DIY Swedish Immersion

Age is no barrier. Small budgets will do. Time invested flies. If you’re older, a student (or both), you’ll find your time advantage is the only one you'll need.

The modern tools and options available to you are mostly free, and inexpensive where they're not. Like a Viking in a raiding party, the wealth at your fingertips can leave you wondering what to grab first!

Gone for good is the notion that only kids can pick up another language.* Whatever your new language, you can emulate the immersive world in which you acquired English, and with the advantage of already knowing one language.

If your experience with Swedish has involved only the few class hours a week you could get in high school or college, or one of the old book-and-cassette or -CD courses, you will be amazed at the vibrant, constantly refreshed content available now. I'll show you exactly what I mean in upcoming posts.

Modern instruction also has a "custom feel" to it. If you live in a major metro area, you may find Swedish organizations which offer classes and utilize modern books (distinct from textbooks). Thanks to the "gig economy," you might even add some private instruction to your classes or self-study. If there are no local teachers, it's easy to find live, private instruction via the Internet. You can bring together your own personalized, DIY classroom.

The DIY part is all about collecting your own unique bag of tricks. I'll be providing details on the things I've chosen and how I use them. Adopt from that whatever you like, when and where it's beneficial to you.

This seems like a good spot for making the jump. See my next post, "Vocabulary Lists Are Ancient History."

* I'm cross-pollinating topics here -- the book "Guitar Zero" is a testament to the human ability to keep learning. It is also loaded with research and citations regarding adult learning in fields other than music. You can pickup a used copy for about US$6 (as of this writing) on Amazon.