I have started watching TV after moving to Sweden, and there’s a reason for that. I have not touched the TV for almost my entire adult life but made an exception this time for the sake of my Swedish language learning. I have identified three TV programs for this purpose: Nyhetsmorgon, Bonde söker fru, and Så mycket bättre.

One particular episode in Så mycket bättre that stood out to me is the latest one with Gustaf Norén role-playing as a music teacher. See the video clip of him stepping into the role here or click on the snapshot below.

What I particularly liked about the episode is how Norén breaks down the subject of making music and associates it to building a house, i.e., starting from the foundation or the ground up! First, listen (lyssna—the foundation), then learn (lära—the walls), then create (skapa—the roof), but what usually happens is people start with the top, i.e., roof, which is not a sound way to “build a house.” He is a wonderfully engaging and witty teacher.

About Så mycket bättre (in English: So Much Better): It’s a Swedish reality television show that airs on TV4. Quoting from Wikipedia: “The basic premise is that each artist attempts to do their own version of another artist’s well-known songs, with each person getting an episode featuring all of their songs being performed by the other musicians. The artists spend eight days together at a hotel in Gotland, where they attempt to put their own stamps on the songs.”