Tag Archives: Swedish conversation

Are you not practicing speaking Swedish?

Do you find it hard to practice speaking Swedish? You are not alone. Students learning Swedish does not speak Swedish outside of the classroom, says this article.

I have heard this before, and of course it is difficult learning if there are no opportunities to practice! I also hear that students don’t speak much in the classroom since there usually are pretty many students and fairly little time.

So, opportunities must be grabbed! I know; I have been living abroad myself, learning new languages and sometimes forcing myself to speak to strangers :). Last country I lived in I also had a private tutor with whom I spoke hours with each week. This made wonders to my fluency and confidence, and it still does even though it is six years ago, and I do not practice the language on a regular basis (only in my head which btw is a good tip!). But I can still speak rather effortlessly!

Go out there and practice Swedish/any language you are learning. Hire a tutor, find a language friend, make friends, go to a language café, join a local club or local language playgroup if you have kids.

Any other tips for practicing to speak?

Top Notch Planning

Thinking about taking a Swedish class? Don’t worry if you haven’t yet mastered such delicate planning skills as presented in the photo below. There is still time to sign up for individual Swedish classes, via Skype. Just drop me an email at charlotta@globatris.se

Since my classes are individual you decide when to start and how often you would like to have them.

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Planning ahead for spring glory! Photo taken in Gothenburg Botanical Garden

Giveaway Swedish Conversation Classes

Giveaway Swedish Conversation Classes

Did you know that September the 26th is European Day of Languages?

To celebrate I am giving away one set of 2 Swedish Conversation Classes via Skype!

Learning another language is an excellent way to achieve a greater understanding of cultures that are not yet (fully) familiar to us. So, we do not only understand each other better in terms of the languages we are speaking but also because we develop our cultural competence. The Council of Europe wants to promote multilingualism, and on its initiative the European Day of Languages are celebrated on Sept 26th every year.

What about the giveaway?

A Swedish Conversation Class is perfect for you who might know at least a little bit of Swedish/have studied Swedish 😉  but are not really used to speaking the language. It also suits you if you do speak some Swedish but want to work on vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar and fluency.

All you need to do to enter the giveaway for a chance to win Swedish Conversation Classes is to

  • leave a comment below telling me the best parts of learning Swedish via Skype. Don’t forget to leave your contact info
  • like Globatris on Facebook if you haven’t already
  • and share this post

One winner will be selected, at random.  If you are the winner you will be contacted via the information you have provided in the comments (e-mail, Twitter, Facebook etc.). Together we will then schedule the lessons,  which must have been taken by end of Nov 2013.

Giveaway open for entries until Oct 3, 2013.

Read more on Swedish classes here

Only one entry per person. Lessons cannot be substituted for money.

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You can read more about the European Day of Languages here.

Learn the Swedish language by listening to music

Learn the Swedish language by listening to music

Learning a language it is beneficial to listen to and sing along to music in that language. You learn new words but more importantly you get a sense of the rhythm and intonation of the language, as well as learning pronunciation.

Below is a link to a popular summer song in Swedish, by Tomas Ledin. It is called “Sommaren är kort” – summer is short.

video with sing-along text.

To learn the Swedish language by listening to music you need to pick up the words in the song. I have made a Sommaren är kort – glosor translating Swedish into English.

Sing along!

Swedish small talk – or big. #14

Want to adopt Swedish culture? Talk about the weather.
Want to adopt Swedish culture? Talk about the weather.

What about it?  – read on here!

Online Swedish language-tutoring

Online Swedish language training

Language is part of a culture. When you learn a language you also learn the culture connected to it and vice versa. It’s fun and valuable to know different languages. Now Swedish isn’t exactly one of the most influential languages in the universe but it might still be important to you.

I have studied and learnt several languages in my life. The methods and situations have been different, depending on the teaching institute and the teachers, as well as me and my current situation. Looking back, the most valuable and rewarding classes have been the ones where I constantly practiced speaking. It goes without saying that this was easier when I had private tutoring, or was in a smaller group of students.

As an expat, language studies have often proved to be the first social networking for me, and a routine in making a new life for me and my family. Yes, it involved breaks for diaper-changes and preparing a bottle. Sometimes we took the tutoring outside, to enjoy the weather and to accommodate the needs of a toddler longing for the garden swing.

Talking, talking, talking!

To really learn how to speak a language I think it is important to have enough opportunities. And to seize them, of course. The more you speak the easier it gets.

In order to make it interesting and motivational the learning should also relate to topics of the students interests or learning needs. Perhaps reading poems is not on the immediate priority list.

Learning a new language should be fun and without stress! For many it is hard to fit in language training in a busy schedule. Online tutoring can often solve that problem. The Swedish classes I offer are usually half hour conversations and it works well. I am flexible when it comes to timing and recurrence, and my students can choose if and how much work they want to do in between our sessions.

Taking the first step can sometimes seem hard. But guess what, that first step is just an e-mail or a phone call!

Why not make this year the year of learning or improving your Swedish!? In the comfort of your own home.

contact charlotta@globatris.se

read more

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