The newest Norwegian research shows that we understand less and less of each other´s languages in Scandinavia. (To the Scandinavian languages you count Swedish, Danish and Norwegian). The researchers blame first of all the teachers and the media for this very matter and they say that it would be very useful to concentrate more on and Inter-Scandinavian understanding in schools. Especially nowadays when we live in a more and more globalized world. With better understanding in Scandinavian languages you shall gain contact to each other´s social media, tv, newspaper, literature etc. What a unique language situation and possibilites within! We could involve approx. 22 million Scandinavians instead of 10 million Swedes. Not mentioning the other Nordic countries like the bilingual Finland, where the primary language connections are English and/or Swedish in Inter-Scandinavian communication. Or the Faroe Islands and Iceland where Danish is a cumpolsary language in schools. However Norwegian and Swedish classes are also available for students who have an interest in Scandinavia.

My own experience is that Swedes and Danes are worst in understanding each other when it comes to spoken language however after many years of watching Danish crime stories and listening to Danish music, having Danish friends and some romances helped to develop my skills all through the years. I have to say it is absolutly possible. I never speak English anymore in Denmark. I feel absolutely comfortable with it. But a wider Inter-Scandinavian communication education would be good and benefit all in Scandinavia. Some say “Oh why should we learn Norwegian or Danish” well, the thing is you don´t have to spend that much time with it to understand it. You could easily read your other foreign languages like English or German beside of it. So primary and high school teachers in Sweden!!! Update yourself on Inter-Scandinavian language education and teach more than you do now! See the oppoturnities in it like job markets, education, literature or developing language skills in general.

In the survey they asked some random people from Scandinavia about how much they understand each other´s languages. In the following table you see the answers about understanding spoken Danish language:

source: NRK