Studying Swedish language in Örebro

     There are different opinions about whether or not to study Swedish language. I’m not going to argue here and give all the pros and cons of it. My choice was to study Swedish and I recommend to do so, especially because you can do it in Sweden for free. In this post I want to give some information how and where to study Swedish language in Örebro.

     This is the scheme of the usual steps of learning Swedish language process in Sweden. I made this table myself based on my experience and it is not an official scheme presented by any Swedish educational authority:

Basic level		SFI (≈1-2 years, 1 level = 1 semester)
	easiest	A
		B
		C (the entry-level in ‘SFI för akademiker’)
	hardest	D
Preparatory course for Gymnasium		Grundläggande (1 semester course)
Gymnasium level	Nationella prov (National test)	Svenska som Andra Språk 1 (1 semester)
		Svenska som Andra Språk 2* (1 semester)
This level of Swedish language is needed to continue studies at University level in Swedish language	Nationella prov (National test)	Svenska som Andra Språk 3* (1 semester course)
* It is possible to combine SvAS 2 and SvAS 3 courses and do them simultaneously during 1 semester.

     The logic of the studying process is - with each next level you get fewer hours at school and more time for your individual work at home.

   First letters, that you should remember are – SFI – Swedish for immigrants or ‘Svenska för invandrare’. SFI is basic Swedish language training for adults who are not Swedish native speakers. Swedish for immigrants is a separate type of school. Now SFI-courses in Örebro are based at Nikolaiskolan, Manillagatan 15-19.

To study at SFI you need:

 - to live in the municipality

 - be over 16

 - have a residence permit (social security number – ‘personnummer’).

    The admission to the course is ongoing. You can register for the course online, using this form. Sometimes, you need to wait the answer for several weeks, be patient. The contact person at SFI is Birgitta Lundh, most probably she will be your first Swedish language teacher at SFI.

     There are two possible options within SFI: General (SFI) and Academic (SFI för akademiker). Both groups follow the same programme. Don’t mix up this division with the one in English language tests, for example. In case of SFI, the word ‘Academic’ means that people in this group have academic background (any studies at university level in any country). It is assumed, that people with academic background learn faster. The ‘Academic’ group starts SFI at C-level (see the scheme), so it skips A and B-levels.

Disadvantages of SFI:

 - It takes quite a lot of time (classes are every day for 3-4 hours)

 - The pace of studying is rather slow. New people join the group, some persons skip the classes, and the teacher tries to follow the middle level of the group. So, there are always a lot of repetitions and you go through the same topics several times.

 - Groups are quite big.

Well, although they claim that they from groups according to the students’ level in Swedish language, it is not always like that. The level can be very different in the same class, which slows down the studying process.

Advantages of SFI:

 - Very little homework

 - Possibility to skip classes (in case you study somewhere else or work)

 - All your classmates will be migrants that will make your network bigger

- It’s FOR FREE

 - Some activities outside your University&Campus circle.

 - You can choose between daytime and evening courses.

     There is one important thing one should understand about SFI-courses. It should be clearly stated that SFI is kind of survival type of education. You shouldn’t expect to get a degree as an interpreter after that or be able to translate “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy into Swedish. These courses are for everybody, people of all ages with different education and background, from different countries. So, I recommend you to keep down your sophisticated linguistic ambitions.

     

SFI-grading system

     According to the description of SFI-course on Svenska Institutet (Swedish Institute) web-site, the last D-level of SFI is equivalent to B1-level in the European language proficiency levels. Well, personally, I disagree with this estimate. To my mind, SFI-courses are all within A-level, they are basic and introductory. According to my experience, people who complete SFI-courses can hardly express themselves and their ability to discuss is very limited.

If you studied Swedish before

     You should remember that Swedes are usually easy to negotiate with. So, talk to people more often. In case you missed a deadline to apply for the course, in case there is no place for you in the group or the level is too easy/hard for you – just talk and I’m sure there will be a solution. If you feel that you are learning faster and want to go to the next level, most probably you will be allowed to do so after you pass the test for the next level. In case, you feel that it is hard for you and you need more time, you can stay at the same level longer than the rest of the group. Some people don’t go to SFI at all, because they studied Swedish somewhere else and they know already the basics. So did I. I started to study Swedish in Örebro on Grundläggande level (see the scheme), I just talked about it and they let me skip the SFI-courses. If you have any questions I recommend you to contact Börje Lundell, a student advisor.

     

     Grundläggande course is a preparatory course for the studies in Gymnasium. It lasts one semester. After passing this course, you will move to the next level – Komvux (KOMmunal VUXenutbildning, ‘municipal adult education’). It is a form of secondary education for adults in Sweden. It is primarily intended for adults who did achieve the grades needed for higher education. Komvux in Örebro is based at Rudbecksskolan, Kungsgatan 31-33.
     After Grundläggande course you go to the Gymnasium level courses: Svenska som Andra Språk 1 (SvAS 1), SvAS 2 and SvAS 3. Gymnasium level means that now you have an ability to study on Swedish Gymnasium level. This doesn’t only include Swedish language. You can choose different courses and subjects (History, Math, etc). Gymnasium - is a preparatory level for the university studies, so both Swedish people and migrants, who completed Grundläggande level in Swedish language, study there.

     As for me, I’m already a university student in Sweden and I only want to study Swedish, so that was my only choice. But usually after finishing Grundläggande course in Swedish, people start to study subjects they need for their future university programmes.

     So, imagine, that now you are at SvAS 1 level. The difference here is:

 - less hours at the class,

 - more time you should spend on working individually

 - more homework.

    At the end of SvAS 1 and SvAS 3 courses you have to write ‘Nationella prov’ (national test). It’s a school exam in Swedish, which is the same in all the schools in Sweden. The task is made in Uppsala. This exam is considered to be very important.

     Swedish students who study Swedish as a subject on Gymnasium level and migrants, studying Swedish as a foreign language, get the same test, but their papers are estimated differently.
     After completing SvAS3 level, you are allowed to apply for University programmes in Swedish language.

     Other ways to learn Swedish

     1. Free courses for exchange students

If you are an exchange or ESN-student, you have a chance to study basic courses in Swedish language (both at introductory level) at Örebro University. These courses are free and organized especially for exchange students. If you are an international Master student, you can try to talk to the teachers and ask about the possibility to join the course, but the groups are usually full and there is no chance to get in, but anyway you can always try. Persons, teaching this course, are Tomas Svensson and Helena Legl.

     2. Folkuniversitetet

     Folkuniversitetet (Public University) is one of the forms of adult education. It offers a big variety of non-degree courses in different disciplines. Education there is not free, prices for the courses you can check on the web-site (1530 SEK for a beginners course, twice a week, 1,5 h), students have discounts for courses at Folkuniversitetet. It is important to mention that you can register for the course without personal identity number, which for example 1-year international Master students don’t get. So, if you are one of them – keep this opportunity in mind. Folkuniversitetet in Örebro offers courses in Swedish in different levels. You can visit one lesson you’re interested in for free, you should register for that on the web-site (prova på lection).

      Komvux or Folkuniversitetet?

     You wonder, what is the difference between Swedish courses at Komvux and Folkuniversitetet? I will explain as I see it. In Folkuniversitetet groups are much smaller (4-6 persons), therefore contact with the teacher is closer and the course time is easier to change. In Folkuniversitetet the registration for the course is ongoing, while in Komvux there are strict deadlines when to apply for courses and there are official dates of the beginning and the end of the course. In general, to make it clear, Komvux is an official education on Gymnasium level, so, it has all the school attributes. Folkuniversitetet is a more relaxed and flexible type of education, which is private and doesn’t necessarily follow official school study-plans.

     I wish you good luck in learning Swedish in Örebro. Lycka till!

And some funny Swedish words for you at the end!