Learn Swedish
Learn Swedish – Introduction
Learning foreign languages proves to be beneficial in the long run, and in a number of ways. If one is going on a vacation and happens to know the native language, it avoids inconvenience that would have been caused otherwise due to the linguistic barrier. If one wishes to move to another country for education, or to take up a job, knowledge of the native language is essential for effective communication and interaction with the locals.
Learn Swedish – Some History
One such interesting language that has a number of benefits when learnt is the Swedish language. It is the national language of Sweden. It was declared as the official language of Sweden in the year 2009. Finland also has Swedish as its official language list, along with Finnish. Swedish is one of the major languages spoken in the Scandinavian region. Sweden, Denmark and Norway consist of the Scandinavian region. However, Faeroe Islands, Iceland and Finland too are considered as a part of this region. Together, they constitute the Nordic region (North Germanic region).
The Scandinavian languages (Swedish, Danish and Norwegian) are mutually intelligible languages. The Scandinavian languages form a branch of Germanic languages, which in turn is a part of Indo-European languages. The standard Swedish language spoken today is believed to be developed in the 19th Century. It is derived from the Central Swedish dialect. The usage of other regional dialects has declined over the past few decades.
It is estimated that there are approximately 9 million Swedish speakers worldwide. In Sweden, out of the total population of 9.5 million, 89 per cent people (8.5 million) have Swedish as their mother tongue. Finland, Norway and Estonia collectively have around 3,250,000 Swedish speakers. There are more than 70, 000 Swedish speakers in Spain and UK, collectively. USA and Canada collectively have around 1, 00, 000 Swedish speakers.
The Swedish alphabet has 29 letters. It is very similar to the English alphabet. It has three extra letters, Å/å, Ä/ä, and Ö/ö. The Swedish vocabulary and grammar is similar to English vocabulary and grammar. Hence, learning to speak Swedish is really easy for a person who speaks fluent English. Once a person becomes fluent in Swedish, he or she finds Norwegian and Danish easy to understand and learn.
Learn Swedish – Benefits
To learn Swedish can be very interesting and a fun experience. In addition, Swedish is also very sweet and soothing to the ears. As one learns Swedish and communicates with the natives, he or she comes to know more about the language, culture and lifestyle of the people. Getting a job in Sweden or a Swede firm would become easier if the individual knows Swedish, along with possessing the qualifications and credentials for the job.
Learning Swedish Online – Swedish Courses
The concept of learning foreign languages is gaining popularity in today’s globalised world. This has led to the emergence of various institutes that are dedicated to cater to this demand. These institutes offer classic Swedish courses and exchange programmes for various foreign languages. With the availability of computers and access to the Internet, learning Swedish online is quite easy. There are various websites providing online Swedish courses and interactive platforms like e-learning that enables learning Swedish online. Software CDs for Swedish courses are also available in the market for learning Swedish online.