God jul, folks! This year for Christmas I’m giving you all the gift of web resources! The internet is truly a magical place nowadays for language study, but there is a lot out there and it can be hard to sort it all out. Below, you’ll find some of my favorite web resources for grammar, pronunciation, and media. Nämen, Chelsea you shouldn’t have! Well, I did and it’s quite lengthy, so enjoy! 

First, you must have a reliable, go-to online language dictionary. Of course there’s Google Translate, which most folks default to because it’s fast and easy. But truthfully, I only recommend this tool for cross-reference among intermediate to advanced speakers. It tends to over-complicate beginning vocabulary and basic grammar so you end up writing a bunch of things that sound funny, instead of taking the time to use and stretch the vocab that you do have. Instead, I recommend Tyda, Folkets lexikon and Bab.la.

Most of you have probably been on YouTube to practice Swedish. It’s endless, eller hur? Here are some channels I’ve found to be helpful: 

Svenska språket, Svenska med Lisa,  Sweden.se, GoSwedish,  SvenskaBarnSångerTV, Busigt Lärande, 

My favorite for beginners is Svenska för alla; themes include, food preparation, apartment, at the store, and more! Also, if you are looking for a throwback, the Vi ses vi hörs series is QUITE dated but has some great, “everyday Swedish” content. 

Language acquisition means studying often and with intention. Working Swedish into your daily routine is sometimes difficult but it’s really important. Integrating content that you are genuinely passionate about will help tremendously. Big music fan? Film buff? Politics junkie? Spoiler alert – all of those things exists in Swedish! 

Chelsea’s Intro to Swedish Music Spotify List is great for learning about music written in Swedish.  SVTplay.se has many different categories of programming, some are available outside of Sweden, some aren’t, just click around!  TV4.se, is great if you are located in Sweden, Så mycket bättre is my absolut favorit program there. 

I love to use Sveriges Utbildningsradio in my teaching.   Grammatikbolaget has really quirky videos for grammar explanations and Geografens Europagåtor is a fun way for advanced-beginner and intermediate students to learn new vocab.  Check out UR skola and UR Språkplay as well. 

Some general resource sites that have loads of compiled content: 

Do be fooled by this old school appearance, there are loads of topics and level to sift through on Digitala Spåret. 

Lexin Bildteman is an AWESOME way to practice vocab. The content is a touch dated as well my students love it because of the visuals and pronunciation help. 

Läsa lätt is great for slow pronunciation help, as well as Mot målet.

 

Are you still with me?! Take a breath, grab a fika, and then keep reading! 

Nyheter – News

Most Swedish newspaper websites limit your access to just a few articles a month like  Dagens nyheter, Expressen, Svenska dagbladet, and Sydsvenskan.

For easy-to-read Swedish, visit 8sidor.se, for short and sweet articles including Swedish and world news. Additionally, Kreativ pedagogik writes discussion questions for daily news from 8sidor. 

Nyheter på lätt svenska from SVT is great for easy-to-understand news.  Here you’ll find more lättlästa books and short stories.

Various topics for intermediate to advanced-level speakers:

For general information on Swedish society and life in Sweden, visit Information Sverige. 

Arbetsförmedlingen, the National Employment Agency, has a lot of really great information about working in Sweden. My students like the personliga egenskaper (characteristics) page a lot. 

Arbetslivet has some great downloadable PDFs with content on work life and history in Sweden. 

Youmo, is geared towards getting information to youth and young adults about safety in relationships, sex, and health. I’ve used their jämställdhet article in class several times. 

Unga fakta and Wikimini are nice for some random, playful topics in class. 

 

Like busy work? It may not be everyone’s favorite, but repetition and memorization are key components of language study.  Here are some websites with free access to grammar exercises:

Take a Swedex practice level tests to gauge your level.  Svenska för alla has a plethora of resources, from grammar, to practice exercises, songs, and more!  Diskutera svenska is a good blog to answer some more advanced grammar questions. Quizlet is a memorization site that many of my students use. Create a free account and search for a flashcard set, or make your own. 

Okay, I know that we’re focusing on Swedish language materials but Sweden is really good about putting out cultural information in English if you’d like to brush up on a certain topic or pass it along to an English speaking friend.

Sweden’s official website – this site has tons of relevant cultural information on traditions, policy, remarkable Swedes, etc.  Visit Sweden , Statistics Sweden, Swedish Institute, Swedish Government, News in English, Svenska kyrkan

It’s literally endless, but I’d better stop now. I’ve got julafton pepparkakor to eat and glögg to brew! Share your favorite resource for media or grammar practice below!