Study Swedish at home!
Registration for our courses for the 2026/2027 school year opens on May 1!
Swedish language education with SMUL Academy
SMUL Academy is a digital school for those of us who live abroad and are interested in using and developing our Swedish. We work to promote and create various educational options in supplementary Swedish and beginner Swedish, and we offer Swedish-language education for children all over the world. SMUL Academy provides information and inspiration for a multilingual life with Swedish as a central part.
SMUL Academy is governed and developed with the support of a school team, an advisory committee, and a board with expertise from, among others, language specialists, school leaders, researchers, and teachers. The organisation behind SMUL Academy is entirely non-profit; in Swedish we simply call it SMUL (Swedish as a mother tongue abroad), but the organisation is registered in Canada under the name Association of Swedish Beyond Borders- SMUL.
SMUL Academy courses
SMUL Academy offers courses for students who want to learn, develop, or deepen their knowledge of the Swedish language and Swedish culture, regardless of where in the world they live. Our courses strengthen language skills, identity, and a sense of belonging to Sweden, while also sparking curiosity and interest in the country’s society, culture, and history. With us, students can study Swedish to feel confident in the language, deepen their relationships with family and friends in Sweden, or prepare for future studies and experiences connected to Sweden.
Supplementary Swedish
Ages 6–20
Basic course A–K, based on the curriculum for supplementary Swedish and aimed at Swedish expatriate children and young people with Swedish as a living language at home.
Intermediate Swedish
Ages 12–16
Intermediate Swedish is an introductory course to our basic courses. It is aimed at students who can speak and understand Swedish, but have never studied Swedish as a subject.
Beginner Swedish
Ages 7–18
Beginner Swedish is aimed at children and young people with a connection to Sweden but no prior knowledge of Swedish and no previous studies in Swedish.
Advanced courses
Courses for those who want to deepen their language skills or work towards specific goals. Examples include a course focused on writing and a preparatory course for those who will take TISUS.
Educational approach
SMUL Academy’s educational approach serves as a shared compass for school management, teachers, students, and guardians. It ensures that teaching is equivalent, professional, and sustainable in the long term, with the aim of providing students with strong linguistic tools in Swedish, regardless of where in the world they are.
Multilingualism
What is multilingualism, really? There are many different definitions, and no single one covers all aspects. In practice, multilingualism often means being able to use several languages in everyday life—in different ways and in different contexts.
As a parent of a multilingual child, you may sometimes hear the question: “Isn’t it too much for the child?”
Research shows that the answer is no. Children have good conditions for developing several languages in parallel. What matters most is how much they get to hear and use the languages in meaningful contexts.
At SMUL Academy, we want to support Swedish expatriate children in using and developing their Swedish—and at the same time help preserve and strengthen the importance of the language and culture in a multilingual everyday life.
Practical information
Academic Counseling
It can sometimes be difficult to find the right course among our offerings at SMUL Academy. We therefore offer free counseling with our school administrator Louise Sverud.
Frequently asked questions
Before you book study guidance, please read through the frequently asked questions. There we have compiled answers to some of the questions we often receive.
School year at SMUL Academy
SMUL Academy’s courses follow the rhythm of a Swedish school year, which means the school year starts in early September and ends in mid-June. In between, there are breaks for autumn break (sometime in Oct–Nov), Christmas break (4 weeks in Dec–Jan), and spring break (Mar–Apr).
The SMUL organisation
Swedish as a Mother Tongue Abroad (SMUL) is an international organisation for those of us who live abroad and are interested in Swedish. We are based in Canada and are registered under the name Association of Swedish Beyond Borders- SMUL.
We are a global network of parents, volunteers, teachers, and experts who together create a dynamic and supportive environment for Swedish expatriates. Through this community, we build bridges between Swedish-speaking families around the world, share knowledge and experiences, and create a platform where Swedish culture and language can thrive regardless of where in the world we are.
The SMUL Blog
In the SMUL blog, we share stories from around the world from multilingual families.
