The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Swedish for university staff (SFU)

Lund University offers Swedish language courses for employees with rapid progression, in cooperation with Scandinavian Languages at the Centre for Languages and Literature (SOL).

Content on this page:


Swedish for Danish-speaking LU employees

The course is intended for you if you are expected to be able to teach in Swedish at LU.

Course costs

The course is paid by your department.

Learning outcomes

You will learn first and foremost pronunciation and oral Swedish, but the course will also feature an overview of differences in Swedish and Danish spelling and grammar. Towards the end of the course you are expected tto deliver a short lecture within your academic discipline with a focus on mostly pronunciation and clarity.

Starting date

The course will start when there are enough applicants, which means that it can start at various times during the semester. The starting dates are then announced by the course coordinators, less than two weeks before the start of the course.

Registration

Please fill in the application form available in the right-hand column of this page. 

Swedish for university staff from other countries

Depending on your previous knowledge of Swedish you can take courses at five different levels.

At the end of level four you will be able to understand radio and television programmes on current affairs or topics of personal interest. You will also be able to enter unprepared into conversation on topics that are of interest to you or pertinent to everyday life, to give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans and also be able to write an essay or a report.

During the spring 2024 we are offering the following courses 

Applications can be made for the following courses during spring 2023, but please note: All course starts require a minimum number of applicants/course. Therefore, some course starts may be postponed.

Before you apply, discuss it with your manager.

Lectures once a week

If you have not taken the previous course at Lund University, you must take an entrance test to take a course at the next level (level 2-5).

Level 1: For beginners.

  • Duration: Fourteen weeks.
  • Available 13:15–16:00 or in the evening 17:15–19:30.

Level 2: Continuation course. 

  • Duration: Fourteen weeks.
  • Available 17:15–19:30.

Level 3: Continuation course. 

  • Duration: Fourteen weeks.
  • Available: 17:15–19:30.

Level 4: Continuation course. 

  • Duration: Fourteen weeks.
  • Available: 17:15–19:30.

Level 5: A more advanced course. 

  • Duration: Sixteen weeks.
  • Available: 17:15–19:30.

Read more regarding the learning outcomes for each level

SEK 4 100 each for levels 1–4 and SEK 4 300 for level 5.

The participant's department pays if the participant has taken part in at least two lectures. If a participant does not finish the course after having taken two or more lessons, we cannot guarantee a place for him/her the next time the course is provided (especially on the first levels). 

Register for a course

Please fill in the application form available in the right-hand column of this page.  

Starting date

The courses are given whenever a sufficient number of people have signed up, which means that the courses may start at different times during the semester. You will be notified of the starting date as soon as the course coordinators know, and no less than two weeks before the start of the course.

If you are unable to wait for the course to start, there are other Swedish language courses available, see information about other possibilities in the right-hand column.


The learning outcomes for each level of SFU

On completion of the course SFU level 1 the student shall:

  • be able to account for a few very simple grammatical structures and syntax patterns from a set studied
  • be able to describe a few cultural aspects of Swedish society, such as certain customs
  • be able to ask and respond to simple questions orally and make and respond to simple statements in familiar areas (oral proficiency)
  • be able to write very short text with short phrases and sentences describing, for example, family, home situation or educational background (written proficiency)
  • be able to follow and summarise slow and clear speech (listening comprehension)
  • be able to read and summarise short texts featuring highly frequent words, including certain shared international words (reading comprehension)

On completion of the course SFU level 2 the student shall:

  • be able to account for a few simple grammatical structures and syntax patterns from a set studied
  • be able to describe some fundamental traits of Swedish pronunciation
  • be able to describe a few cultural aspects of Swedish society, such as a certain customs or everyday circumstances
  • be able to interact in prepared situations and short conversations in a relaxed manner, provided that the interlocutor provides help, when required (oral proficiency)
  • be able to write short basic descriptions of events, previous activities and personal experiences, using connectives (written proficiency)
  • be able to understand and summarise clear standard Swedish describing familiar things, provided that clarifications are made, when required (listening comprehension)
  • be able to understand and summarise short simple texts on familiar subjects, featuring highly frequent vocabulary on every day and working situations (reading comprehension)

On completion of the course SFU level 3 the student shall:

  • be able to account for simple grammatical structures and syntax patterns in modern Swedish
  • be able to describe a few cultural aspects of Swedish society, such as an important person in Swedish history
  • be able to account for a topical issue in Swedish public life
  • be able to engage in conversations on familiar topics, express personal views and exchange information on familiar topics or current events, without previous preparation (oral proficiency)
  • be able to write short coherent text on several well-known subjects in an individual field of interest (written proficiency)
  • be able to understand and summarise the main content of clear standard Swedish describing common subjects concerning leisure activities, work, etc (listening comprehension)
  • be able to find and summarise relevant information in everyday reading matter, such as letters, leaflets and short public circulars (reading comprehension)

On completion of the course SFU level 4 the student shall:

  • be able to account for a few key aspects of the morphology and syntax of modern Swedish
  • be able to account for topical issues in current Swedish public debate
  • be able to describe a chosen Swedish literary text and its author
  • be able to make a prepared simple presentation on a familiar subject (oral proficiency)
  • be able to write clear and detailed texts on several different subjects (written proficiency)
  • be able to understand and summarise both general content and specific details of uncomplicated factual information (listening comprehension)
  • be able to summarise uncomplicated factual texts in a familiar field with satisfactory degree of comprehension (reading comprehension)

On completion of the course SFU level 5 the student shall:

  • account for some key aspects of the morphological and syntactical structure of modern Swedish
  • account for a few current events in different societal contexts covered in Swedish mass media and with satisfactory understanding account for uncomplicated non-fiction texts on a familiar subject (reading comprehension)
  • provide arguments for or against a certain position and explain the advantages and disadvantages of different views (oral proficiency)
  • hold a talk on a familiar subject (oral proficiency)
  • write clear, detailed and syntactically correct texts on several different subjects and compile and evaluate information and arguments from different sources (written proficiency)
  • follow and report a long oral presentation (listening comprehension)
  • read and summarise articles and features on topical issues (reading comprehension)

Contact

Anna Flyman Mattsson
Språk- och litteraturcentrum, SOL (Centre for Languages and Literature) 
+46 46 222 87 01
anna [dot] flyman_mattsson [at] nordlund [dot] lu [dot] se (anna[dot]flyman_mattsson[at]nordlund[dot]lu[dot]se)

Niklas Bernsand
Språk- och litteraturcentrum, SOL (Centre for Languages and Literature)
+46 46 222 88 19
niklas [dot] bernsand [at] sol [dot] lu [dot] se

Register for a course

Fill in the application form, note which course you are interested in and have it signed by the head of your department.

Application form for SFU courses (Word 98 kB, new tab)

Scan the document and send it to: