Language

The following articles have been tagged with "Language":

'Millennium' film opens to rousing US reviews

Society: 19 Mar 10
The first of the Stieg Larsson Millenium trilogy films, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, has opened to resounding reviews from US critics and audiences not known for cherishing obscure subtitled films from Scandinavia. READ »

What's On in Sweden: March 19th - 25th

Lifestyle: 17 Mar 10
What’s on in Sweden: Ship shape tour in Stockholm, Cameroonian Jazz in Gothenburg and a spin on Cinderella in Malmö. Plus English comedy in Linköping. READ »

'Foreign student places under threat': agency

Education: 12 Mar 10
New admissions regulations for Swedish universities set to be introduced in the autumn are likely to mean fewer places available for foreign students and could be in breach of EU law, according to the National Agency for Higher Education. READ »

What's On in Sweden: March 12th - 18th

Lifestyle: 11 Mar 10
What’s on in Sweden: Fly Fishing in Stockholm, Josh Rouse (pictured) in Gothenburg and the scouts hold a jumble sale in Malmö. READ »

Top flight club bans foreign language use

Sport: 10 Mar 10
Swedish top flight football club Brommapojkarna (BP) has introduced a language policy requiring all players to speak Swedish to each other in order to be eligible for selection. READ »

US 'Jihad Jane' linked to plot to kill cartoonist

National: 10 Mar 10
An American woman known as "Jihad Jane" was charged by US authorities on Tuesday with conspiring to kill Swedish Muhammad cartoonist Lars Vilks. READ »

Police probe cop blogger over furtive glans

National: 9 Mar 10
Police in southern Sweden are investigating claims by an anonymous officer that he and a colleague secretly dabbed the tips of their sex organs against parts of a car driven by female co-workers. READ »

Blogger profile: Patrick Reilly

Analysis & Opinion: 8 Mar 10
New arrival and active blogger Patrick Reilly speaks to Peter Vinthagen Simpson about his nascent attempts to become a fully-fledged Swedetalker. READ »

Immigrants cleaning Swedish cities: report

National: 2 Mar 10
Immigrants workers make up 41 percent of Sweden's cleaners despite accounting for only 16 percent of the workforce. In the cities the numbers are even higher, a new report shows. READ »

Win tickets to action-packed English-language theatre show

Lifestyle: 2 Mar 10
Stockholm theatre group Improvisation and Co. is currently wowing Stockholm audiences with its ad hoc brand of thrilling on-stage action. The Local has tickets to the show. READ »

Motivation key to mastering Swedish

Lifestyle: 24 Feb 10
Sponsored Article: After a string of failed attempts to find a Swedish teacher to suit, British businessman David Brodetsky found the right fit at Företagsuniversitetet. READ »

Swedish church group offers choice of three genders

Society: 24 Feb 10
Sensus, a Swedish church-backed study association, has adopted a new policy to allow prospective employees to classify their gender in three ways: Female, Male or Other. READ »

Unions slam fees for foreign students

Education: 19 Feb 10
Student groups have roundly criticised the Swedish government's move to charge fees to non-EU/EEA college and universty students from the autumn term 2011. READ »

'Force councils to accept refugees'

Politics: 19 Feb 10
The opposition Social Democrats have called for legislation to force all of Sweden's municipalities to accept their share of refugees. READ »

Dental service probed as girl dies after toothache

Society: 9 Feb 10
The Swedish Welfare Board is set to investigate the Swedish Public Dental Service after a nine-year-old girl died following repeated visits to the dentist complaining of toothache and an abscess. READ »

'Malmö should be called Mothvirgin in English'

Society: 8 Feb 10
Residents of Malmö have received food for thought from a concerned countryman who has proposed translating the city's name to Mothvirgin, thus making it more accessible in the English-speaking world. READ »

Profile: Sweden's new EU minister Birgitta Ohlsson

Analysis & Opinion: 2 Feb 10
Birgitta Ohlsson was named as Sweden's new EU minister on Tuesday. An outspoken advocate of feminism, equality and civil liberties issues, as well as a keen supporter of Nato membership, Ohlsson also harbours dreams of a top UN human rights post. READ »

Foreign docs' poor Swedish leading to errors

Society: 27 Jan 10
A doctor’s insufficient Swedish skills are being blamed for delaying the removal of a patient’s tumour by nearly two months, prompting concern among health officials about the number of doctors who don’t speak the language well enough. READ »

Larsson's partner 'didn't just proofread' trilogy

Society: 26 Jan 10
Eva Gabrielsson, the long-time partner of author Stieg Larsson, has admitted having a greater role in the late Swedish author’s writing than previously believed. READ »

Best Picture honours for first 'Millennium' thriller

Society: 26 Jan 10
A movie based on the first book of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling “Millennium” trilogy took home top honours at the Swedish film awards on Monday night, scooping up three awards, including best picture and best actress. READ »

'Partner may have written Millennium books'

Society: 22 Jan 10
Stieg Larsson was practically incapable of putting a sentence together and could not feasibly have written the best-selling Millennium crime trilogy without major assistance, claims a former colleague of the deceased author. READ »

Swedish TV show probes growth of English

Analysis & Opinion: 20 Jan 10
Where did the English language come from? Why has it become the world’s most widespread means of communication? What will happen in the future? Keith Foster, host of a new Swedish TV series, travels the world in search of answers. READ »

Swedish translation system gets EU funding

Science & Technology: 19 Jan 10
A research group led by the University of Gothenburg in the west of Sweden, has been granted 25 million kronor ($3.5 million) in EU funding to develop an online multilingual translation system covering most European languages. READ »

Swede slams English use for royal wedding bash

Society: 18 Jan 10
A slogan chosen by the city of Stockholm to promote events related to the June 2010 wedding of Crown Princess Victoria has been reported to the Ombudsmen of Justice for violating Sweden’s language laws. READ »

Swedish employers shun foreign grads: study

National: 18 Jan 10
The Swedish job market has become tougher for degree-holding immigrants in the last decade, a new report shows. READ »

Introducing... Basshunter

Lifestyle: 14 Jan 10
Introducing... is The Local's guide to the ins and outs of Swedish celebrity. This week Malin Nyberg sits too close to the telly and gets sucked into the wacky world of commercial dance artist Jonas Altberg, aka Basshunter. READ »

Strange foods, and how to find them

Analysis & Opinion: 13 Jan 10
Sweden may be a mecca of sorts when it comes to yogurt but try finding a simple potato waffle and you will be sorely disappointed, writes obdurate blow-in moaner Paddy Kelly in his latest petulant sideswipe at the bosom that feeds. READ »

Home childcare trend fuels segregation fears

National: 5 Jan 10
Sweden’s childcare allowance is proving ever more popular in heavily immigrant neighbourhoods, resulting in the closure of some preschools and prompting fears about the measure’s unintended consequences. READ »

January in Sweden: Week one, thirteenth day, thinking time

Lifestyle: 5 Jan 10
The Year in Sweden - January: Journalist Kim Loughran sketches a month by month account of the country he has called home ever since his accidental migration in 1966. READ »

Swede hit with 10 month jail sentence in Turkey

Society: 1 Jan 10
A Swedish citizen was sentenced to 10 month’s prison by a Turkish court on New Year’s Eve on charges of spreading Kurdish propaganda on behalf of a prohibited political party. READ »

'Vaginal corona' makes 2009 word list

National: 31 Dec 09
The Swedish Language Council has added slidkrans (vaginal corona) to its list of official Swedish words following successful lobbying by a sexual rights group. In total, the council added 30 new words to its linguistic roster. READ »

New Saab 9-5 to be a Buick or Opel: report

Business & Money: 29 Dec 09
Hopes are fading in Trollhättan regarding Saab Automobile's survival amid rumours that General Motors plans to release the latest Saab model as a Buick or Opel. READ »

Swedish funding bodies: 'Apply in English'

Business & Money: 23 Dec 09
A number of Swedish organizations that provide research funding have petitioned the Swedish government to require potential recipients to submit their applications in English. READ »

Immigrants a risk factor on housing group form

National: 22 Dec 09
“Immigrants” were listed along with “asbestos” and “noise” on a list of 39 risk factors on a form to be filled out by cooperative housing associations belonging to HSB Skåne in southern Sweden. READ »

'Millennium' trilogy heading to Hollywood

Society: 16 Dec 09
A major Hollywood studio is close to finalizing a deal to produce an English-language film adaptation of Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s wildly successful “Millennium” trilogy of crime novels. READ »

Workers pick Sweden's shrubs and data hubs

Jobs: 15 Dec 09
Thai berry pickers and Indian IT experts have been the primary recipients of work permits since Sweden's new labour force immigration laws came into force a year ago. READ »

Müller slams Russia at Nobel awards ceremony

Society: 11 Dec 09
While the glittering Nobel Prize ceremony opened to a trumpet fanfare, Herta Müller, winner of the Nobel Literature Prize, criticized a number of countries, including Russia, for their lack of commitment to human rights. READ »

Swedish 'tsunami' message mystifies Irish beachcomber

Society: 10 Dec 09
A mysterious bottle that washed up on the shores of Ireland with a cryptic Swedish message inside has a local woman wondering if the note may have been authored by a Swede whose children perished in the 2004 tsunami. READ »

Swede held in Pakistan on terror suspicions

National: 10 Dec 09
A Swedish national is reportedly among five terror suspects arrested in Pakistan on suspicions of plotting a militant attack, Pakistani authorities said on Wednesday. READ »

Bishop blasts pastor over anal sex outburst

Society: 9 Dec 09
Church of Sweden pastor and gay marriage opponent Dag Sandahl has drawn the ire of senior clergy after launching a foul-mouthed attack on gay sex at an October church summit. READ »

Foreign grads run threefold jobless risk

National: 8 Dec 09
Having a university degree is no guarantee for immigrants hoping to succeed in the Swedish labour market, a new study shows. READ »

Swedish group renames hymen 'vaginal corona'

Society: 8 Dec 09
A Swedish sexual rights group unilaterally proclaimed a new English term for what it considers one of the most misunderstood parts of the female anatomy. READ »

Swedish officials in last ditch Saab rescue plea

Business & Money: 30 Nov 09
A Swedish government representative is due to land shortly in Detroit to provide input to the General Motors board ahead of a Tuesday meeting where it is expected to decide the fate of Saab Automobile. READ »

Gaelic invasion: It's football, Sven, but not as we know it

Lifestyle: 27 Nov 09
Ireland's national sport of Gaelic football is growing rapidly in Sweden and it isn't just the ex-pats who are sinking a few points, writes Patrick Reilly. READ »

Politician causes stir with sex play outburst

Society: 26 Nov 09
A Green Party politician from southern Sweden is defending the use of sex organ slang during a local council debate about Swedishness. READ »

Stockholm Pride asks: 'how hetero' is your Facebook?

Society: 26 Nov 09
Facebook users can now check to see "how hetero" the pictures they have posted on the popular social networking site are, thanks to a new web application launched this week. READ »

What's on in Sweden: Nov 27 - Dec 3

Lifestyle: 25 Nov 09
What's on in Sweden: Skansen Christmas market & Charles Dickens in Stockholm; Swedish Idol & Melissa Horn in Gothenburg; Little Theatre of Gestures in Malmö/Lund. READ »

Early English learning comes under academic attack

Education: 20 Nov 09
A Liberal Party proposal to make English language learning obligatory in schools from the first grade has been slammed by members of the Swedish Academy who view it as an "unnecessary reinforcement of the status of English.” READ »

What's on in Sweden: November 20 - 26

Lifestyle: 18 Nov 09
What's on in Sweden: International film festival & Simple Minds (UK) in Stockholm; Christmas market & Takida in Gothenburg; The Sonics (US) in Malmö/Lund. READ »

Swedish soldiers 'unstable' after Afghanistan explosion

National: 12 Nov 09
The conditions of two of the soldiers injured in a bomb explosion in Afghanistan on Wednesday are reported to have deteriorated overnight. READ »

What's on in Sweden: November 13 - 19

Lifestyle: 12 Nov 09
What's on in Sweden: International film festival & monster truck extravaganza in Stockholm; Cliff Richard & The Shadows (UK) in Gothenburg; Tower of Power (US) in Malmö/Lund. READ »

Five Swedish soldiers injured in Afghanistan

National: 11 Nov 09
Five Swedish soldiers have been injured in an explosion that also claimed the life of a local foreign language interpreter, the Swedish Armed Forces said in a statement on Wednesday. READ »

'It's not the fart that kills...'

Lifestyle: 9 Nov 09
As a bilingual video has the internet public in stitches, The Local's Elizabeth Dacey-Fondelius catches up with the men behind the merging of comedy and the Swedish language. READ »

Union anger at Dutch inspection of Swedish schools

Society: 8 Nov 09
Dutch school inspectors have been hired to review English language teaching in 30 Swedish schools. The decision has been met with irritation by teacher unions. READ »

What's on in Sweden: November 6 - 12

Lifestyle: 4 Nov 09
What's on in Sweden: Selam African festival & gospel munificence in Stockholm; Cirque du Soleil and MJ Thriller in Gothenburg; Oumou Sangaré in Malmö/Lund. READ »

Questions from Brussels may threaten Saab sale

Business & Money: 4 Nov 09
An emergency loan vital to completing the sale of Saab Automobile has been held up by questions from the European Commission, possibly jeopardizing the proposed deal. READ »

Benefits agency guilty of gender discrimination

Business & Money: 3 Nov 09
Four women who were denied sick benefits during their pregnancies have won a landmark discrimination case against Sweden’s National Social Insurance agency (Försäkringskassan). READ »

Carnal knowledge: A sex scandal made in Sweden

Analysis & Opinion: 2 Nov 09
Classroom warfare has erupted in Sweden as conservative commentators are appalled by what they view as a "try everything" approach to sex education in the nation's schools, writes The Local's Christine Demsteader. READ »

Heirs bid to end Stieg Larsson inheritance row

Society: 2 Nov 09
Relatives of Stieg Larsson, the late Swedish author of the popular "Millennium" crime novels, have offered his former girlfriend 20 million kronor ($2.8 million) to settle a protracted inheritance dispute. READ »

Swedish historian touts Nordic power bloc

Politics: 27 Oct 09
Sweden and its four Nordic neighbours should consider forming a federation in order to increase the region’s international weight, a Swedish historian proposes. The 'bloc of ice' would be headed by Denmark's Queen Margrethe. READ »

Famed fictional resident helps Ystad land Swedish tourism prize

Society: 22 Oct 09
The draw of Swedish crime novel protagonist Kurt Wallander has helped the coastal town of Ystad in southern Sweden develop an award winning tourism industry. READ »

Basic maths befuddle Swedish third graders

Education: 22 Oct 09
One in four Swedish nine-year-olds does not understand the relationship between the four basic arithmetic operations, a set of new national test results reveals. READ »

Chinese should be taught in schools: education minister

Education: 17 Oct 09
A review of language learning in schools is required to meet the demands of the global market climate says Sweden’s education minister Jan Björklund who is advocating Chinese lessons for college students. READ »

Malmö mystery man 'sounds Dutch': linguist

National: 15 Oct 09
A man in southern Sweden who has called on the public to help him rediscover his identity probably has either Dutch or Flemish as his native language, a prominent forensic linguist tells The Local. READ »

German author wins Nobel Literature Prize

National: 8 Oct 09
German writer Herta Müller has been announced as the winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature 2009. READ »

Seduction on the streets of Stockholm

Lifestyle: 8 Oct 09
Wooed into learning the art of seduction, The Local’s Christine Demsteader follows a group of men in pursuit of a pick-up artist’s secrets in Stockholm. READ »

Speculation mounts as Nobel lit prize nears

Society: 8 Oct 09
Literary circles in Sweden are bursting with speculation ahead of Thursday’s announcement of the Nobel Literature Prize, with many expecting the award to go to a poet for the first time since 1996. READ »

Pundits tip poets for Nobel Literature Prize

Society: 6 Oct 09
This year's Nobel Literature Prize could go to a poet for the first time since 1996, Swedish literary circles say as speculation mounts ahead of Thursday's announcement. READ »

American filmmakers take a crack at Swedish Midsummer

Lifestyle: 30 Sep 09
As Swedish cinemas prepare for Friday's opening of the romantic comedy “Äntligen Midsommar” ('Finally Midsummer'), The Local spoke with Ian McCrudden and Schif Musarra about how a pair of American filmmakers ended up making one very Swedish movie. READ »

UN body designates Swedish dialect a 'threatened language'

Society: 29 Sep 09
The Scanian ('Skånska') dialect of southern Sweden has landed on Unesco's list of threatened languages, much to the exasperation of Swedish linguists. READ »

Trial starts for Sweden's largest insider scandal

Business & Money: 28 Sep 09
District court proceedings kicked off in Stockholm on Monday for what has been called the largest insider trading scandal in Swedish history. READ »

What's on in Sweden: September 25 - October 1

Lifestyle: 24 Sep 09
What's on in Sweden: Alela Diane (US) and football derby in Stockholm; International Book Fair & French acrobats in Gothenburg; Ane Brun (NO) in Malmö. READ »

Swedish parliament behind Wikipedia celebrity smears

Science & Technology: 22 Sep 09
Actor George Clooney is a "communist amateur" and Swedish actress and comedian Nour El-Refai is a "feminist bitch", according to someone, or several people, using computers traced to the Riksdag. READ »

Swedes snap up tickets as second 'Millennium' film opens

Society: 18 Sep 09
The film adaptation of the second installment of Swedish author Stieg Larsson's cult "Millennium" crime trilogy opened on Friday in theatres across Scandinavia. READ »

English emerging as Sweden's language of laughs

Lifestyle: 17 Sep 09
English-language comedy has established a firm foothold in Sweden, writes Ben Kersley, with even local comedians increasingly trying their hand at being funny in a tongue they speak with enviable fluency. READ »

Astrid Lindgren's lasting literary legacy

Lifestyle: 17 Sep 09
Astrid Lindgren continues to be synonymous with the highest standards in writing, imagination and imagery, not only because of her books, but also for an award that helps foster excellence in a new generation of children’s authors, Lyida Parafianowicz discovered. READ »

What's on in Sweden: September 18 - 24

Lifestyle: 16 Sep 09
What's on in Sweden: Beer festival & Tom Jones (UK) in Stockholm; International Book Fair in Gothenburg; Hello Saferide in Malmö. READ »

New measures to help speed up integration

Politics: 11 Sep 09
The government has proposed a sweeping overhaul of Sweden’s system for supporting newly arrived immigrants in their search for a job in hopes of getting them established and working more quickly. READ »

Sweden mulls mandatory classes for refugees

Politics: 3 Sep 09
The government will shortly introduce reforms proposing that it be obligatory for all refugees arriving in the country to take part in a society orientation course to facilitate their establishment in Swedish society. READ »

Stockholm plays host to international laughter fest

Lifestyle: 26 Aug 09
Sweden's capital will this weekend welcome a host of international comedy stars when the very first Stockholm Comedy Festival opens on Friday. READ »

Many Swedish students failing maths: report

Education: 12 Aug 09
More than one in ten Swedish school pupils fall below minimum standards for entering high school, according to new statistics from the Swedish Board of Education. READ »

'Swedes are stupid': Norwegian professor

Society: 10 Aug 09
A retired Norwegian linguistics professor has described Swedes as "stupid" for not being able to understand Norwegian. Norwegians have no problem with Swedish, the professor points out. READ »

Government reported for English email use

Society: 29 Jul 09
The Swedish government has been reported to the Swedish Parliamentary Ombudsman for using English email addresses in an alleged violation of the country's language laws. READ »

'Overwhelming evidence' against father: court

National: 25 Jul 09
A guilty verdict appears likely for the father of four in Uppsala accused of abusing his wife and children and keeping them confined to the family apartment. The district court has found that there is overwhelming evidence against the man and has ordered him to undergo a physiatric evaluation. READ »