study swedish in uppsala Summer 2019 www.uiss.org Study Swedish in Uppsala Midsummer celebrations with the Swedes Farewell dinner with theme ‘Pirates vs. Vikings’ Testimonials From Our Students REBECCA JACKSON, 21 UK STUDENT, [email protected] Summing up my love for UISS in a few paragraphs is almost impossible, but I will try my very best! Simply put, it has given me two amazing summers, many wonderful friends from around the world, and memories to last a life time! After telling myself for years that I would learn Swedish so that I could speak more with my Mum’s family, I finally decided to get on with it in the summer of 2016. After a bit of research, I came across UISS, and Nelleke answered all my many questions. I only spent three weeks in Uppsala in 2017, but they were the highlight of my year! Not only were they a perfect escape from a stressful degree, but I was surprised at how well the course encouraged global friendships, tolerance and most of all fun! Whether I came back in 2018 didn’t feel like a question and I booked on as soon as I could.This summer I’ve been shocked at how much my Swedish has improved over just six weeks. I was in two groups with very different teachers, and students, but both became such supportive environ- ments in such a short space of time, which made learning a language so much more fun! Not only did I learn more of the language, but I was able to learn more about Swedish culture as well, which was such a treat! I would thoroughly recommend UISS to anyone wanting to learn Swedish, whether you’re a hard core linguist, a half-swede like me, or just someone who needs an escape from daily life into a wonderful global community of friendships, singing, dancing and so much more!!! LARS QUICKFALL, 27 NEW ZEALAND VIDEO PRODUCER, [email protected] The UISS is one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had, and so much more than a language course. I was expecting to go there and learn a bit of Swedish, but I came away with new friends, amazing memories, and most of all - enough Swedish to convince shop assistants that I am a local (and so much more, of course)! I attended the three- week course, and it went by in a flash. The morning language class was perfectly suited to my learning style, we worked hard but we also had a lot of fun. My afternoon class was the Swedish Pop Music & Musical Theatre class. This was not only an extremely fun few hours, but we were also working on pronunciation through song lyrics, meaning that the å ä ö’s made perfect sense! Let’s not forget the social aspect of the course! Expect a lot of socialising; both organised by the course and by the students. You’ll come away with life long friends and, with the huge range of ethnicities and backgrounds attending the UISS, you’ll also gain a new appreciation and insight into the peoples of the world.I can’t wait to attend again, next time for longer, and be back in the amazing setting of Uppsala, learning an amazing language, with the most amazing people. Thanks UISS! EMRAH SEYHOGLU, 33 TURKEY PHYSICIAN-INTERNIST, [email protected] By the winter of 2018 I had learned Swedish up to a certain level with distance courses and my own efforts, as I plan to work in Sweden as a medical specialist. I also knew that the best way to learn a language was to spend time in the country where the language was spoken. With that in mind I became aware of UISS through a friend, while looking for a course in Sweden. Before joining the 9 week course I thought I would attend a simple, boring and classic language course. How did I even know that I would spend the most interesting, most instructive, most productive, and most entertaining time of my life? Unlike a classical language course, UISS opens Sweden to you every step of the way. It’s like you are a citizen in Sweden for a short time. The ability to transmit Swedish language and culture in such a short period of time is a sign of the result and success of a truly great sacrifice. It is a great honor to know the UISS team and teachers who love and love their work. They do their job very well. Thanks to all the team and participants for giving me many new values and experiences! This is a perfect course to learn Swedish language and culture. See you again in the coming years! 3 A Word From the Director WELCOME TO THE UPPSALA valuable and unforgettable experience. INTERNATIONAL SUMMER The weekend trips to Helsinki and Lapland are great experiences, so make sure to take part in SESSION, UISS. at least one of them. Two highlights during the summer are the potluck dinner, to which students I am so happy that you are looking into what our bring food that is typical for their homelands, program has to offer and I hope to be able to and the farewell banquet. Each three-week welcome you to the wonderful city of Uppsala session ends with a 3-course dinner and dance, and our program in 2019. Please read this a so-called “student gasque”, where students brochure very carefully as it will provide you and teachers perform songs and sketches. The with all the information you’ll need to fill out your dinners will have a theme. July 4 we will have a application and to prepare for your studies with “Typically Swedish” theme, where people can the UISS in Uppsala, Sweden. dress up as a famous Swedish character or in The UISS is a non-profit organization and is blue and yellow. On July 25 we will have a Pride completely self-supportive. We teach all classes theme, “Celebrate diversity”. On August 15, we at Vuxenskolan, a modern facility in the centre will have a more formal, three-course dinner. of Uppsala. The theme is “Dress-up!” I think the UISS has a All teachers within the UISS are qualified to teach lot to offer and I can assure you that you will have at an academic level. The newest teaching meth- a great summer in Uppsala, living as a Swede, ods are applied resulting in an active, motivating as you combine your studies with interesting and and stimulating atmosphere in our classes. Our fun experiences. courses are intensive and are intended for the serious and motivated student. I personally love working with this program as When learning a language it is also very im- no summer is the same and it is always exciting portant to learn about the culture, history and to meet so many people from all corners of the society and we do offer quite a number of those world with one thing in common: an interest in classes. Sweden, its language and culture. I really love Our experience is that it is a very good combina- Sweden, so to be able to offer a program that tion to focus on studying the Swedish language in is all about teaching Swedish and all aspects of the morning and to do something entirely differ- Sweden is the best job for me. Please don’t ever ent in the afternoon. For example the numerous hesitate to contact me directly if you have any courses we have in which music and/or theater questions. I hope to see you in Uppsala in the are involved, will teach you much more than just summer of 2019. Välkommen! a song or a scene. New horizons will open up and you will be surprised at how much more you will Nelleke Dorrestijn, have learned both about the language and the [email protected] culture and sometimes also about yourself. It is important to organize free time activities along with all the classroom hours, so that our students see something of the country. Equally important to us is to maintain the person- al atmosphere that always has been a strength of this program. Every year about 230 students and professionals from all over the world participate in the UISS. Spending a summer together with people from 40 different countries, ages 18 - 65, with different backgrounds, is a 4 .. .. Valkommen hit, valkommen hem ‘WELCOME TO UPPSALA, WELCOME HOME’ Uppsala is a beautiful and lively city The lake is close by and one will often find during the summer. The frozen Swedes our students there on the weekends. Gamla wake up from their hibernation and nature Uppsala offers a look into the history of not falls into bloom. Numerous events are only Uppsala, but of Sweden, with remains arranged by cultural organizations, and from the Viking Era and mythical royal several of Uppsala University’s student graves. And Stockholm with all the capital has organizations - the student nations - open their to offer is only a 45-minute train ride away. (outdoor) restaurants, clubs and pubs. 5 Uppsala International Summer Session THE UISS PROGRAM Uppsala International Summer Session is a The teachers are all qualified to teach at an non-profit foundation that offers summer courses academic level. The teachers in Swedish have an in the Swedish language, culture, history and so- academic degree specifically for teaching Swedish ciety annually for two, three, six and nine weeks. as a foreign language and also work at different Since the founding year of 1963 we have received universities during the academic year.