Why do Swedes learn the English language so easily?

[Squisher]

Being a Red Wings hockey fan it has been my pleasure to see and hear a lot of foreign players get acclimated to America. It seems that those from the Scandinavian countries, Swedes, Fins, etc. seem to pick up the English language in an incredibly fast rate. After a year here they're ready for TV interviews and 10 years down the road they have no accent.

Why?

 

[Anubis]

because they know how to make the "L" sound

 

[E equals MC2]

Originally posted by: Anubis
because they know how to make the "L" sound

He's light. Risten to him.

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: E equals MC2

Originally posted by: Anubis
because they know how to make the "L" sound

He's light. Risten to him.

"R" sound comes in handy as wel,

 

[0roo0roo]

cuz everything kewl is in english.

even abba sang in english...not swedish

 

[ggnl]

Because Scandinavia is full of cunning linguists?

 

[0roo0roo]

A majority of Swedes, especially those born after World War II, are able to understand and speak English thanks to trade links, the popularity of overseas travel, a strong Anglo-American influence and the tradition of subtitling rather than dubbing foreign television shows and films. English whether in American and British dialects, became a compulsory subject for secondary school students studying natural sciences as early as 1849 and has been a compulsory subject for all Swedish students since the late 1940s.[3]

Depending on the local school authorities, English is currently a compulsory subject from third until ninth grade, and all students continuing in secondary school study English for at least another year. Most students also learn one and sometimes two additional languages; the most popular being Spanish, German and French. Some Danish and Norwegian is, at times, also taught as part of the Swedish course taught to native speakers of Swedish to emphasize differences and similarities between the languages. In the early 2000s, Sweden experienced an influx of economic immigrants from Eastern Europe, esp. the Baltic states restored their independence (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) had searched for employment in Sweden, are required to learn the Swedish language if they want to become permanent citizens or have temporary work permits.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...eden#Learned_languages

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
Learned languages
Sign outside a store in Stockholm featuring text in Swedish, English, Russian and Arabic.
Sign outside a store in Stockholm featuring text in Swedish, English, Russian and Arabic.

A majority of Swedes, especially those born after World War II, are able to understand and speak English thanks to trade links, the popularity of overseas travel, a strong Anglo-American influence and the tradition of subtitling rather than dubbing foreign television shows and films. English whether in American and British dialects, became a compulsory subject for secondary school students studying natural sciences as early as 1849 and has been a compulsory subject for all Swedish students since the late 1940s.[3]

Depending on the local school authorities, English is currently a compulsory subject from third until ninth grade, and all students continuing in secondary school study English for at least another year. Most students also learn one and sometimes two additional languages; the most popular being Spanish, German and French. Some Danish and Norwegian is, at times, also taught as part of the Swedish course taught to native speakers of Swedish to emphasize differences and similarities between the languages. In the early 2000s, Sweden experienced an influx of economic immigrants from Eastern Europe, esp. the Baltic states restored their independence (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) had searched for employment in Sweden, are required to learn the Swedish language if they want to become permanent citizens or have temporary work permits.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L...eden#Learned_languages

Ooo, a real answer, thanks.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Norwegians speak it almost natively. Scandinavia has probably the most intelligent people on the planet.

 

[paulxcook]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Norwegians speak it almost natively. Scandinavia has probably the most intelligent people on the planet.

Which is weird when you think about how they descend from wacko Viking pillagers.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Originally posted by: paulxcook

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Norwegians speak it almost natively. Scandinavia has probably the most intelligent people on the planet.

Which is weird when you think about how they descend from wacko Viking pillagers.

We didn't fall too far from that tree either.

 

[Riverhound777]

I used to know a couple from Sweden a while back online. They were regular people, one worked in a paper factory. But they both knew like seven languages. It is very common over there.

 

[polarmystery]

Originally posted by: ggnl
Because Scandinavia is full of cunning linguists?

I C WUT U DID THAR!

 

[yours truly]

they're brilliant at counter strike..

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: paulxcook

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Norwegians speak it almost natively. Scandinavia has probably the most intelligent people on the planet.

Which is weird when you think about how they descend from wacko Viking pillagers.

half of england probably has viking blood. i wouldn't at all be surprised to find out more people have viking blood than british blood. the danes ruled much of england for about a century before being driven out. and then william the conqueror, a viking, took the whole country.

 

[Foxery]

Because they value learning languages more than most cultures do. They put in more effort than most of us, and succeed.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: Squisher
Being a Red Wings hockey fan it has been my pleasure to see and hear a lot of foreign players get acclimated to America. It seems that those from the Scandinavian countries, Swedes, Fins, etc. seem to pick up the English language in an incredibly fast rate. After a year here they're ready for TV interviews and 10 years down the road they have no accent.

Why?

English lessons by meat injection?

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: ggnl
Because Scandinavia is full of cunning linguists?

don't ask

don't tell

 

[Saint Michael]

Swedish and English are also quite similar. They're both Germanic languages that have simplified their grammar in very similar ways. Besides that English was significantly influenced by Old Norse, the language Swedish descended from.

 

[txrandom]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: paulxcook

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
Norwegians speak it almost natively. Scandinavia has probably the most intelligent people on the planet.

Which is weird when you think about how they descend from wacko Viking pillagers.

half of england probably has viking blood. i wouldn't at all be surprised to find out more people have viking blood than british blood. the danes ruled much of england for about a century before being driven out. and then william the conqueror, a viking, took the whole country.

I don't know if I would call William the Conqueror a Viking. He was descended from a line of Vikings, but that doesn't necessarily mean he is one.

 

[JohnAn2112]

You watched an interview with Nik Lidstrom, didn't ya? I was suprised at how little of an accent he has as well. Even Forsberg speaks with almost no accent.

 

[wwswimming]

it's the Glug.

wine, honey, vodka, raisins.

i learned some German. "Du bist ein un fowler hunt". (you are a lazy dog.)
my neighbor said it to her dachsund.

Got Jule. (Happy New Year.) Tak for Motton. (thanks for the food).

 

[Uppsala9496]

As previously mentioned, english is taught at a very early age.
Also, swedish and english do share a lot of common words (or at least very similar sounding).
Days of the week are very similar for example.


Another helpful thing is they don't dub television shows/movies. Closed caption text runs along the bottom in swedish.

 

[eits]

because their language is really close to ours.

 

[yours truly]

Originally posted by: eits
because their language is really close to ours.

have to disagree with you there, aside from using the alphabet its nothing like english.

have tried to learn swedish, and its very hard. pronunciation is especially tricky

still, i know most swedish swear words through years of CS

norwegians/swedes can understand each other very well though..