How to Bake a Swedish Language Sponge

There’s a popular saying that ‘children soak up new languages like sponges’. And although I agree that kids do learn quickly, it’s not always that straight forward - especially not when there’s another majority language spoken all around you.

And behind every bilingual success story there’s usually dedicated parents supporting the child every step, or should I say word, of the way.

If you’d like to bake your very own bilingual Swedish language sponge - then here’s the recipe you need.

In my opinion, sponge cakes soak up all the good stuff just as well as a bath sponge (try dunking your sockerkaka in a good cup of tea or coffee and you’ll see what I mean).

Whether you’re gluten free, nut free, egg free or even calorie free - if you’re teaching your kids Swedish abroad, then you’ll love this tasty Swedish Language Sponge. Yum! Smaskens :-)

Prep time: 0 hrs | Cooking Time: 18 years | Yield: 1 child

Ingredients:

Positivity, swedes, imagination, love, persistence, radio, multi media, culture, traditions…

Method

• Take three big scoops of positivity and pour into a mixing bowl. While talking about languages positively - slowly drip in new Swedish words in an upbeat way. Ask the kids to help you stir and tell them what a wonderful job they’re doing. Don’t worry if the batter feels hard to stir at first - just add more positivity. You can do this!
  
  
  

• Add a daily dose of Swede to give your cake an authentic taste. If Swedes are not native to your country, ‘tager man vad man haver’ (use what you already have). Measure up a spoonful of Swedish radio or audiobooks, a dollop of TV, then squeeze in as many books and songs as the bowl will fit. Sift in daily conversations and play in Swedish.
  
  
  

• Carefully fold in a dollop of Swedish culture and traditions to the mix every week or so. This is what will make the cake rise, and turn into a delicious Swedish fikabröd (cake).
  
  Sprinkle in childhood memories of endless summer holidays, folktales about the Swedish Tomten and dance endlessly around the Midsummer pole while munching on cinnamon rolls.
  
  But be careful - the balance is important to get just right: Don’t add too much (or the cake will be too greasy), not too little (or the cake will not rise) - just lagom is perfect and will help the cake connect with its roots.

Bake with love throughout the four seasons, and serve at room temperature with pride eighteen years later.

In case you need help staying motivated while you bake your own ‘Swedish language sponge’, then why not check out the Swenglish Life book Shop?

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