Sweden Trivia: English

Photo by Ulf Hinds, Stockholms Visitors Board 

One good thing to know when travelling to Stockholm and Sweden is that just about everyone speaks English... and many even speak a third language with little bit less proficiency. EF (Education First) just released a study where they ranked English proficiency in 40 different countries and Sweden came in 4th place. In a separate European Union study, Sweden ranked as 2nd place of all EU countries when it came to speaking English: 85% of Swedes reported being comfortable conversing in English. English is compulsory for all students in Sweden and starts at a very young age  Students are also given the choice of studying a third language (often French, German or Spanish) a little later on. Another reason for the high proficiency is that no movies or TV shows are dubbed (except for young children), all are shown with subtitles.
What does this mean for you as a visitor? Don't be afraid to ask for directions or help while travelling through Sweden! Swedes, especially the younger generations, are proud of their language skills and happy to try them out with visitors.
Click here for more trivia and fun facts about Stockholm & Sweden.

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Write by: AN - Saturday, April 2, 2011