By Dana Yu
@danamyu

From Stockholm, Sweden’s archipelago capital spanning 14 islands, to university towns Uppsala and Lund, Sweden offers a number of clean, safe cities to ground an unforgettable English-teaching experience.

The first thing you will have to accustom yourself to is the notable hike in the cost of living. To adjust, income in Sweden is higher as well. The Swedish form of currency is the Swedish krona, or crown.

Most Swedes can speak English, and those living in cities generally speak at a high level. In Sweden, children begin learning English in early grade school, and success in the global business world motivates professionals to perfect their English skills too.

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By Dana Yu
@danamyu

If you’re lucky enough to be teaching English in Sweden, make sure to stay until June to get in on the biggest holiday of the year.

Each June, Swedes flee the cities for their summer homes in the countryside to welcome the arrival of summer with greenery, dancing, feasts, and friends at the annual Midsummer festival. This two-day celebration was historically aligned with the summer solstice, but has since been designated on the Friday and Saturday between June 19 and 26.

The festival begins Friday morning on Midsummer’s Eve with the construction and decoration of the maypole. The maypole is built in the shape of a tall cross with large wooden poles, and two floral wreaths hang on either side. After a traditional lunch of pickled herring, boiled potatoes, salmon, eggs, schnapps, and more, the maypole is raised in an open field where children and adults sing and dance Midsummer songs.

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