Learning Swedish

The municipality offers Swedish lessons to all residents who do not speak Swedish. The training starts with Swedish for Immigrants (SFI), and can be followed up by advanced courses. The lessons are free of charge.

Swedish lessons are available at three levels:

• SFI, or Swedish for Immigrants
• Swedish at the level of primary school (SAS “grundläggande svenska”)
• Swedish at the level of upper secondary school (SAS “gymnasiesvenska”)

Basic training SFI

SFI is a basic language training for adults. It is offered at four subsequent levels, depending on your knowledge of Swedish and how much schooling you had in your country of origin.

• A: for those who did not learn how to read or write in their own mother tongue.
• B: for those who can read and write in their mother tongue, but do not have any prior knowledge of Swedish.
• C: the next level for those who finished level B.
• D: the fourth level which completes this basic training in Swedish.

The training will be adapted to your own educational background, competences and aims. We differentiate between three learning paths, of which the first is targeted at those who had very little schooling in their country of origin, and the third at those who are used to studying.

We advise you to complete the SFI training up to level D if you want to be able to understand and be understood in Sweden.

Advanced courses SAS

When you have passed the test in SFI D, you can continue studying Swedish as a second language at the level of primary and upper secondary education.

• SAS “grundläggande svenska” corresponds to the level in Swedish that Swedish children have when they leave primary school at the age of about 15 (1 year).
• SAS “gymnasiesvenska” is equivalent to the knowledge of Swedish of those leaving upper secondary school at about 19 (1-3 years).

The course in Swedish as a second language at the level of primary education takes about one year (parttime). The upper secondary level consists of three one-year courses, SAS 1, 2 and 3. It is compulsary to have a certificate in SAS 3 if you wish to be admitted to a university in Sweden. When you complete SAS 3, you will be able to express yourself well in Swedish, both formally and informally.

The time it takes to complete all courses in Swedish is much dependent on your own ambitions and circumstances. You can go fast or slow – choose your own pace in consultation with your teachers.

Sign up

In order to participate, you need to

• be registered in the municipality of Torsby,
• have a permanent civic registration number,
• have a permanent residence permit (PUT).

Sign up for Swedish lessons by making an appointment with the coordinator, Mikael Bodén: mikael.boden@torsby.se, tel. +46 560 163 11.

All language courses are held in Torsby's upper secondary school, the Stjerneskolan, Fabriksgatan 3, Torsby.