Learning Swedish as an adult is an interesting experience. Especially for those proficient in other Germanic languages such as English, German or Dutch, Swedish may seem like a piece of cake in the beginning. As you make progress, you are however very likely to discover that Swedish has many particularities that lack an equivalent in English, and part of that process is to accept that Swedes say things in a way that doesn’t really make sense translated. Added, Swedish is very idiomatic, and any learner is expected to learn not how to express their thoughts, but to say the right thing at the right moment.

Good Swedish pronunciation relies on understanding and application of correct vowel sounds and prosody (rhythm) in words and sentences. Although native Swedes may arguably be sensitive to incorrect pronunciation, this is rarely taught well in most public and private language schools.

Correct pronunciation will not only make it easier to speak and spell Swedish and make yourself understood but it will also improve your listening comprehension. 

Bee Swedish works with their own pronunciation material according to methods and practices developed by Olle Kjellin and Bosse Thorén. The training package is suitable for learners on all levels, although advanced learners may need longer time and more practice in order to correct incorrect pronunciation that has been automated

Training set up

1. You practise long vowels in mono-syllabic words, and learn consonant sounds along the way. When mastering long vowels, we move on to mono-syllabic words with long consonants, and you practise to pronounce the equivalent vowel sounds.
2. We continue with words with two or more syllables, and learn to recognise the rhythm of each word, what syllable to stress, and whether to stress the vowel or consonant within that syllable.
3. We construct conjoined words, continuing practising stress.
4. Now you are ready for short sentences, where you learn to recognise what words within each sentence should be stressed, and which ones shouldn’t. Next step is longer sentences.
5. For the ambitious learner, we add the dimension of tone and also focus on how to make your speech reflect your feelings, emotions and intentions.

For whom?

I train professionals in advanced, specialised Swedish. I have the experience of teaching specialised Swedish language skills within the fields of architecture, nuclear engineering, sustainability accounting management, SEO and visual merchandising, amongst others.

Your learning programme is designed according to your existing level, learning needs and goals, as well as your particular field of interest or industry. Specialised skills are normally taught on a one-to-one basis, or in very small groups where needs and preferences are uniform.

The intensity, duration and price for your package depends on your industry, skills focus (speaking, writing, reading or listening) and the location of the training venue.

What is it?

Specialised language training is much more than terminology. In fact, technical terms are often relatively easy to acquire for a non-native speaker. Instead, my job is to identify what particular linguistic tools are particularly used within your field and profession, and work from there.

For example, within architecture, words and phrases used to describe spatial interventions and semantic fields for describing visual, tactile, acoustic and spatial qualities are important. The same goes for negotiation and presentation techniques.

In case you work in law, or within public administration, you might be in need of writing reports and other advanced text material. Here, it is important to know how to be as specific as possible, and to avoid ambiguities. Language training often focuses on sentence structure, conjunctions, and conjunctive adverbs.

Teachers’ support

Do you represent a language school or institute? Do you see potential for improvement among your teachers or language coaches?

I can help with anything from one-off lectures, seminars or workshops to larger training packages, for new or established teachers, to continuous training and individual coaching.

Methodology Training

Swedish pronunciation with high success rates and how to integrate pronunciation training in your standard curricula.

Grammar and vocabulary with a communicative focus and real-life applicability.

Swedish semantics and how to work with what L2 learners find difficult with Swedish, such as phrasal verbs, tycker/tänker/tror, är/blir.