For free, bare bones instruction this pod cast is pretty darn okay. I'm headed to Sweden in 3 weeks, and while I definitely need more lessons before then, this pocast gave me a pretty good start. Be prepared to rewind a lot, and some of the phrases they rattle off for us to learn will leave you chuckling at the lingual acrobatics you'll need, especially if you're a total beginner like me. One realistic complaint: the two instructors Gabrielle and Marc are clearly from different regions - made all the more evident by their dueling pronunciations of that fundamental word "ja." Gabrielle, the primary demonstrator, is especially inconsistent. Her pronunciations change as she repeats the phrases, and I'm unconvinced this is because she's speeding up. One reviewer - let's diplomatically ignore the other one - rightfully pointed out the lack of visual tools makes the learning more challenging. Even so, I was eventually able to figure out which Swedish words meant what in English. The true test of learning is what teachers call "synthesis." By lesson six, I was readily able to cobble together this sentence on my own: "Yes, I am learning a little Swedish, but sorry Marc and Gabrielle, it is difficult!" <g>

Would have given it 5 but they just tell you everything. There's no reveiw activities or anything