Written by Dena
15 Jul 2015
Hej!
I have been receiving a lot of e-mails about learning Swedish lately, so I figured I should clarify why I have taken up studying the language during the summer as well as during the academic year.
Now, most of you ask if you must learn Swedish before you move. I don’t think so. Unless you are planning to attend a programme that is taught in Swedish, I don’t see a reason why one should feel obliged to study Swedish beforehand. Most Master programmes in Sweden are taught in English, thus, an international student does not have to learn Swedish before moving to Sweden or even upon moving. Learning the Swedish language is an entirely voluntary process. I have taken up learning it (after I moved to Sweden) because of a couple of reasons:
a) I love the way Swedish sounds. It’s so beautiful and melodic! It awakens my philological curiosity. (after all, I did go to a philological high school)
b) I think learning the local language is a way to truly experience a culture, or at least try to. I always try to integrate as much as possible, wherever I am. For me, learning Swedish is a way to be closer to the Swedish culture and mindset.
c) My Master programme lasts for two years. Being in Sweden for two years was more than reason enough for me to use that opportunity to learn to speak Swedish. Languages are my thing.
Personally, learning Swedish has been lots of fun for me! I am very satisfied with the way the summer school went and I feel like my knowledge has improved considerably.
If you, however, want to start your education before you move, you can try Learning Swedish – an online learning tool! Please note it’s still a Beta version, but it is helpful with the basics. 🙂
Well, now I am officially on vacation back home in Montenegro! Have a great summer everyone!
D