Journalist spoke Swedish on Swedish radio — The Local Sweden
In Umeå, Sweden, The Local journalist Maddy Pifer gave an interview in Swedish live on Sveriges Radio's Studio Ett programme. According to her, she did not feel confident in spoken Swedish, but agreed to go on air after the programme's hosts asked her to switch from English to Swedish.
As The Local Sweden reports, Pifer was invited to discuss cooperation between Canada and the European Union amid worsening relations with the United States. During a preliminary conversation with the producer, she had agreed to conduct the interview in English, but Studio Ett later asked her to speak Swedish.
Preparing for the conversation
Pifer has lived in Sweden for about two and a half years. She explained that she mostly works in English or with written Swedish, so she rarely has the opportunity to practise speaking. The journalist described the numerous vowel sounds and subtle differences in the pronunciation of Swedish words as difficult.
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Before the broadcast, she prepared answer scripts for three of the six possible questions, repeatedly said difficult phrases in Swedish and practised improvising. She was asked four questions live on air.
Outcome of the broadcast
According to Pifer, after the conversation began, she felt calm and was able to speak Swedish more fluently and for longer than she had expected. She considers taking part in the live broadcast useful practice: after the interview, it became easier for her to communicate in Swedish in everyday conversations, and she felt more confident.
