The next level

I have 'graduated' from the introduction course at SFI and have moved into the 'Beginners Class'. There's nothing quite like the feeling of self assurance and confidence being violently snatched away from you in one quick transition to another classroom. I've gone from being the best in my class to the worst in the class and the pangs of hopelessness and desolation have returned once again.

The other day I was discussing with another expat friend about how humbling it is when you think you have learnt a language to an extent that you think you could survive with what you've learnt thus far - only to attempt to use said knowledge and have it completely thrown back in your face. The other day after feeling rather cocky and full of myself I attempted Swedish dialogue with a shop assistant and it was as if I hadn't even made the effort since she started speaking to me in English. I realise she was probably trying to make me feel comfortable and assured that I didn't have to speak Swedish but I wanted to!

Although having said that, after my trip to IKEA on Friday night I had to catch a taxi home since there was no way I could have lugged around all of my purchases on the complimentary shuttle bus. After I'd gotten in the cab, the driver started speaking to me in Swedish and I was incredibly surprised to find myself understanding three quarters to almost everything of what he was saying.He told me he had just dropped off an Australian at IKEA and was experiencing difficulty since she didn't speak Swedish - I told him (in Swedish) how ironic that was since I am also Australian and can't really speak Swedish either. The conversation ensued and it turned out that the taxi driver was an immigrant from Iraq and he said that learning the language was very difficult for him at first but he said there came a point when everything just clicked. He had a very thick accent but the beauty of him speaking was that he spoke slowly (which is not something Swedes seem to do...unless they're from the North), he used basic words and he understood the perils of immigration. We talked about good holiday destinations (he recommended Bulgaria), the difficulties of finding work in Sweden (he recommended I try bus driving) and how he was trying to quit smoking (I recommended he just stop).

Looks like I'll need to find me some more fellow immigrants to talk to. In my class I have people from Congo, Brazil, Hungary, Philippines and a myriad of other countries so I intend to extend my network in class in the near future. The amount of homework I have to do has increased significantly - to the point where I may find myself writing several essays a week in Swedish. Obviously the subject matter will be very basic such as 'My favourite season' and 'What did I do last year' but it's not the subjects I am concerned about so much as the fact that there are often no rules to Swedish grammar other than "it's just the way it is" rule.

In the meantime, I will be sticking post-it notes inscribed with the name of household items and sticking them all over the apartment so each time I look at the item I can read and try to remember the name. I think I've got a big enough pile of notes to start with...