Learn Swedish

Everyday language learning

You can learn Swedish daily in your everyday life and at work. Here you’ll find information on language learning, how to plan language learning and tips on how to learn with a friend. You will also find language assignments and videos on work-related situations and links to news and programs.
A lot of young people have gathered to watch sledging.
Foto: Ethan Hu. Unsplash.

Language Cafés

Language cafés are organised by many different organisations and associations. The idea of a language café is that you get to chat about all kinds of things in Swedish. It is also an opportunity to meet new people. You can go to a language café even if you don’t speak a lot of Swedish: you could start by talking about the weather or how your day is going, or just by practicing how to introduce yourself. Later, you could talk about things like current events. 

In many cities, language cafés are organised by the Finnish Red Cross as well as many other organisations and municipalities. If you want to go to a language café, you can look for information by searching for local language cafés (e.g. Vasa + language café / språkcafé). 

Another good idea is having a language café at your workplace, for example once a week during the workday! Anyone can take the initiative to organise a workplace language café: a supervisor or employee, a person learning Swedish or a native speaker of Swedish.

The association Luckan curates a list of Swedish language cafés in the capital region: Language cafés and other  resources - Luckan integration.

Kuvituskuva

Luckan: Language Cafés (external link)

See Luckans list of language cafés in the capital region.

Tandem Learning

Many higher education institutions organise tandem courses or Each One Teach One courses. These courses will match you with a Swedish person who is interested in learning your native language or about the culture of your country. Your match will guide you through Swedish language and culture. When you complete pre-agreed assignments, you could also get study credits for your efforts. Check what your higher education institution offers! You should also check out this UniTandem learning option. 

Where can you find a Finland-Swedish friend?

You can look for a Finland-Swedish friend from many places. 

  • Attend a course arranged by Arbis, Medis or other similari institutes, an organization's event, find a hobby in Swedish or do volunteer work. There's more information about organizations and volunteer work further down on the page. 
  • One option to find a friend is online at kaverihaku.net. The site allows you to look for friends from different age groups all around Finland. You can use tags like #svenska, #finlandssvensk or #TalaSvenska
  • Note that if you have children, you should participate in your child’s hobby by chatting with other parents and helping with volunteer work when there is something to sell, a cake to bake and so on. This way, you can also make new friends through your child’s hobby.
  • The Finnish Red Cross may organise activities for immigrants.
  • Find friends through Facebook-groups:
    • Your area or district might have a designated Facebook group or separate groups for local dog owners or parents. Some might be bilingual, some Finnish, some Swedish. It probably depends most on you area. 
    • Ask your local district group if there is a specialised group in the area. 
    • Don’t hesitate to post a personal ad, for example: Hi, I moved here six months ago. I would like to meet new people. If you are 20 to 30 years old and want to join me for a walk or to the cinema, message me! 

Tips for learning Swedish on your own

Here you can find different tips on how to learn Swedish during your free time and how to create a rutin that supports your learning goals.

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