Swedish is one language that is not widely spoken outside of its native territory. Swedish people also tend to have good English, so it used to be hard to find good Swedish resources or people to use the language with. Now, however, thanks to a national push to help immigrants speak Swedish, there is a plethora of quality Swedish resources that we can partake in as Swedish learners.
I also have some articles on my website to help with language learning that I recommend you check out.
Here are some Swedish resources that I personally recommend:
Grammar & Fundamentals
Essentials of Swedish Grammar
ISBN: 978-0844285399
My main grammar book. Nothing but the stuff you need but with good quality explanations.
Basic Swedish: A Grammar and Workbook
ISBN: 978-1138779570
A very good grammar book combined with useful exercises. The best of both worlds: good quality grammar and exercises that make you think.
Swedish: A Comprehensive Grammar
ISBN: 978-0415669252
The same series as the previous book but much, much expanded. Every piece of grammar you would need to get to C2. I love this series, so I recommend this if you are serious about Swedish and have experience with the abstract terminology like transitive verbs. No nonsense grammar.
Rivstart: A1+A2
ISBN: 978-9127434202
A grammar textbook in full Swedish that is used for immigrants in Sweden. Because the textbook itself uses Swedish, I cannot recommend it for self-studiers, but maybe if you get to A2 or B1, this is a great thing to go back to to solidify your knowledge.
uTalk
(Disclosure: You can get this deal because of my affiliate status)
Get 30% off any purchase from uTalk. This is a good source of basic vocab. If you don’t want to find the critical vocab on your own through trial and error, uTalk can just give you all the vocab for a certain topic with memorization exercises, games, etc.
Glossika
(Disclosure: You can get this deal because of my affiliate status)
Get a 7-day free trial with my link. This is a AI generated language learning platform that can introduce you to sentences that expose you to grammar and vocab.
Sources of Input
SVT
Public news of Sweden. Articles and some news videos made for native speakers. Also has an iOS and Android app.
SVT Play
Free on-demand streaming content from Sweden’s public broadcaster (Netflix clone). You will probably need a VPN to see this outside of Sweden. A few months ago, I could see part of the content here in the US without a VPN, but recently I cannot access this website without a VPN because the site just gives me “Just nu har vi tekniska problem.”
Also available as an iOS or Android app.
News in Easy Swedish
One show on SVT Play that deserves special attention because it is news in full Swedish, but a simplified form that is easier for learners to understand.
SVT Barn
An offshoot of SVT Play for children. It is a streaming service with full Swedish content for children. There are a lot of good original Swedish shows at a level that a child can understand. Like SVT Play, you can see a lot of content outside of Sweden, but some content is geoblocked, meaning you need to be in Sweden or have a VPN. Also available in an iOS and Android app.
Surfshark VPN
(Disclosure: You can get this deal because of my affiliate status)
Get 82% off a Surfshark plan plus 2 months free with my link. Very useful for accessing Swedish resources and content on streaming platforms or some geolocked content like SVT Play or SVT Barn.
YouTube: SVT Humor
Comedy content from Sweden’s public broadcaster
Nyhetsmorgon
A morning show in full Swedish for natives
YouTube: Svenska med Anastasia
Vocab, grammar, and daily life in Sweden from a Swedish teacher
YouTube: Marie Rödemark Swedish for beginners
Vocab and grammar for beginners
YouTube: Peter SFI
Swedish grammar in full (slow) Swedish
YouTube: Gunilla M
Swedish listening practice for beginners
YouTube: Tänk till
Street interviews and Buzzfeed-style people-focused content in full native-level Swedish. It’s native level, but it’s a comfortable speaking style (not as intense as news) and always with subtitles.
Swedish Learning Tools
Reverso
This is a great dictionary because it takes Swedish sentences off the internet so you know you’re using the word correctly based on the context. Also available on iOS and Android.
The People’s Dictionary
A simple but useful English/Swedish dictionary. The UI is a little jank, but it gets the job done. It gives you a lot of words based on your one search, and you need to find the one you need. I appreciate that every entry has the several forms of all nouns, adjectives, or verbs. I also appreciate the audio on most words for pronunciation.
italki
(Disclosure: You can get this deal because of my affiliate status)
Get $10 in italki credits after spending $20. italki is a fantastic platform to find Swedish tutors based on your needs. You can find a professional teacher with a strict curriculum, a casual teacher with whom you can have comfortable conversations, or a non-native teacher that can explain the fundamentals in your native language.