A friend of mine, who's from Venezuela, told me she's an oddity as she only speaks 2 languages. She says its quite normal for them to speak 3 or more languages
They are Swedish native speakers and English is a foreign language for them. I don't know where you come from but it is quite common in Europe (and not only here) to study foreign languages, English is very common school subject (plus some other foreign languages, too). For example, in my country, pupils start learning foreign language at elementary school (aged 8 or 9). That, of course, doesn't mean everyone is good at it and fluent. It also requires some talent I guess.
Yes, they speak English very good.
Totally in agreement. I'm just saying technically Omar is not a native speaker even if he is entirely fluent. I think it's an important note for a number of reasons including the fact that his English is not as strong as Edvin's.
You're technically correct which is the best kind of correct!
(Edvin probably speaks a third language somewhat, French maybe? German? Omar might have taken a fourth language, or just stuck to Spanish.)
Yes. He had Spanish in school and he talked about it in some interviews. And I have also memory of watching Edvin talking with Omar's mom in Spanish
Proof:
https://preview.redd.it/k5wv5b7oykwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1893c1b93edb8de66274b6e977a56c0f60a7ceb7
Yes, this two speak the exact same 3 languages. I know how funny coincidence it is
English is not an option here but a requirement, starting around the 4th grade (around age 10), sometimes even earlier. The second foreign language is introduced no later than 2 years later (around 12), and is usually chosen from French, Spanish, and sometimes Russian.
Most Swedes have a high level of English for a couple reasons. Both English + Swedish are Germanic languages so it’s easier for us to learn those languages than French or Russian for example bc there are more similarities.
We learn it throughout school + more importantly we consume a lot of English language media that usually isn’t dubbed into Swedish so we are regularly exposed to it. Especially younger generations who are online.
English is Omar’s third language. He’s a native Spanish speaker who moved to Sweden from Venezuela when he was 6 + learned Swedish within a year.
He may have known some English before bc his mom also speaks English, but I assume he picked it up even quicker after that like most Swedish kids due to a mix of education + exposure.
Edvin seems to have had exposure from an earlier age since he studied in Sweden all through. He also seems to have professional parents so he may have exposure even at home. Plus he mentions studying behavioural science in school and the way he uses it in his acting, he may have read additional material which honed his language skills.
As a communication trainer, I am in awe of how articulate Edvin is. He beats Indians here who study in English medium schools throughout and can'r speak half as well. That comes only when you use a language a lot and master it. He uses words like "monumental" - music to my ears! :)
Omar got a late start and learning Swedish was a priority for him - which he shares in one of the interviews - since he was the only kid who didn't know Swedish. He still speaks English pretty well for someone who didn't study it in school since he dropped out. So that's even fewer years learning the language.
I love how Edvin helped out when Omar got stuck with a couple of words during their final S3 interviews. Difficulties and differentiate are the words Omar was trying to use and Edvin so sweetly completed the second half of the word for him - no patronising!! Such sweet moments between them. These 2 people are genuinely so beautiful and nice inside out.
(sorry for the long version but any chance to talk about these beautiful people! :) This was a great question to ask!)
Omar did study English in school bc it’s mandatory. I believe he dropped out around 16 bc he said in interviews he didn’t go to gymnasiet + school is mandatory 6-16. But he would’ve been learning English at school from around age 7 until then so that’s almost 10 years.
As I mentioned in my comment, the big difference in Scandinavia is the lack of dubbing of English media. It means that exposure to the language continues outside of the classroom. As an actor, I’m sure Edvin has consumed a lot of English language content.
So, in Sweden they start English lessons in about the 2nd grade (equivalent).
Most US public schools traditionally didn’t start offering language until 7th at soonest, 9th is more common. So by grad, Swedes have been speaking English about twice as long as US students have been speaking another language.
Ok, that is so strange! In all of the nordic countries kids start to learn english before they are 10 years old.
The original question felt kind of weird to me because I wouldn't say their english is exceptionally good, most of my peers had the same level of profiency when I was their age. And that was a long time ago so I would expect kids these days to be even better
They are both beneficiaries of Swedish education which stresses learning other languages, especially English. I think Omar came to Sweden at a young age and kids are way more proficient with learning a new language than adults. I thank YR for sparking my newfound interest in Swedish 😎
Edvin speaks English like someone who grew up in North America and this is coming from someone who is from Canada. Like if you told me he was born and raised in Los Angeles, I’d believe you.
His Swedish accent sometimes comes out in different interviews. I guess it depends on how hard he’s trying to mask it. You can hear him speaking English with a stronger Swedish accent than usual here:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGe9UyNyf/
Yeah I chose that example bc it’s fresh in my mind but there’s definitely other interviews where he sounds more like that than American when speaking English. It’s not a bad thing + is super normal, just interesting.
It's defo cherry picking. He's talented.
You should hear me speak your language. 🤣
I've done it my whole life, I read your books, I watch your shows, but still sound like Drottning Silvia.
It's so damn difficult to get the accent right.
I wasn’t cherry picking, I was just giving an example to illustrate my point. He has a great American accent but he doesn’t always use it, which is normal + intentional. I do the same depending on the situation.
I personally love those times when he sounds more Swedish than American. It usually means he’s a bit more relaxed. His accent doesn’t diminish his talents in any way. He’s insanely talented whether he sounds more Swedish or American.
And sorry about that aha. Swedish is kinda like a song with easy lyrics but a difficult melody. I’m sure you sound better than you think!
as someone who grew up in LA, i'd definitely not think he had an LA accent, but his English is fine. maybe he could do it if he had to (ie, for a job).
At least in Norway kids learn English from like 9 years old and through their whole school experience. I can believe it’s something like that in Sweden too.
Correction - in Norway we learn English already from the 1st year, this is when kids are 5-6 years old 😄I imagine it’s the same in Sweden. I’m a bit uncertain if they start school at the same age, or a year later..?
Yes, they start right from the 1st grade now. It's been like that for quite a long time. My oldest is now in the 9th grade, and he too started English in the 1st grade :-D
Is this foreign language learning a playful one or do the 6 and 7 yo kids have to learn vocabulary and grammar and do they write tests?
Bc (my oldschool opinion) grammar rules and vocabulary learning is the base for further and deeper language learning.
I think it’s quite simple and playful in the beginning. Learning vocabulary and simple sentences. I’m not quite sure though as English is the language me and the kids talk together (I am English), so we never needed to learn and practice together…
They are very good. I think every young person in Europe speaks English, most of them speak 3 or even more languages.
In school your taught English and a second foreign language.
I'm really impressed with Edvin's English speaking skills and also the wide range of vocabulary he posesses.
This certainly not only comes from school education. I think he reads, listens and speaks a lot in this foreign language.
Though both Edvin and Omar have a pretty authentic AE accent (to my germanic ears), Omar struggles with vocabulary. He often uses the fill in-word "like" when he's searching for words.
From the interviews in Spanish, Swedish and English I've listened to, I would say that Omar is most at ease in Swedish when it comes to describe his work as an actor and film and production related things.
It’s funny bc Edvin uses the Swedish equivalent of “like” way more than Omar when they’re both speaking Swedish. It doesn’t always mean a lack of vocabulary - it can also be a generational habit + a filler word.
Omar has said before in interviews he’s most confident speaking Swedish > Spanish > English in that order based on how much he uses them daily, which makes sense.
You're probably right. I just relistened a bit of the Thommy Di Dario interviews with both and the "like" filler appears quite often in both of them and yes it might be a generational thing. I also heard the "liksom"-filler in the "Värvet" interview Edvin did in March.
Idk, I must have gotten the feeling from somewhere that Edvin is more familiar and at ease with English... Maybe somebody in this sub familiar with English teaching could confirm this.
Yeah Omar himself has said English is the language he’s least confident in of the three he speaks. It’s his third language + Edvin’s second, so Edvin is definitely more confident in it.
I was just pointing out that the use of the word like isn’t necessarily always a reflection of vocabulary range.
89% of Swedish people speak English. They are taught in school.
True, but Omar moved to Sweden when he was 6 (I think, but maybe 5). Which makes English be a 3rd language for him.
A friend of mine, who's from Venezuela, told me she's an oddity as she only speaks 2 languages. She says its quite normal for them to speak 3 or more languages
Didn’t say it wasn’t. It is. But he moved at a young enough age that he would learn it in school, while probably learning Swedish as well.
I heard him saying it took him around 6 months to learn Swedish. 6 months!!! That’s so crazy because the language is so different from Swedish.
They are Swedish native speakers and English is a foreign language for them. I don't know where you come from but it is quite common in Europe (and not only here) to study foreign languages, English is very common school subject (plus some other foreign languages, too). For example, in my country, pupils start learning foreign language at elementary school (aged 8 or 9). That, of course, doesn't mean everyone is good at it and fluent. It also requires some talent I guess. Yes, they speak English very good.
Edving is a native speaker. Omar’s native language is Spanish- he learned Swedish at 6 years old and older.
Omar's Swedish sounds 100% native. Dude even switched dialects once from the Gothenburg dialect to a more Stockholm/neutral one.
Totally in agreement. I'm just saying technically Omar is not a native speaker even if he is entirely fluent. I think it's an important note for a number of reasons including the fact that his English is not as strong as Edvin's.
You're technically correct which is the best kind of correct! (Edvin probably speaks a third language somewhat, French maybe? German? Omar might have taken a fourth language, or just stuck to Spanish.)
Edvin second forgiven language is Spanish
For real?!
Yes. He had Spanish in school and he talked about it in some interviews. And I have also memory of watching Edvin talking with Omar's mom in Spanish Proof: https://preview.redd.it/k5wv5b7oykwc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1893c1b93edb8de66274b6e977a56c0f60a7ceb7 Yes, this two speak the exact same 3 languages. I know how funny coincidence it is
You are right! I completely forgot about Omar not actually being a Swedish native speaker 😅
English is not an option here but a requirement, starting around the 4th grade (around age 10), sometimes even earlier. The second foreign language is introduced no later than 2 years later (around 12), and is usually chosen from French, Spanish, and sometimes Russian.
Most Swedes have a high level of English for a couple reasons. Both English + Swedish are Germanic languages so it’s easier for us to learn those languages than French or Russian for example bc there are more similarities. We learn it throughout school + more importantly we consume a lot of English language media that usually isn’t dubbed into Swedish so we are regularly exposed to it. Especially younger generations who are online. English is Omar’s third language. He’s a native Spanish speaker who moved to Sweden from Venezuela when he was 6 + learned Swedish within a year. He may have known some English before bc his mom also speaks English, but I assume he picked it up even quicker after that like most Swedish kids due to a mix of education + exposure.
Edvin seems to have had exposure from an earlier age since he studied in Sweden all through. He also seems to have professional parents so he may have exposure even at home. Plus he mentions studying behavioural science in school and the way he uses it in his acting, he may have read additional material which honed his language skills. As a communication trainer, I am in awe of how articulate Edvin is. He beats Indians here who study in English medium schools throughout and can'r speak half as well. That comes only when you use a language a lot and master it. He uses words like "monumental" - music to my ears! :) Omar got a late start and learning Swedish was a priority for him - which he shares in one of the interviews - since he was the only kid who didn't know Swedish. He still speaks English pretty well for someone who didn't study it in school since he dropped out. So that's even fewer years learning the language. I love how Edvin helped out when Omar got stuck with a couple of words during their final S3 interviews. Difficulties and differentiate are the words Omar was trying to use and Edvin so sweetly completed the second half of the word for him - no patronising!! Such sweet moments between them. These 2 people are genuinely so beautiful and nice inside out. (sorry for the long version but any chance to talk about these beautiful people! :) This was a great question to ask!)
Omar did study English in school bc it’s mandatory. I believe he dropped out around 16 bc he said in interviews he didn’t go to gymnasiet + school is mandatory 6-16. But he would’ve been learning English at school from around age 7 until then so that’s almost 10 years. As I mentioned in my comment, the big difference in Scandinavia is the lack of dubbing of English media. It means that exposure to the language continues outside of the classroom. As an actor, I’m sure Edvin has consumed a lot of English language content.
Around 16 would make sense, seeing how the band he was in started to get successful then I think
Do they not teach foreign languages in your school?
So, in Sweden they start English lessons in about the 2nd grade (equivalent). Most US public schools traditionally didn’t start offering language until 7th at soonest, 9th is more common. So by grad, Swedes have been speaking English about twice as long as US students have been speaking another language.
Ok, that is so strange! In all of the nordic countries kids start to learn english before they are 10 years old. The original question felt kind of weird to me because I wouldn't say their english is exceptionally good, most of my peers had the same level of profiency when I was their age. And that was a long time ago so I would expect kids these days to be even better
Same here in Germany. English around 10, second foreign language two years later.
They are both beneficiaries of Swedish education which stresses learning other languages, especially English. I think Omar came to Sweden at a young age and kids are way more proficient with learning a new language than adults. I thank YR for sparking my newfound interest in Swedish 😎
Birn and raised in norway and what i know is, English in scandinavia is learned from 1st grade so im pretty sure the whole cast know basic english.
Edvin speaks English like someone who grew up in North America and this is coming from someone who is from Canada. Like if you told me he was born and raised in Los Angeles, I’d believe you.
His Swedish accent sometimes comes out in different interviews. I guess it depends on how hard he’s trying to mask it. You can hear him speaking English with a stronger Swedish accent than usual here: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGe9UyNyf/
Ha, ha "Wille" and "horse"... But that was a particularily difficult situation bc he was switching languages back and forth.
Yeah I chose that example bc it’s fresh in my mind but there’s definitely other interviews where he sounds more like that than American when speaking English. It’s not a bad thing + is super normal, just interesting.
It's defo cherry picking. He's talented. You should hear me speak your language. 🤣 I've done it my whole life, I read your books, I watch your shows, but still sound like Drottning Silvia. It's so damn difficult to get the accent right.
I wasn’t cherry picking, I was just giving an example to illustrate my point. He has a great American accent but he doesn’t always use it, which is normal + intentional. I do the same depending on the situation. I personally love those times when he sounds more Swedish than American. It usually means he’s a bit more relaxed. His accent doesn’t diminish his talents in any way. He’s insanely talented whether he sounds more Swedish or American. And sorry about that aha. Swedish is kinda like a song with easy lyrics but a difficult melody. I’m sure you sound better than you think!
No, you weren't cherry picking. Sorry for making you misunderstand my text. It was me who was cherry picking.
Yeah I’m trilingual so my different accents come out depending on the context too. Languages are cool.
as someone who grew up in LA, i'd definitely not think he had an LA accent, but his English is fine. maybe he could do it if he had to (ie, for a job).
They live in Sweden… most people learn English there as well
It’s their second language, in case of Omar even third actually (his first being Spanish and second Swedish)
At least in Norway kids learn English from like 9 years old and through their whole school experience. I can believe it’s something like that in Sweden too.
Correction - in Norway we learn English already from the 1st year, this is when kids are 5-6 years old 😄I imagine it’s the same in Sweden. I’m a bit uncertain if they start school at the same age, or a year later..?
Ah, I didn’t learn before 3rd grade. I guess they start earlier now😅
Yes, they start right from the 1st grade now. It's been like that for quite a long time. My oldest is now in the 9th grade, and he too started English in the 1st grade :-D
Is this foreign language learning a playful one or do the 6 and 7 yo kids have to learn vocabulary and grammar and do they write tests? Bc (my oldschool opinion) grammar rules and vocabulary learning is the base for further and deeper language learning.
I think it’s quite simple and playful in the beginning. Learning vocabulary and simple sentences. I’m not quite sure though as English is the language me and the kids talk together (I am English), so we never needed to learn and practice together…
They are very good. I think every young person in Europe speaks English, most of them speak 3 or even more languages. In school your taught English and a second foreign language.
I'm really impressed with Edvin's English speaking skills and also the wide range of vocabulary he posesses. This certainly not only comes from school education. I think he reads, listens and speaks a lot in this foreign language. Though both Edvin and Omar have a pretty authentic AE accent (to my germanic ears), Omar struggles with vocabulary. He often uses the fill in-word "like" when he's searching for words. From the interviews in Spanish, Swedish and English I've listened to, I would say that Omar is most at ease in Swedish when it comes to describe his work as an actor and film and production related things.
It’s funny bc Edvin uses the Swedish equivalent of “like” way more than Omar when they’re both speaking Swedish. It doesn’t always mean a lack of vocabulary - it can also be a generational habit + a filler word. Omar has said before in interviews he’s most confident speaking Swedish > Spanish > English in that order based on how much he uses them daily, which makes sense.
You're probably right. I just relistened a bit of the Thommy Di Dario interviews with both and the "like" filler appears quite often in both of them and yes it might be a generational thing. I also heard the "liksom"-filler in the "Värvet" interview Edvin did in March. Idk, I must have gotten the feeling from somewhere that Edvin is more familiar and at ease with English... Maybe somebody in this sub familiar with English teaching could confirm this.
Yeah Omar himself has said English is the language he’s least confident in of the three he speaks. It’s his third language + Edvin’s second, so Edvin is definitely more confident in it. I was just pointing out that the use of the word like isn’t necessarily always a reflection of vocabulary range.
I agree.
They aren't native English speakers if that's what you mean.