Families living abroad who are planning a move to Sweden with teenage children often look for a structured, academically rigorous strategy for developing their children’s Swedish. A pass grade in Swedish at the end of Year 9 is required for eligibility for upper secondary education in Sweden. Advanced proficiency in Swedish, together with a complete upper secondary education, is also required for general eligibility for higher education in Sweden.
Reaching these levels while the child’s main language of schooling is another language requires a long-term strategy. This is why Global Svenska Plus exists.Many families with one or two Swedish parents living abroad speak Swedish at home with their children, often with the aim of enabling them to study or work in Sweden in the future. However, maintaining and developing a high level of Swedish while living abroad takes commitment and regular practice. A structured approach is often needed to reach an advanced level.
Online Swedish tuition and academic guidance
In our online groups, teacher-led lessons are normally 60 minutes long. In addition to lesson time, students are expected to devote time to reading and to completing the assignments set by their teacher each week. This ensures that the overall amount of study is sufficient to give students a realistic opportunity to maintain age-appropriate development in Swedish.
Our fully tailored programmes are adapted to each student’s language level and individual needs. The aim, however, remains the same: to enable the student to achieve an advanced level of Swedish and, where appropriate, meet the requirements for eligibility in the subject. This means that by the age of 14, students need to be able to use Swedish with a high degree of confidence and independence.
Global Svenska Plus sets high expectations for both teachers and students. All our teachers are fully qualified and have international experience of their own. They are also experienced in teaching multilingual children and young people, including in online settings.
We use coursebooks and literary texts, but much of our teaching material is developed by our experienced teachers to better meet the needs of our particular student population. A strong focus on vocabulary development and written expression is common to all our courses. Students therefore receive regular, detailed feedback on their work. This can feel demanding at first, but if the goal is to develop a high academic level of Swedish, consistent feedback and revision are essential.
Sofia Distans plus Global Svenska Plus
For several years, we have enabled students aged 12–16 to work towards Swedish grades through our collaboration with Sofia Distans. Our teachers work closely with the Sofia Distans teachers, reviewing, explaining and following up on the course material and assignments that form the basis of the Swedish grade awarded by Sofia Distans.
Normally, students meet their Global Svenska Plus tutor online every school week.
Swedish within the IB Middle Years Programme
Global Svenska Plus can also provide fully tailored programmes for students following the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), always in collaboration with one of our partner schools.
At around the age of 15, students also need to consider whether to prepare for IBDP Swedish A (International Baccalaureate) or TISUS, the qualifying test in Swedish for university studies in Sweden, as their next step.
Students rarely need to change teacher or teaching group when making this transition. The content of the courses can often be combined, and our teachers have the expertise to support students throughout this progression.
State-subsidised mother-tongue education
Since 2023, our mother-tongue courses based on the Swedish curriculum for supplementary education for Swedish pupils abroad have been eligible for state subsidy under the Swedish National Agency for Education’s regulations governing mother-tongue education for Swedish children and young people living abroad (SKOLFS 2008:9).
Most students study in online, teacher-led groups of three to five students with a similar level of Swedish. Lessons take place via Zoom or Google Meet during the school year, with regular reading and writing assignments between lessons.
All our teachers are experienced professionals with valid teaching qualifications.Where we have teachers based locally, we accept children from approximately the age of 10 for face-to-face tuition.
Our online provision is generally suitable for students from around the age of 13. They need to be able to understand and communicate in Swedish to a reasonable extent. However, language proficiency can vary considerably even among students of the same age. All new students therefore complete a language assessment before admission.
In some cases, the assessment indicates that we are unable to place a student in one of our standard groups. When this happens, we recommend alternative solutions that may be more appropriate for the student’s needs.
Our courses can also be commissioned by schools and Swedish school associations that do not have appropriately qualified teachers available.
Language proficiency levels
We frequently use the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) when assessing and evaluating students’ language development.
Levels A1–A2 describe a learner with limited everyday language skills. B1–B2 represent an intermediate level at which the learner can speak and write about most subjects without significant difficulty. C1–C2 represent advanced proficiency, where the learner can use the language confidently and independently in academic and professional contexts.
Standard mother tongue packages include
- Diagnosis
- Scheduled teaching with certified teachers of Swedish
- Teaching materials and fiction
- Individualized exercises
- Individual feedback on texts and exercises
PLEASE NOTE: Registration for the 2026–27 academic year is now closed.