Beginner Swedish Course – Junior High and High School, Ages 13–18

The beginner Swedish courses for older students are aimed at young people aged 13-18 living abroad with at least one Swedish-speaking parent. The courses are designed for students who have never learned to speak or understand Swedish.

The course consists of 30 teacher-led lessons planned by a teacher of Swedish as a second language. The teacher reviews material and assignments in small groups on Zoom. Students work on assignments between lessons with the Swedish-speaking parent as support. Instruction is conducted with English (and, upon request, French or Spanish) as a support language.

The course can be conducted in two ways:

group distance learning with a teacher (online)
private tutoring in a small group (1–3 students)

The instruction focuses on reading, simpler writing, language comprehension, and conversation. A reading assignment of approximately 60 minutes per week is included.

Academic objectives

Beginner Course HÖG is a Swedish course for beginners, designed for teenagers aged 13 and up. The NYB HÖG beginner courses are for students who have never previously received Swedish language instruction. No prior knowledge is required, but the student needs to be proficient in English, which is the language of instruction—alternatively French or Spanish.

In course NYB HÖG 1, students will practice, among other things:

the Swedish alphabet and cardinal numbers
ordinal numbers, days, months, and seasons
vocabulary: common simple words and phrases about myself, my daily life, and my immediate surroundings
reading short and simple texts: dialogues, narrative texts, and factual texts
reading short narrative texts in present and past tense
participating in conversations
writing short texts and simple notes
Swedish celebrities: The Royal Family, Astrid Lindgren, Alfred Nobel, and Selma Lagerlöf
facts about Sweden
Swedish traditions and holidays

In course NYB HÖG 2, students will practice, among other things:

using phrases and expressions to talk about myself, my daily life, and my immediate surroundings
rules
weather
food and camping
the future, talking about what one wants to do in the future
professions
reading and writing instructions, factual texts, and argumentative texts
formulating opinions
participating in conversations
talking about things one has done and experienced
facts about Sweden

The course consists of 30 lessons x 60 min.
To receive a diploma, students must complete the course study components according to the checklist, attend at least 25 lessons, and submit assignments.

Course structure and level

The course follows a study plan with 30 lessons. The lessons are described in assignment schedules where all study components are listed with page and file references.

The teaching is planned by Maria Diemar, a teacher of Swedish as a second language. The teacher reviews material and assignments in small groups on Zoom. Students work on assignments between lessons with the Swedish-speaking parent as support.

Beginner Swedish is based on teaching materials for newly arrived students in Swedish as a second language but otherwise follows the curriculum for supplementary Swedish.

Students taking beginner Swedish courses often already know a lot about Sweden, regularly celebrate Swedish traditions, and may even have Swedish intonation when speaking because they have regularly heard Swedish since they were young. The goal of our beginner courses is for students to be able to approach Sweden and Swedish relatives with a stronger and more natural Swedish as part of their identity.

Students will build vocabulary, understanding of the language and its structure. We work with the textbooks Fördel SVA åk 7-9 and the Lär dig-series, as well as SMUL-akademin's own developed material. The material is selected and created to motivate students and to help them recognize themselves and their Swedish cultural background.

All courses are designed according to SMUL-akademin's pedagogical concept.

Beginner Swedish for older students is available in two different levels: steps 1–2. If the student does not know Swedish at all, step 1 is taken first.

Level 1 teaching materials

The course uses printed teaching materials that are sent to the student's address.

Both step 1 and step 2 are based on the book Fördel Åk 7-9; scroll down for a preview of the main textbook and the other workbooks.
Fördel Åk 7-9, Textbook 1
Fördel Åk 7-9, Workbook 1

For step 1, the textbook Lär dig ord is added to build vocabulary.

In addition, other current and engaging materials are used, such as news quizzes, newspaper articles and media, as well as skill training conducted via the digital platform Quizlet.

Preview of teaching materials:
See a preview of Fördel åk 7-9, Textbook 1 >>
See a preview of Fördel åk 7-9, Workbook 1 >>
Preview Lär dig ord >>

If you have questions about the setup, we recommend visiting the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Level 2 teaching materials

The course uses printed teaching materials that are sent to the student's address.

In step 2, students continue to work with the book Fördel Åk 7-9, both the textbook and the workbook.

To practice reading comprehension and writing their own texts in Swedish, the textbook Lär dig läs is added, which is material with texts at different difficulty levels.

In addition, other current and engaging materials are used, such as news quizzes, newspaper articles and media, as well as skill training conducted via the digital platform Quizlet.

Preview of teaching materials:
See a preview of Fördel åk 7-9, Textbook 1 >>
See a preview of Fördel åk 7-9, Workbook 1 >>
Preview Lär dig läs, reading comprehension >>

If you have questions about the setup, we recommend visiting the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Frequently Asked Questions