Business Swedish: Basic · IWG Institute · Courses

Business Swedish: Basic. From School Swedish to Real Conversations.

Business Swedish: Basic is a practical B2B course for professionals in Finland who have studied Swedish before but need revision, confidence, and the courage to actually use the language at work. The course revises the core vocabulary and the most important structures of Swedish, and practises using them in the real working situations participants face. The focus can be weighted towards customer service, phone calls, emails, meetings, and communication with Swedish-speaking colleagues and partners. Available as B2B group courses, 1:1 coaching, or onsite programs at the company's premises, including Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Vaasa, Kuopio, Lahti, or fully online.

Available in: Swedish 🇸🇪Taught in: Finnish 🇫🇮
Rusty school Swedish Customer & workplace situations A1–A2
Professional language training online and onsite across Finland — including Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Vaasa, Kuopio, Lahti and Pori.
45+
Years of experience
4.9/5
Trainer rating
3
Delivery formats
The challenge

Swedish that was studied — but never used

Business Swedish: Basic is a practical course for professionals in Finland who studied Swedish at school but have not used it actively since. The course is taught in Finnish and focuses on reactivating what participants already know — core vocabulary, the most common structures, and the confidence to use them in everyday working situations. Content is customised to the organisation's industry, the participants' actual starting level, and the communication situations they meet at work. Available as B2B group courses, 1:1 coaching, online, onsite or in a hybrid mode.

Many Finnish professionals have studied Swedish for years, but have had no need to use it actively since school. The words and the basics of the grammar may feel familiar, yet starting a conversation, answering a customer, or handling a simple work matter in Swedish can still feel difficult.

The challenge is rarely that Swedish was never learned. Previously acquired language skills are often passive and need revision and hands-on practice. What working life demands above all is the courage to use the language, the ability to understand ordinary speech, and the readiness to manage familiar communication situations.

There is a business reason this matters. Sweden is one of Finland's largest trading partners, and the two economies are closely linked through cross-border ownership, shared Nordic group structures, and supply chains that run in both directions. Swedish is also one of Finland's two national languages. In many Nordic organisations the official corporate language is English, but the working language — the conversation before the meeting, the quick call, the relationship that decides whether a deal moves forward — is often Swedish. For a Finnish company, employees who can operate in Swedish are closer to their neighbour's market, their partners, and their customers.

Business Swedish: Basic revises the core vocabulary and the most important structures, and practises using Swedish in participants' real working situations. The emphasis is not on memorising grammar rules, but on activating language skills that can actually be used.

  • Greeting, introducing yourself, and starting a conversation
  • Talking about your own work, organisation, and responsibilities
  • Ordinary customer service situations
  • Answering phone calls and simple questions
  • Agreeing on appointments and meetings
  • Writing short emails and messages
  • Asking for further information and checking unclear matters
  • Numbers, dates, times, and prices
  • Core everyday vocabulary for working life
  • Revising the most common grammatical structures
  • Swedish pronunciation and listening comprehension

Business Swedish: Basic is suitable for participants whose Swedish is at elementary or basic level, or whose previously acquired skills need revision and reactivation. The content and pace are adapted to the participants' starting level. All instruction is in Finnish.

Who it's for

Professionals who want to bring their Swedish back into use

Professionals who studied Swedish before and whose skills have gone rusty
Employees who understand some Swedish but hesitate to speak it
Customer service staff who meet Swedish-speaking customers
Professionals who need Swedish in calls, emails, or meetings
Employees who work with Swedish-speaking colleagues or partners
Organisations strengthening their staff's ability to serve in both national languages

No previous active command of Swedish is required. The course begins from the participants' real starting level, and the core basics are revised where needed. Instruction is entirely in Finnish. For organisations in the public sector, the course also supports the Swedish language proficiency expected in many public-sector roles in Finland.

See also: Business Swedish: Intermediate — our intermediate course for professionals building on their revived Swedish.
Outcomes

What participants walk away with

Reactivation of Swedish that was learned earlier
More courage to speak Swedish in working situations
The ability to start and hold short conversations
Core vocabulary for participants' own work tasks
Better readiness to understand ordinary spoken Swedish
The ability to write short, clear messages for work
Confidence in common customer service, telephone, and face-to-face situations
A usable foundation for further study of Swedish
Delivery

Flexible to fit your team

B2B Group Course

Group Swedish courses for professional teams. Content, vocabulary, and business scenarios are customised to the organisation's industry and the specific Swedish-language situations the team faces. The starting level of the group is assessed before the course begins.

1:1 Coaching

Individual Swedish coaching for employees with a specific need or deadline — for example, a customer service lead preparing to serve Swedish-speaking customers, or a professional taking on responsibilities that require Swedish. Entirely tailored in pace and focus.

Online, onsite or hybrid

Available online for teams across Finland and internationally. Onsite programs at the company's premises, including Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Lahti, Kuopio, Vaasa and Pori.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does a participant need previous knowledge of Swedish?+
No active command of Swedish is required. Business Swedish: Basic is built primarily for professionals who studied Swedish at school or elsewhere but have not used it actively since — the kind of passive language skill that needs revision rather than first-time teaching. The course begins from the participants' real starting level, and the core basics are revised where needed, so participants who are genuinely starting from the beginning are not excluded.
Why is the course taught in Finnish?+
Finnish is the most direct route to clear understanding for Finnish-speaking learners of Swedish. Grammar is revised without the added complexity of working through a second foreign language, and participants can ask questions precisely in their own language. All instruction, explanations, and classroom discussion are in Finnish — so the learning effort goes into Swedish, not into following the lesson.
What will participants be able to do by the end of the course?+
By the end of the course, participants will be able to greet, introduce themselves, and start a conversation in Swedish; talk about their own work, organisation, and responsibilities; handle ordinary customer service situations; answer phone calls and simple questions; agree on appointments and meetings; write short emails and messages; and ask for further information or check unclear matters. Participants will also understand ordinary spoken Swedish more easily and have a usable foundation for further study. IWG Institute can discuss realistic outcomes for a specific team based on the participants' starting level, session frequency, and course duration.
Can the content be tailored to our industry?+
Yes. The vocabulary, scenarios, and written communication exercises are customised to the client organisation's industry, products or services, and the specific Swedish-language situations participants face. The focus can be weighted towards customer service, telephone communication, email, meetings, or working with Swedish-speaking colleagues and partners. Before the course begins, IWG Institute conducts a needs assessment to understand what matters most for the team.
How do we get started?+
Contact Maria Kunz, Director of Studies, directly at +358 (0) 40 5877 142 or via the contact form on this website. She will arrange a brief call to understand your team's situation, goals, and preferred format. A tailored proposal for group courses is typically delivered within 3–5 working days. The initial consultation is free and there is no obligation.

Interested in Business Swedish: Basic training?

Language training is not the goal. Professional impact is.

Get in Touch →

Maria Kunz · Director of Studies · +358 (0) 40 5877 142 · iwginstitute.com