What Does a SpeakCharlie Language Course Look Like?
- Leigh Neil
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
You would think this is an easy question. But the truth is: no two SpeakCharlie courses look the same - and that’s exactly the point. We design every course around the learner or group of learners, creating a setup that fits their needs, goals, schedules, and working environment.
Below is a look at the most common elements of a SpeakCharlie course and how we customise them.
This article serves as an overview of how all SpeakCharlie language courses are structured — regardless of language.
Language Options
Most of our learners come to us because they’ve moved to Sweden and want to build confidence in Swedish, both at work and in everyday life. This is how SpeakCharlie began, back when we were “Swedish for Professionals.”
Today, we offer far more. Learners now take courses in:
Swedish
English (including our Fearless English program)
Mandarin
Ukrainian
French
German
…and more as our clients’ needs evolve.
Class Size
We work with a wide range of setups:
Individual learners Some learners simply prefer one-on-one instruction. Others are sponsored by their employer and need to work intensively on specific skills — pronunciation, grammar, business communication, or everyday conversation.
Pairs or families We often teach partners together, and occasionally parents and children in the same course.
Small groups from the same company This is our most common format. Groups of 3–5 learners tend to be ideal: Large enough for peer motivation and lively discussions, small enough for personalised coaching.
Class Duration
Most SpeakCharlie classes are 90 minutes long. Over time, we’ve found this to be the “sweet spot”: long enough for deep learning and practice, but short enough to maintain focus.
For learners who want rapid progress, we also arrange intensive courses — often a full week of concentrated language training.
Number of Classes
Our standard package includes 16 classes, scheduled once or twice per week.
Sixteen lessons generally correspond to progressing through one of our level pairs (e.g., 1AB or 3CD) and give enough structure and momentum to create noticeable improvement.
Class Format
Our courses can be held in person or online, but those simple labels cover many real-world variations:
A coach and learner meet in person — at the workplace or at our Stockholm office.
A group joins the coach online, each from their own computer.
Learners sit together in a meeting room while the coach teaches remotely.
Hybrid groups combine both formats — for example, three learners in Stockholm and two joining from another branch.
We design whichever setup works best for the team.
Course Focus
Every group has different goals, and the focus of the course changes accordingly.
Swedish Some companies use Swedish as their primary office language, so employees need Swedish to thrive professionally. Others use English, but still value helping international employees fully participate in daily Swedish life — from fika to social gatherings.
English Many companies want employees to feel more confident in complex or unfamiliar English situations. Our Fearless English program is designed for exactly that.
Other languages
Mandarin for employees preparing for a relocation to China
French or German for new roles or international responsibilities
Targeted professional goals, such as Swedish for pharmacists or legal English
We always tailor the content to the learners’ needs and professional context.
Coaching
Every SpeakCharlie course is led by one of our professional language coaches. We match each learner or group with a coach whose expertise, teaching style, and background fit the goals of the course.
All coaches go through a thorough selection process that includes language testing, practical teaching sessions, and training in our approach to personalised, confidence-building learning.
Every course may look different, but the goal is always the same: to help people feel more at home, more confident, and more capable in their everyday communication. Whether you're learning Swedish for fika, English for tough meetings, or Mandarin for a global assignment, we’re here to make the journey smoother, smarter, and genuinely enjoyable.