How Swedes celebrate Easter
Hur svenskar firar påsk (Swedish – English below) Påsken är en av de största högtiderna i Sverige, och det finns en mängd olika traditioner som är unika för landet. Men hur firar svenskarna påsk? Häng med mig när jag tar dig på en rundtur genom svenska påsktraditioner och historien bakom dem. Historia Påsken har sitt […]
Language teachers need qualification from Language Police Academy
BREAKING NEWS! Language teachers need new qualification from the National Language Police Academy Language teachers in Sweden will need to comply with new regulations from Skolverket (The Swedish National Agency for Education), which includes a qualification from the National Language Police Academy, it has emerged. The National Language Police Academy is an educational institute that […]
5 Unique Gifts Any Swedish-American Will Absolutely Love!
Our partner Caroline, a Swedish Genealogist and Family Historian, has written a blog post with 5 cool gifts for Swedish-Americans (or anyone in America learning Swedish). 1. A Spot in Caroline’s Online Course Searching Sweden 2. A Modern Swedish Jewelry Piece from AWNL 3. An Annual Subscription to The Scandinavia Box 4. Swedish Language Lessons from us 🙂 […]
Finding Your Swedish Ancestors – for Americans
When we get into contact with people wanting to learn Swedish, it’s often because they have a Swedish partner, or work/study in Sweden. But there are also people who want to learn Swedish because of their Swedish ancestors, especially among Americans with Swedish heritage. How to find your Swedish ancestors – for Americans “Do you […]
Semlor – baka dina egna (how to bake your own semlor)
Have you tried semlor? It’s that time of year again! On Tuesday, it’s the day of the Semla. It’s that time of year again! On Tuesday is the day of the Semla. Semlor (plural, semla in singular) are cardamom buns with cream and almond paste, commonly available from the official end of the Christmas season […]
God Jul – Happy Swedish Christmas
How Swedes celebrate a typical Swedish Christmas Ever wondered how you celebrate Swedish Christmas? Swedes celebrate Christmas (jul) on Christmas Eve (julafton). This is the day when Swedes eat their Christmas food and exchange presents. Swedish Christmas food Traditional Swedish Christmas food is usually a large buffet (julbord). Some people have their julbord at lunchtime […]
Swedish Valborg
Happy Valborg! Valborg is the name of the 30th of April in Sweden. In Sweden, this is celebrated by lighting bonfires (majbrasor) all around the country in the evening, and people gather to watch the bonfires. Some places have fireworks (fyrverkerier). Once the bonfire is lit, it is traditional for a men’s choir (manskör) to […]
Vasaloppet
This Sunday is the day of the annual cross country ski race held in Dalarna, Vasaloppet. The main race is 90 kilometers (56 miles), starting in Sälen and finishing in Mora. It is apparently the oldest cross country ski race in the world.
Twinstitute Swedish teacher
The summer 2018, I was asked to take part in the BBC TV-series Twinstitute as a Swedish teacher. The episode (airing 6th of February 2019 on BBC Two) tested the best way to learn a language by comparing having lessons with a teacher and self-studying. My two students, Tina and Des, studied Swedish with me every evening via Skype for about 4 weeks. Tina and Des had never studied Swedish before, and did not know a single word before they started. It was a lot of fun!
Sexy in Swedish – 44 romantic Swedish phrases
How to be Sexy in Swedish Have you ever wondered how to be more sexy in Swedish? When you are learning Swedish, chances are that the course books include everyday language that is very helpful for getting by in Sweden in general. However, you will probably not find intimate and sexy phrases in these types […]