The Cactus Course Outlines provide a learning framework for the Cactus Foreign Language Evening Courses. They are designed to provide you with a good idea of what you might cover over a 10-week period, and include typical themes, grammar and vocabulary fields. They are flexible rather than prescriptive, in that our teachers may decide to adapt their learning plans to the specific level, aims and interests of their classes. Use the tabs below to view the relevant Swedish course outline for your level.
Swedish Beginner 1
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Introducing yourself and others
- Greetings and goodbyes
- Family
- At home
- Daily routines
- At work
- In the shop
- Ordering food and drink
- At the station
- Professions
Grammar:
- Word order – questions
- Personal pronouns
- Indefinite form of nouns
- Present simple
- uestion words
- Questions with interrogatives
- Pronunciation – long and short vowel
- The indefinite form of nouns
- Normal word order
- The Swedish alphabet
- Numbers
- Times of the day
- Definite form of nouns
- Word order
- The present tense and imperative form of verbs
- The infinitive form of verbs
- The plural form of nouns
- Modal verbs
- Prepositions “i” and “på”
Cultural Content:
- Swedish culture
- Live and work in Sweden
Skills Work:
- Speaking activities such as introducing yourself and others, asking basic questions and buying and ordering food
- Basic pronunciation such as short and long vowels
- Listening for basic information
- Writing short messages
Swedish Beginner 2
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Leisure
- Activities – what do you want to do?
- Culture
- The future
- Family and friends
- Then and now – talking about past events
- In the supermarket
- In a new country
- Food and drink – likes and dislikes
Grammar:
- The infinitive and present tense form of verbs
- Adverbs: aldrig, sällan, ibland, ofta, alltid
- Weekdays
- Modals
- Inflection of adjectives
- Word order
- Adjectives
- The future with “ska”, “planerar”, “tänker” etc.
- Past tense of verbs
- Possessive pronouns
- Time expressions in the past
- Relative pronoun “som”
- Prepositions “bakom”, “under”, “framför” etc.
- Adjectives: comparative and superlative
- Word order
- Phrasal verbs
- Indefinite and definite plural forms
Cultural Content:
- Swedish culture
- Swedish food
- Live and work in Sweden
- Famous Swedes
- Formal and informal greetings
Skills Work:
- Speaking activities such as asking for help and clarification, talking about past events and arranging meetings
- Basic pronunciation
- Listening exercises
- Writing short messages
Swedish Beginner 3
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Tourism
- Sweden – country and climate
- Travelling in Sweden
- Transportation
- Getting around in Sweden – asking for directions
- On the phone
- Writing messages – sms, emails, notes
- Typically Swedish
- Facts about Sweden
Grammar:
- Present Perfect
- Prepositions with time
- Weather, months and seasons
- Time adverbs
- Revision of dates
- Revision of modal verbs
- Means of transport
- Time prepositions
- Verbs “går” and “åker”
- Prepositions – place
- Pronouns objective
- Word order – review
- Prepositions – review
- Compound words
- Swedish – informal and formal language
- Verb forms – review
Cultural Content:
- Swedish culture
- Swedish traditions
- Education in Sweden
- Swedish at work
- Travelling in Sweden
Skills Work:
- Speaking activities such as describing likes and dislikes , telephone conversations, asking for and giving directions
- Writing practice such as text messages and emails
- Listening exercises
- Pronunciation rules
Swedish Elementary 1
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Internet
- Giving instructions
- Making plans
- Eating out
- At work
- Professional life
- In the city and on the countryside
- Swedish etiquette
- At the party
Grammar:
- Adjectives – characteristics
- Nouns – review
- The pronoun “man”
- IT vocabulary
- Demonstrative pronouns “den här”, “den där”
- Conjunctions “eller”, “men”, “för” and “så”
- Adjectives: comparative and superlative – review
- Verbs – review
- Time expressions
- Adverbs
- Time prepositions – review
- Reported speech
- Pronouns ”ingen, inget, inga”
- Subordinate conjunctions
- Word order – Subordinate clauses
- Writing invitations
- Comparing options
Cultural Content:
- Swedish culture
- Working in Sweden
- Swedish etiquette
- Cultural differences
- Swedish nature
Skills Work:
- Speaking activities such as giving instructions, making suggestions and giving advice, giving and asking for personal information, expressing opinions and beliefs, ordering food and drinks
- Pronunciation
- Listening exercises
- Writing practice such as emails, invitations, CV and letters
Swedish Elementary 2
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Swedish news
- Travelling in Sweden
- Describing people
- Education
- At work
- In the future
- Housing
- How do you live?
- Living in the city and countryside
Grammar:
- Possessive pronouns – review
- Verbs tycka, tänka, tro
- Asking for and giving information
- Adjectives – review
- Reflexive pronouns
- Listening for information
- Word order – review
- Giving personal background information
- Different ways to talk about the future
- Time prepositions – review
- Prepositions of place
- Adjectives: comparatives and superlatives revision
- Describing and comparing
- Irregular adjectives
- Subordinate clauses
Cultural content:
- Sweden in the news
- Swedish culture
- Living and working in Sweden
- Studying in Sweden
Skills Work:
- Speaking activities such as making future plans, asking for and giving travel information and making arrangements
- Writing practice such as emails, letters and short articles
- Pronunciation
- Listening exercises
Swedish Elementary 3
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Communication
- In the work place
- Small talk
- Health
- ow are you feeling?
- Life style
- Mass media
- News
Grammar:
- Word order: subordinate clauses
- The definite form of adjectives
- Formal and informal
- Question words – review
- Short answers “Ja, det gör jag”, ”Nej, det gör jag inte”
- The word ”Jo”
- Time prepositions: How often?
- Subordinate conjunctions
- Noun forms – review
- Regular verbs – revision
- Irregular verbs
- Irregular verbs
Cultural Content:
- Travelling in Sweden
- Swedish culture
- Formal and informal language
- Sweden in the news
- Living in Sweden
- Swedish etiquette
Skills Work:
- Speaking activities such as opening and closing phone calls, agreeing and disagreeing and asking for advice
- Writing practice such as messages and short articles
- Pronunciation
- Listening exercises
Swedish Advanced
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Swedish traditions
- Swedish festivals
- Swedish literature
- Stereotypes
- In the office
- Consumer rights – making complaints
- Working in Sweden
- Professional life
- Employment
Grammar:
- Indefinite form of nouns review
- Verb tenses review
- Idioms
- Irregular verbs
- Adjectives review
- Word order review
- Transitive and intransitive verbs
- Demonstrative pronouns review
- Word order review
- Prepositional phrases
- Evaluative adjectives
Cultural Content:
- Swedish culture
- Swedish traditions
- Swedish festivals
- Swedish literature
- Working in Sweden
- Idiomatic expressions
- Formal and informal language
Skills Work:
- Speaking activities such as making complaints, discuss problems and suggest solutions, expressing opinions
- Writing practice such as emails and letters
- Pronunciation
- Listening exercises
Swedish Proficiency
Topics & Vocabulary:
- Family and friends
- Home- and family life
- Swedish film
- Norse mythology
- Heroes
- The old and the new
- Swedish codes
- Typically Swedish
- Working in Sweden
Grammar:
- Verbs “ligger, står, sitter”
- Idioms colours
- Prepositions review
- Adjectives review
- Verb tenses review
- Conjunctions
- Informal and formal language
- Phrasal verbs
- Nouns review
- Adjectives review
Cultural Content:
- Swedish culture
- Swedish film
- Swedish history
- Religion in Sweden
- Swedish codes
- Working in Sweden
Skills Work:
- Speaking activities such as discussing current issues, advantages and disadvantages and comparing views
- Writing practice such as emails and letters
- Pronunciation
- Listening exercises
