If you are a foreigner living in Sweden you will be perfectly fine and survive well without knowing any Swedish. From my experience, the majority of people have an excellent command of the English language both spoken and written. Also, with tools such as “Google Translate” you can go a long way.

Nonetheless, I personally feel that if you want to better interact with the locals then learning Swedish is certainly of good help. You can try to learn Swedish from textbooks (e.g., Rivstart A1+A2), digital apps (e.g., Duolingo), or a combination, but in my opinion, attending a classroom is suggested. This is especially if you are new to the language and to the country. The other resources can come in handy later or as supplemental material.

In the fall of 2019, I was given the opportunity to attend a Swedish course organized by Malmö university. It was a great course, highly interactive and current. Putting some hard work and clocking some hours working on the essays, I managed to complete the course with success.

Swedish language certificate

My suggestion if you have relocated to a country whether it is on a temporary basis or for a longer-term, I do recommend you take the challenge and learn the language of the country. This will not only improve your resume but will also help you win more friends and integrate better with the locals.