Swenglish has a big sister!

At Klubb Aktersalongen in Gothenburg I met an author who has written a "sister book" to Swenglish. 

Jakten på den perfekta puben ("The Hunt for the Perfect Pub") is the name of Kristina Svensson's masterpiece. It's set in Wales and describes her experience of living and working there. She also visits quite a few pubs. Obviously. 

The book is a masterpiece in my point of my view because I recognise so many British quirks. 

Messy backyards, page 36:

Kristina writes about the backyards of houses that you see from train windows. She wonders why nobody has ever thought of having two "fronts" of the house. As if they were oblivious to people on trains who can look straight at their backyard mess.

Unreasonable showers, page 64:

The author feels cheated by the expression "power shower". Your only choice is a "forceful cold shower" or a "hot trickling shower".

Lack of signposts, page 211:

If you go hiking in Britain it's easy to get lost as the signposts are usually well hidden. Something Kristina experiences in Usk valley. (This makes me think of when I was going to take my mum for a walk to Beachy Head and we had to call a taxi to even find the starting point from the bus stop.)

Queuing without clothes, page 255:

The author and I agree that people in Britain seem to lack outer garments like jackets. Especially when they queue outside night clubs.

Thank you, Kristina for an entertaining read!

And please don't be offended, we do love you, Britain!

The Swedish version of my book Svenglish which contains similar anecdotes will be out in November. Click here to see the invitation to my launch party. 

PÅ SVENSKA

Question 22: What's your Favourite Drink?

Water instead of Alcohol

That people in Sweden appreciated water so much is not something I'd thought of. A third of the Swenglish participants in Sweden picked water as their favourite drink. Only four mentioned something alcoholic. But there were even less people, only three, who chose something alcoholic in England. Two people answered water.

Specific Coffee

What struck me when I compared the answers was that people in England were more specific when they talked about their favourite drinks, not only coffee but coffee with honey or chai latte. That coffee was as popular as tea among the English participants was another surprise to me!

Green Tea

The idea of the project was that I should eat and drink the same stuff as the people I stayed with, but already after the first week, I missed green tea so much that I had to cheat and buy a box of jasmine tea. But during the project I also got a taste for hot (soya) chocolate, something I haven't had since I was little! 

Favorite drinks among people in England

rooibos tea

chai latte

Earl Grey tea

Cappella juice

de-caf cappuccino

red wine

pint of Harveys

red wine

black coffee, occasionally with honey

coffee with milk

green tea

good quality water

water

tea with milk and one sugar

milk

Favorite drinks among people in Sweden

water

water

green tea

folköl (week beer, 3,5%) and coffee

hot chocolate

water

äppelmust (a non-alcoholic apple drink similar to cider)

dry white wine

red wine

milk

water

red wine

elderberry squash

water

PÅ SVENSKA

This study is by no means scientific, the answers are based on interviewing 15 people in England and 15 people in Sweden, aged 22-59. A majority are heterosexual women, but there are a few men and some LGBT people in the study as well. Look out for the next question: What's your attitude towards alcohol?

World Toilet Day - Carpets in the Toilet

I had no idea that it was World Toilet Day when I did an author performance at my old school. Among other things I talked about the Swenglish project and what it was like travelling around, staying with 15 people in England and 15 people in Sweden. 

In Sweden a lot of people think it's very unhygienic that there are carpets in some English bathrooms and it's often one of the things they mention when talking about England. (Perhaps people in Sweden are a bit too hygiene obsessed or what do you think ...?)

I've seen a fair share of carpets myself, but none of the 15 people I stayed with in England had carpets in their toilets. (But one person's mum had one and I also saw a carpet in a pub toilet during the project!)

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Question 11b: What Do You Think About the School System?

I didn't go to school myself during the project, but I walked kids to school and also picked them up in the afternoon. In England there are loads of "lollipop ladies" stopping the traffic and making sure the kids can cross safely. When I went to school in Sweden the older pupils had to take on the job as traffic wardens. I even think we got paid for it.

What people in Sweden thought about the Swedish school system:

It's good up until secondary school and then I think it's bad.

The best school I went to was a private school even though I'm not into privatising.

I don't think you should have ratings, too much pressure early on in life. Social contexts play a big role where you end up.

When I went to school it was very good for me, but it doesn't look like that today. I went to a school in the countryside where the pupils loved their school and their teacher.

It's obsolete to learn things by heart, for example in what year something happened. Now when we have the Internet it's totally out. 

There's so much control and it's not control that one should have.

It feels like pupils don't feel well. You forget what motivates people to learn.

Good, many good teachers, good curriculum, many good people within the school. You know how hard people work.

I think we are a bit lazy in Sweden actually. Many other European countries have much tougher schools, but other countries don't get further in the working life anyway.

There aren't enough resources. More staff is needed, more adults when you think about the school environment. The teachers have to take so much responsibility apart from the actual teaching. 

It should be totally state run. The school system doesn't get better by having more private schools. But you should be able to make choices. People should do what they are good at. Private schools are all about money, it becomes a class question.

The level is higher now. It's hard to get help for the kids who need help. Too big classes. Already from pre-school things are evaluated. Social skills didn't exist when I was little. 

It becomes a class questions if you want to change schools.

You should think about all the ducks in the pond, the ones who want to swim by the shore should be able to do that and the ones who want to use their wings should be able to that as well. If you can't cope with a 80 minutes maths lesson you should be able to find another way. 

It's too uniform and not enough pressure from the teachers.

What people in England thought about the English school system:

I learned very little at school, but I'm sure school is more interesting now, yo can make history more exciting for example. Internet for one thing.

Kids don't get the chance to develop their talents.

Free education is a good idea. And even home education.

They are prisons for children. If I had children I would home educate them. The school system supports bullying. Schools are dangerous places.

The school system is quite bad in the way they focus on measuring everything and are obsessed about evaluating even small children.

Children seem to have less general basic knowledge. And the insularity in England is a big problem compared to other countries.

To be tied in is the biggest problem. I would rather go travelling and read books by my own.

I'm happy with the education system, but it's suffering from the cuts.

Education should be a right - not a privilege.

It puts a lot of pressure on young people. You're locked in from an young age, all the testing and different grades.

It's really good. People moan a lot, but it's better now. But I don't like it that you have to pay for everything.

I'm delusioned with the school system that's why I want to home educate my kids. Children enter into formal school too early, it's not child led.

I didn't like school, didn't see the point. The teachers didn't deal with bullying. 

It was good when it came to degree level, but I came out of school not understanding how to do maths. But it's better now. My daughter is miles better than I was.

Our generation would benefit form doing more hands on, like craft activities.

My thoughts

In England children start school when they are four years old. In Sweden when they are six. In England the children have to wear uniform and call their teachers Mr and Mrs and Miss. In Sweden you can wear whatever you like and call your teachers by first name. In England the schools are surrounded by fences and have locked gates, in Sweden they are usually open. So perhaps it's not so strange that some people in England referred to school as a prison and feeling locked in. A few preferred home education. But I don't think it's that much stricter in England compared to Sweden. The schools I've visited (when doing poetry projects) have been pretty lively.

It's funny that only Swedes mentioned the class question. Personally, I think it's because the class differences between schools is part of everyday life in England (which I experienced when staying with people and have written about in the book), but it's just recently that the class differences have become visible in Sweden due to privatising and cuts. A lof of the people with young kids were worried about picking the right school.

Before I thought that IF I against all odds have children, I would not want them to go to an English school. I wanted them to grow up in Sweden and go to a Swedish school because I knew how it all worked. How narrow-minded of me. I don't know how it works in Sweden anymore. There are 24 years since I started school. It's easy to say it was better in the past. I think that a lot of things have become more fun and modern, but at the same time it's scary that the class question has become such a big issue. Both when it comes to private schools and the size of the actual classes!

Question 11a was about university education and then people were more positive.

This study is by no means scientific, the answers are based on interviewing 15 people in England and 15 people in Sweden, aged 22-59. Look out for the next question: Where do you see yourself in one, five and ten years time?

PÅ SVENSKA

Question 6c: What's Your Favourite Word or Expression?

I asked all the people I stayed with during Swenglish if they had a favourite word or expression. There's a big difference between a word and an expression because an expression can sometimes also work as a motto, but most people chose to answer with just one word. And some people didn't have an answer. I've chosen to keep the Swedish words in, very useful words to know if you ever plan on visiting Sweden!

FAVOURITE WORDS/EXPRESSION BY PEOPLE IN ENGLAND:

Panoply, Ruffle (" I like the sound of them.")

Bof! (French. "I like things you can’t translate. The French communicate a lot without speaking, with sounds and shrugs .” )

Indigo

Silver (”In a poem I have to be careful to put it in, so I don’t always use it.”)

Think less, do more. (“ Although I think a lot, keeping busy has been really good for me.” )

Chthonic (From Greek mythology = of or relating to the underworld    )

You live and learn, but in my case you live.

Swirlingly (The person who said this word thinks she has invented it herself.)

Amazing (“And Awesome, but that's a Kiwi-thing.”)

It’s like Picadilly Circus in here.

Heirloom ("It sounds so nice, a word in its own right, it’s not part of any expression.”)

”Apparently the fave word of Brits is Serendipity, but I'd say ’Somewhat’ – I'd rather that be my favourite word.’

FAVOURITE WORDS/EXPRESSION BY PEOPLE IN SWEDEN::

D’accord (”Okay” or agreeing to something in French.)

Verkligen, Väldigt (= Really, Very. ”When I write school stuff I want to add words that aren't very suitable for academic writing …”)

Nu knullar det i munnen. (= Now it's fucking in the mouth. Said about very tasty food.)

Neo (”The name of my cousin's child. At the moment I notice people's names. If you've got a name you've got an identity.")

Amazing, Laila tov (= Goodnight in Hebrew.)

He (= Put, a word from the North of Sweden.)

Fantastiskt, Enastående Ljuvligt (= Fantastic, Astonishing, Lovely. ”I use a lot of expletives, for example ’det var helt sinnessjukt’ = 'that was totally insane". That's part of how I express myself.”)

Horisont (= Horizon ”I find it so pretty, unattainable, but still new ... Well, I don't know, I'm just talking bullshit.”)

Merde (”Fuck it” in French.)

Fair enough (”As my English teacher used to say all the time.”)

Vidrig (= Obnoxious, Disgusting. ”Then it's really bad. I saw that someone described some food as "vidrig", but if you use it too much it loses its meaning.”)

Det ordnar sig alltid. Allt löser sig. (= It will always work out. Everything will work out.)

Rövelen! (Untranslateable! Something you say when you're angry, but with a sense of humour)

Kanon! (= Great! it does not mean cannon!)

YOUR FAVOURITE WORD?

I find it exciting that some of the participants choose French words or other words that weren't their mother-tongue. Some people picked words because of the meaning, others because they liked the sound of them. I like words beginning with v: verkligen (=really), viadukt (=viaduct), vemod (= sadness, melancholy). And I actually really like the word really. What's your favourite word or expression?

This study is by no means scientific, the answers are based on interviewing 15 people in England and 15 fifteen people in Sweden, age 22-59. Look out for the next question: How did you end up where you live now?

PÅ SVENSKA

Question 6b: How does it affect you if people make language mistakes?

8 of the 15 people I stayed with in Sweden are "language police" which is a common expression in Swedish for someone who gets annoyed if people use the language in the wrong way.

But only 4 of the 15 people i stayed with in England are bothered about mistakes.

What the "language police" in Sweden said:

"I'm a bit of a language snob unfortunately. I get anxious if I've sent a text with spelling mistakes and can't take it back. I can also get turned off if a guy writes a sloppy text."

"I notice how language is used and if it's not used according to the norm I react. If someone makes a mistake on Facebook I'll write an ironic comment. It's fun to take the piss. I also have this obsession if someone writes an exclamation mark or put dots at the end of a sentence I have to count the exclamation marks or dots."

"If someone makes spelling mistakes, I think they're stupid. Or if they split a compound word ... Then I can't be their friend. I'm very honest, I feel bad if I've spelt something wrong."

What the "language police" in England said:

"I do notice when people make mistakes. I immediately wonder how educated they are, what class they are, it’s terrible."

"I’m a bit of a pedant when it comes to written English, partly being a teacher. Whenever I read I pick up mistakes, I'm an unpaid proof-reader."

"I’m quit sensitive to people who make mistakes and I correct them. Especially English people" (said by Swede in England.)

And there are some English language rebels:

"I like the damage of language and how new things develop. That "google" * can be used as a verb and people using “literally” in the wrong way."

"I’m not bothered at all. Languages are evolving. Without changes there’s no revolution. If you’re strict about language it’ll never change. There wouldn’t be words like "LOL"."

What I say:

I think the language police exists to a bigger extent in Sweden because Swedish is such a small language and hasn't been as influenced by other cultures. Both Swedish people and English people are tolerant if foreigners make mistakes though. The biggest case for the language police in Sweden is the splitting of compound words, e.g. in English you would write "police station" - in Swedish you world write "policestation".

I really don't care about language mistakes. After having lived in England for many years I now struggle with both English and Swedish! My English will never be perfect and I've lost some of my Swedish from living abroad. When I was interviewed on telly about my novel I kind of spoke English in Swedish. I said that I was from a small town. In Swedish you'd say "I'm from a smalltown".

PÅ SVENSKA

*Although the Swedish invention "ungoogleable" was disliked by Google!

 The picture is from Matilda's blog and is hard to translate, but can possibly be compared to the language difference between "You and I" or "You and me".

This study is by no means scientific, the answers to this question are based on interviews with 15 people in England and 15 people Sweden, aged 22-59. Next question: What's your favourite word?

Swedish Easter Traditions

We import Cadbury's Creme Eggs as you can't find them in Sweden.

We eat the same food as you do at Christmas - "prinskorv" (prince sausage), "köttbullar" (meat balls) and "Janssons Frestelse" (Janson's temptation - potato casserole with anchovies).

Veggie options available. Hence one potato thing without the fish.

We throw out the Christmas Tree. 

From the song "Julen varar än till påska." (Christmas lasts until Easter)

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I know it's April's Fool today, but this is what actually happened. At least in my family ... If only the snow was a real joke!

Question 6a: What does language mean to you?

The best thing I have and know of. I hear language in colours. It’s a system of noises.

Communication. That’s the word most people mentioned. In general the people in England found it a very difficult, abstract question to answer. But once they answered they gave thoughtful answers about colours and sounds. The Swedes found it easier to talk about language. My theory is that this is due to English people often being able to speak their language when they go abroad, but Swedish people are forced to speak another language (read English) as soon as they leave Scandinavia.

WHAT LANGUAGE MEANS TO PEOPLE IN ENGLAND:

“I like it when foreigners speak, their different ways of constructing a sentence. I adore the sound of another language. But I feel alienated if I hear a lot of foreign languages on a bus, and long to hear English.”

“It allows me to communicate. I’m lucky to be born in Britain, the international language for travelling, it’s horrible to say but it’s the best language to know. You can go anywhere and do anything.”

“I like to know grammatical structure. I don’t like being in a country, not being able to speak to the people, I’d like to break the tradition of English people thinking that everyone knows English.”

“Communication. I like playing with language when I write, I like changing it, describing things in a way you normally wouldn’t.”

“I went on date and went round to his house and he had the telly on the whole time, saying he wasn’t a good conversationalist, so language is really important to communicate.”

“It represents communication, keeping in contact with people.”

“I hear language in colours, when people speak, I see it in bits of colour.”

“It’s a system of noises. If we decided not to speak we would develop a sign language. We have to accept evolution of language, developing sounds to mean something.”

“It’s a variation of what chimpanzees do, but a bit more elaborate than that. Another part of me loves it when it’s used well, like a drama that has a good script. And I can sometimes use it in a way that entertains people.”

“It’s the main thing that gives my life meaning. I have a facility for learning language and that also goes into creative language.”

“Dialogue means a lot, I like to remember things, and quote them word by word.”

“It’s a source of fun and amusement, a constant hobby, definitely something I’m forever fascinated by. I love learning new words in other languages.”

“It gives you your cultural identity.”

“Sometimes it drives me mad and I want to get right away from it, get into music or painting or whatever, but it’s just essential to me. It’s like asking what blood or water means to you.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s a tool, it pre-exists us, it’s the air we breathe, the medium through which we spin. It gives a chance for everyone to be creative with it. It’s used in law, politics, government. Power can be played cause we can play with language, it’s a structure we can’t escape.”

WHAT LANGUAGE MEANS TO PEOPLE IN SWEDEN:

”There’s something special about your mother tongue, the language you can express yourself best in.”

”When you live in Sweden, I don’t think it means that much, but when you’re abroad it means much more. It’s nice to listen to Swedish songs and understand what they sing about. That you can actually communicate in a language that no one else knows where you are.”

”When I write poems I always return to Swedish. It’s easier to express complicated things. But song lyrics I find impossible to write in Swedish, everything sounds so naff in a way.”

”In my everyday life I seldom reflect over what language I speak. The times I’m aware of my relationship to language is when I write lyrics. I’ve chosen to write in English even though I’m better at Swedish. In Swedish the lyrics would be in your face and I don’t want the words to take that space.”

”It’s natural as you speak it and have it in yourself. But Swedish is a difficult language to learn. Many dialects, variations, influenced by other languages as well. It’s a good way of communicating with other Swedes, a very small language.”

”It’s an important tool, communication. I find dialects amusing. The language I speak is important, but then it doesn’t matter that much that it’s Swedish in particular. It’s exciting that Eskimos have so many words for snow, but no word for sun. And that “lagom” doesn’t really translate.”

”I’m so bad at other language so in that aspect, Swedish means a lot. I like reading and writing and argumentation and interpret words, to describe reality or distort reality with words.”

”Swedish is the only language I master. It means very much. I like the words, to write and use the language.”

”It means everything, it’s the best thing I have and know of. Whatever happens I can always write something.”

”It’s about understanding and being understood. I’m fascinating by the way people write, I love enjoying a book that just flows, it’s like seeing a painting or hearing music.”

”I don’t like translations, some words annoy me. Every language has its own sentence structure, it can’t really be translated. I’m often hit by Swedish authors – often it’s just the language that does it.”

”My feeling is that Swedish and English aren’t just different because they are different language, but the whole structure, how you express yourself and make your voice heard is very different. That creates one English identity and one Swedish identity.”

WHAT LANGUAGE MEANS TO ME:

Language is my life! I’m hyper aware of what words people use and it can annoy me to see or hear words I don’t like. Now that I’ve been in Sweden for a while I notice that I’m a bit more relaxed when I use the language. I don’t worry about making mistakes in the same way as I do when I’m in England. I feel less tense when I have conversations, because I don’t stop to think about if my accent sounds terrible. 

But as a contradiction I feel more shy in Swedish. In English I feel more cheeky, there’s more space for making a joke – often on my own behalf; I can get away with things because I’m Swedish. So there’s definitely such a thing as having one Swedish identity and one English identity.

This study is by no means scientific, the answers to this question are based on interviews with 15 people in England and 15 people Sweden, aged 22-59. Next question: Do you mind if people use the language incorrectly?

PÅ SVENSKA

Question 5: Where have you travelled?

Colombia. Vietnam. South Africa. Greece. Denmark.

The countries above are only a few examples of where the 30 people I stayed with had travelled. Based on the talks with my study subjects I've learnt that people in England and people in Sweden are equally well travelled. Everyone had travelled to at least another country in Europe. About half of the Swedish people and half of the English people had been outside Europe. Most of the participants were open to living abroad for shorter or longer periods of time, but not many would like to live abroad permanently.

It's not very interesting to make a list of all the countries you've visited. The interesting thing is what you've learnt from other cultures. A weekend break at a hotel doesn't give as much as staying with or spending time with local people.

Thanks to my Swenglish project I gained new insights even when staying with people in my hometown. I thought I knew everything about Swedish food culture, but I learnt that you can have bananas in your mince sauce and cheese on your pancakes. You can't read about that in the tourist catalogues. Maybe because it's not typical for Sweden. But I'm after what's not typical! Going to London and have tea is boring. But to get invited to a Londoner's home and have Turkisk coffee is exciting.

When I went to Barcelona for my 29th I felt stressed out running around photographing the sights I'd read about in my guidebook. Never again! The best about the Barcelona trip was talking to a couple of Spanish guys at my hostel. They lived just outside town but had chosen to stay at the hostel so they could have a night out in the city. After five minutes chatting I learnt more about Barcelona than I did from two days of sightseeing. 

There's a difference between holidaying and travelling. If you just want a holiday and relax it doesn't matter if you just see a hotel, a pool and some old church. But to really travel you have to spend time with the local people. Pretty obvious. Not always easy though ... 

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This study is by no means scientific, the answers are based on interviewing 15 people in England and 15 people in Sweden, aged 22-59. Look out for the next question: What does language mean to you?

Question 4b: What do Swedish People think about England?

Photo: Adriana Pusha

Poor housing, bad food, but the humour is good and you are well looked after …

Thirteen of the fifteen people I stayed  with in Sweden had been to England at least once. But the question is whether a weekend in London gives a true picture of England or just contributes to preserve stereotypes? Although five of my study subjects had lived in England for longer periods.

"They’re polite and say " love "and stuff like that to strangers. They drink a lot of tea. They eat bad food. Disastrous school dinners and not so good schools either. "

"I have met many English people who have lived cool lives and had cool thoughts. But I have a bit of a problem with Englishness, there’s too much talk. Everything is "lovely" and "darling" and "nice to meet you." You’re always well looked after, but I have not met anyone, have never had a true meeting. "

"It's a cool language, I like English ladies, they call you " love "and" darling ", you feel looked after in some way."

"Bad food, anyway. They drink tea a lot. I don’t know much about the culture, it’s similar to Sweden.”

"Courtesy."

"There’s nothing weird about saying hello to people in the street. They’re very nice and polite, you get a cup of tea, you’re always invited. Very homelike. "

"There’s not much of a food culture. But there’s history, many events, festivals and things like that. I also think they’re very nice. Some people just start chatting to you, like the lady on the bus. "

"Not good food in general, but super good breakfasts in particular. Full English breakfast is a treat, that you can have breakfast in the middle of the day is a special thing. "

"Not very high standard, cold flats."

"All the houses are cold. But I like the houses and the villages, the old stone houses. "

"The fucking fitted carpets, the draught, the mould, the damp and on top of that the unreasonable rents, damn it!”

"Usually they’re quite nice but sound pretty posh because they speak English. I’m more used to American English, Americans are more relaxed. Great beer, ginger-haired people, rowdy football fans."

"It feels more open. People talk to you just like that, it doesn't happen very often in Sweden. For example I have done coach surfing there and it’s so natural. Here, people find it a bit weird."

"They're very polite, respectful. They’re respectful towards each other, but don’t have respect for authorities. "

"I like British humour, Monty Python."

"Fish 'n' chips. The Royal Family. Humour, comedy, they have the best TV series. "

"They’re not that complicated. They are light-hearted, have a certain kind of humour.”

"The rain. I have watched the Time Team, a series of archaeologists in Britain. It always rain, they’re always soaked. "

"The class system, social division. People voted for Margaret Thatcher. And they voted a second time! A lot of neo-liberal crap. Poor housing. But a lot of culture, music and stuff. "

"A colonial empire. The standard of living and the living conditions are poor. Low wages, crappy jobs. There’s no paternity leave. They still have gender-segregated schools, which is so incredibly conservative and affects people a lot. Their view of women.”

"I'm not particularly drug liberal. The country is a bit passive and it doesn't feel like an exaggeration to link it to the drugs."

"I keep returning to England to get cultural kicks. I watched the Olympic opening ceremony and realised how much I love English culture, it’s the country that has influenced me the most culturally. I almost forget about it because there’s so much that is destructive and sad."

"Brighton is the most vital, vibrating, inspiring city I've ever visited."

"Very old houses. Architecture. A lot of countryside, pub culture, and a lot of football. Rain."

"People are more extreme and stick out more than in Sweden. They say what they mean, but I don’t not know if that’s true. "

"I think a lot about London, it's like other European cities: shopping and musicals, but that’s such a small part of England. There are many people who have been to Stockholm and think that’s Sweden. London is not the whole of England. "

"More familiarity, I picture a pub in front of me, the whole family goes to the pub. A football mad country. The Queen, conservative and royalist. "

"More crowded, more packed, more density in cities."

"Very conservative, but I don’t know if it’s like that, I don’t have in-depth knowledge. I was in London many years ago. It was stern and strict. At Harrods we were not allowed to stand still, a little stiffer than Sweden."

"Divided, more conservative, hierarchies. More rebellious, artistic."

"Spontaneous, simple, easy to understand. Easy to find your way, easy to go on the tube, easy to live there."

This study is by no means scientific, the answers to this particular question are based on interviews with fifteen people in Sweden, aged 22-52. Next question: Where have you travelled?

PÅ SVENSKA