 Though this terminology and its definitions have long been established among linguists , most Swedes are unaware of the distinction and its historical background , and often refer to the regional varieties as " dialects " . In a poll that was conducted in 2005 by the Swedish Retail Institute ( Handelns Utredningsinstitut ) , the attitudes of Swedes to the use of certain dialects by salesmen revealed that 54 % believed that rikssvenska was the variety they would prefer to hear when speaking with salesmen over the phone , even though several dialects such as gotländska or skånska were provided as alternatives in the poll . 
