19th century and was well established by the beginning of the 20th century. While distinct regional varieties descended from the older rural dialects still exist, the spoken and written language is uniform and standardized. Some Swedish dialects differ considerably from the standard language in grammar and vocabulary and are not always mutually intelligible with Standard Swedish. These Swedish dialects are confined to rural areas and are spoken primarily by small numbers of people with low social mobility. Though not facing imminent extinction, such dialects have been in decline during the past century, despite the fact that they are well researched and their use is often encouraged by local Swedish authorities.