Svenska eller engelska? The million-dollar question

I moved from New York City to Sweden just over two years ago. When I meet new people here, one of the most common questions I get asked is which language I prefer to speak, English or Swedish. (The other most common question is “Trivs du i Sverige?” which I will leave for a later and more in depth discussion.) 

Depending on the person and situation, I often feel like the correct answer should be Swedish. We are in Sweden, after all, so I should learn and speak the native language. Eller hur? There’s definitely a sizable population in the United States who take issue with immigrants who can’t speak English. Why should it be any different for me? 

And yet.

It is hard to deny that when it comes to English, there is a different set of expectations. According to a Babbel article published two months before I decamped to Sweden, “Of the roughly 1.5 billion people in the world who speak English, over 1 billion speak it as a second language.” This same article provides a countdown of the top non-native English speaking countries. Unsurprisingly, Sweden is ranked number two. Only the Netherlands scored a higher proficiency.   

So where does this leave a recent transplant whose mother tongue (and let’s be honest, only tongue) is English? Before moving here, I assumed that everyone would be comfortable speaking English. This assumption, however, was exactly that, an assumption. One based on statistics and the fact that my husband’s family and close friends spoke English with me seemingly without any issues.      

The truth is that the ‘boots-on-the ground’ perspective is vastly different and more complex than the limited perception I used to have about Sweden and English. During my first year here I encountered far more people than I anticipated who refused to speak English even upon realizing how limited my Swedish ordf?rr?d was. At times it was both perplexing and frustrating. If you see someone struggling to communicate and have the means to bail them out, why not throw them that life vest? 

And yet.

My time living in a foreign country has taught me how challenging it is to step outside of one’s comfort zone, dare to make mistakes, and build meaningful connections when there’s a linguistic or cultural barrier. The rewards, however, of facing these challenges and viewing others with empathy, patience and understanding, are endless.  

For the past half year I’ve been studying online marketing in Swedish with a fantastic group of people with different backgrounds and perspectives. We recently had a discussion about diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and it made me take a closer look at my own experiences and expectations when it comes to my new home.    

I admit that I’m still very grateful when I encounter someone willing to speak English with me, but I also have a much greater appreciation for those who speak Swedish and thereby force me to adjust and to grow. 

My hope is that one day I won’t feel quite so self-conscious every time I speak, but in the meantime I will continue to be thankful for every meaningful interaction and conversation I have in any language. Most of all, I hope my own experiences inspire others to dare to break down those barriers and give people the benefit of the doubt if they encounter someone who seems a little quiet or is struggling to communicate. 

V?ga s?ga Hej! Hur g?r det? och bonuspo?ng om du pratar ditt andra spr?k med ett varmt leende!