Jag ber om ursäkt (I apologise), but I’ve been too busy actually learning Swedish to write much on this website!
However, while I was updating the ‘Recommended Resources for Learning Swedish’ page just now (I recently discovered some great new stuff), I figured that I should add a quick article to highlight some smartphone apps I’ve been finding invaluable.
So here you are, the best four apps for learning Swedish from my Android smartphone. Most of them I use every single day to improve my reading/listening skills, learn new words and consolidate the grammar I should have studied but didn’t…
1. SVT Nyheter
For the last year or so, this is the first app I look at each day (in any language), to get my news fix! Look out for the link at the top of the page early each morning – “Här är nattens nyheter” – which’ll tell you what’s been happening while you were asleep, both internationally and in Sweden itself.
2. 8Sidor
The name means ‘8 Pages’, so it’s a short daily newspaper featuring simplified articles and audio recordings. The app is free, as is the website, which means it’s probably funded by the state. Production quality is a little hit or miss and it’s weekdays only, which is a pain. But for £0.00, there’s little better out there for language learners.
This handy app has the main state radio stations, all in one place. Just click the one you prefer, according to your mood. P1 for news and serious stuff, P2 for highbrow classical music, P3 is pop, and P4 local news. Perfect for getting in extra listening practice while you’re doing your chores!
4. SVT Play
Watch Swedish T.V. with this, including the fantastic Nyheter på lätt svenska (News in Easy Swedish). Bear in mind that a lot of Swedish TV is rights-protected, meaning you won’t be able to watch dramas, sports and so on if you’re not actually in Sweden. Some people get around this using a VPN…
Got any good apps of your own to share?
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