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ABSTRACT  In the 1960s, Sweden instituted educational reforms with the intent to create a citizenry bilingual in Swedish and English. Today, ordinary Swedes in everyday situations speak English with a high level of communicative competence. A number of social and affective factors have brought about this result. This article focuses on English language education in the Swedish compulsory school, where the framework and foundation for the achievement of English fluency is established. Oral skills and the practical aspects of English learning are emphasized in the compulsory school curriculum. In class, pupils are encouraged to speak and their reading and writing competence is aided by the functional approach to English teaching.
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English
Language
Education in
the
Swedish Compulsory School
E.
G.
Kim-Rivera
University
of
Texas
ABSTRACT
In
the
1960s,
Sweden instituted educational reforms with the intent to create a citi-
zenry bilingual in Swedish and English. Today, ordinary Swedes in everyday situations
speak
English with a high level of communicative competence.
A
number of social and affective fac-
tors have brought about this result. This article focuses on English language education in the
Swedish compulsory school, where the framework and foundation
for
the achievement of Eng-
lish fluency is established, Oral skills and the practical aspects of English learning
are
empha-
sized in the compulsory school cum‘culum.
In
class, pupils are encouraged to speak and their
reading and writing competence
is
aided by the functional approach to English teaching.
Introduction
In 1993 the Swedish population was officially
estimated
at
8.7 million. Until the 1950s the
Swedish population was ethnically homoge-
neous, but today the number
of
immigrants
and their children has reached 1 million. The
Swedish language
is
spoken by the majority of
the population and it
is
also the first language
of approximately 300,000 Finns (Orpet 1984).
Since the early Twentieth Century, Sweden
has enjoyed political stability, high economic
growth, and a relatively conflict-free labor
market. When judged in terms
of
Gross
Do-
mestic Product (GDP) per capita,
it
is
consis
tently ranked
as
one
of
the wealthiest
countries in the world.
In the 1960s, Sweden launched an impres-
sive educational reform with the ultimate goal
of
creating
a
nation bilingual in Swedish and
English (Anderman 1974). Today the Swedes
have achieved a high standard
of
English flu-
ency.
A
large number
of
ordinary people in
ordinary jobs and circumstances speak rela-
tively fluent English (Orpet 1984).
As
Ameri-
cans show increased interest in foreign
language education, especially in the elemen-
E.G.
Kirn-Rivera
is
a
Ph.D.
candidate
of
Applied
Linguistics, Foreign Language Education
at
the
University
of
Texas, Austin.
tary
school,
it
is
pertinent and timely to make
attempts to understand why European coun-
tries are often more successful at teaching for-
eign languages. This article will examine
English language education in compulsory
schools in Sweden, a country recognized as
having exceptional success in teaching Eng-
lish.
English
Language
Education
in
the
Compulsory
School
Compulsory
School
Swedish children’s formal education con-
sists
of
a
nine-year compulsory school and a
voluntary uppersecondary school. The com-
pulsory school
is
usually for children between
the ages
of
seven and sixteen. However, since
1991
it
has been possible for children
to
begin
school at the age
of
six
if
the parents prefer and
if
the municipality
is
able
to
accommodate
such need. Seven and four-tenths percent
of
all first graders were six years old or younger
in
1995 (EURYDICE and CEDEFOP 1998).
Compulsory schooling was introduced in
Sweden in 1842 and the system has been con-
tinuously revised since the 1940s. The current
nine-year compulsory comprehensive school
was adopted by the Swedish parliament
(Riks-
dag) in 1962 and implemented in 1973. “Com-
prehensive education”
is
based on the
Foreign
Language
Annals,
32,
No.
2,
1999
FOREIGN LANGUAGE A"U4UMMER
1999
ideology that children with
a
variety
of
social
backgrounds, experiences, and cultures
should be educated together and receive the
same high-quality schooling. Compulsory
schools include compulsory basic school
@rundskolun),
school for the Sami peoples
of
northern Sweden
(sumeskolan),
special
school for children with impaired vision, hear-
ing, and speech
(speciulskolan),
and compul-
sory school for mentally disabled children
(~Zirskolan).
Practically
all
students attend
state compulsory schools, and only 2 percent
go
to
private schools.
In Sweden, curricula, national objectives,
and guidelines for state education are deter-
mined by the parliament and the government.
The National Agency for Education
(Skoluer-
ket)
is
responsible for the development, eval-
uation, follow-up, and supervision
of
state
schooling and
is
required
to
give
a
report on
the general status of state schooling to parlia-
ment and the government every three years.
In December 1993, the Swedish parliament
approved legislation for new curricular guide
lines for the entire educational system. Under
the new National Curriculum
(Idroplan),
com-
pulsory schools underwent major reform, re
sulting in wide-ranging changes in the
cumculum, syllabi, and time-schedules. The
new national syllabi specify objectives for
each subject which are
to
be fulfilled by the
end
of
the fifth and ninth year
of
compulsory
school. This requirement has made it possible
to
evaluate nationwide scholastic achieve-
ment after the fifth year. In addition, the
school system
is
moving toward decentraliza-
tion, and it
is
possible for each school
to
out-
line its own curriculum.
Within the national goals and guidelines,
municipalities are able to decide the way their
schools should be run. The headmasters
of
compulsory schools are responsible for de-
signing
a
working plan based on the national
curriculum and syllabus in cooperation with
teachers and other
staff.
The participation
of
students, parents, and parent associations
is
also
encouraged in the decision-making
process. However, teachers enjoy great free
dom in planning their teaching and in choos-
ing teaching methods, and
it
is
ultimately their
responsibility
to
develop the approach and
working methods that best suit them and their
students.
The 40-week Swedish academic year
is
di-
vided into two terms: the
fall
term, which runs
from the end
of
August
to
the end
of
Decem-
ber, and the spring term, which runs from the
beginning
of
January to the beginning
of
June.
Students attend school five days
a
week, from
Monday
to
Friday. Mandatory attendance
is
a
minimum
of
178 days (a maximum of
190
days) per year and eight hours per day (six
hours in the first
two
grades) (EURYDICE and
CEDEFOP 1998). At
least
once a term, the
teacher, student and parents meet to discuss
the student's progress and to decide how
to
best
assist
in the development
of
the student's
academic skills:
An average
of
25
students are in one class,
but the actual student-teacher ratio
is
much
lower due
to
the increase in teachers' in-
volvement with small groups or individual
students. Tuition
is
free in state schools.
Teaching materials, school meals, health
care, and school transport are also provided
free
of
charge. The annual cost
for
a com-
pulsory-school student in
1989-90
was re-
ported to be
US
$7,600,
and this
cost
is
equally shared by the
state
and the munici-
pality. According
to
World Bank statistics,
Swedish school systems are the most expen-
sive in the world. (Marklund
1994)
English Cumculum
English
is
a
mandatory subject in the com-
pulsory school. When the new National Cur-
riculum was introduced in 1995, each local
school authority was given the freedom to de
cide when its students begin English instruc-
tion. Thus, in some regions children may start
learning English in the 4th grade while in oth-
ers they may begin
as
early
as
the 1st grade:
The main goal
of
English teaching in the
compulsoty school
is
to develop children's
proficiency in their oral skills; that
is,
the stu-
dents' ability to understand and make thern-
235
FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNAJS~UMMER
1999
selves understood in spoken English. This
view
of
the primacy
of
functional oral skills
is
shared by both teachers and students.
(0s-
carson 1995)
Another important aspect of English teach-
ing
is
that English
is
treated
as
a world lan-
guage. In
class,
students are exposed to
English
as
it
is
spoken in New Zealand, Aus-
tralia, Kenya, Ghana, and lndia as well
as
the
United States and Britain. This emphasis
is
based on the belief that knowledge
of
the Eng-
lish language will make
it
possible for chil-
dren to communicate with people
of
different
backgrounds.
The
1995
English syllabus for the compul-
sory
school articulates two significant
ele-
ments
of
English teaching: communicative
language skills and intercultural understand-
ing. Part
of
the syllabus reads:
Being able
to
communicate in the target lan-
guage
is
a
focal
point
of
language learning.
Teaching should be based on the contents
being meaningful and interesting.
..It
is
es-
sential in the early stages
of
teaching English
to
try
to
capture the pupils' interest and
cu-
riosity even outside the world
of
the
school.. .Pronunciation
is
an important
part
of
language communication.. .Knowledge
of
the everyday
life,
history, geography,
social
conditions and religions
of
English speaking
countries are
of
value in themselves.
(Swedish Ministry
of
Education and Science
1995)
In
1995
the Swedish parliament laid out a
new timetable which determined the mini-
mum number
of
hours in each subject that a
student
is
entitled to teacher-supervised in-
struction. Municipalities have the freedom to
implement
a
more extensive timetable, with
the only restriction that the school administer
assessments at the end
of
the fifth and ninth
year.
In this new timetable, additional instruc-
TABLE
1
Timetable
for
Curriculum
("he
teaching
hours
for
subjects over the
9
yeam
of
compulsory
SchooI)
Subject
Art
Education
Domestic Science
Physical and Health Education
Music
Crafts
Swedish
English
Mathematics
Geography, History, Religion, Social Sciences
Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Technology
Foreign Language
Pupils' Choice
Total
Whereof choice
of
school (locally decided)
Hours
as
of
1
July
1995
Min. hours
230
118
460
230
282
1,490
480
900
885
800
320
470
6,665
410
(EURYDICE and CEDEFOP
1998)
236
tional time was allotted to second foreign lan-
guage courses. Although the hours can
be
moved from subject to subject depending on
the school policy,
it
is
not allowed to reduce
the number
of
hours prescribed to Swedish,
mathematics, and English. According to the
new cumculum, schools have more freedom
to decide the grade in which their students
begin to study the languages
of
their choice.
Normally students choose either a second for-
eign language or an alternative when entering
grade
6.
Second foreign languages include
German, French, Spanish, Finnish, Lappish
and others; alternatives are the student’s
home language, Swedish
as
a
second lan-
guage, Swedish, English, and Sign Language.
The most common choice
of
second lan-
guage
is
German, in which
33
percent
of
all
sixth graders enroll (JorsZter
1997).
Methods
of
Teaching
Foreign language teachers in Sweden are
provided with guidelines for their teaching,
but guidance on teaching methods
is
not spe-
cific.
As
a result, teachers have a substantial
amount
of
freedom in their instruction. Eng-
lish teaching aims
to
develop four language
skills: oral proficiency; listening comprehen-
sion; reading comprehension; and written
proficiency.
Oral Proficiency and Listening Comprehen-
sion.
In class, students are encouraged to
speak in English while instructions are given
in the target language. English teaching
at
the
lower levels targets listening comprehension
and oral practice
as
the most important skills.
In grades
1-3
(figstadium),
children practice
words, phrases, and grammatical patterns
of
simple spoken English. They talk about them-
selves in simple forms
of
language, such
as
by
saying their names, singing songs, playing
games, and creating rhymes. Children’s phys-
ical
participation
is
encouraged through sim-
ple exercises. There are two main types
of
oral exercises practiced at the lower grades:
fixed oral exercise, in which the teacher
asks
a question that has only one correct answer,
and substitution exercise, in which students
substitute
a
word with another word
of
the
same part
of
speech in a sentence.
In the middle levels (grades
4-6;
Mellansta-
dium),
students listen
to
interviews with native
speakers and stories in order to develop
lis-
tening comprehension. They practice easy
conversation
to
get information and to say
what they need or want. Exercises that are
practiced in these levels consist
of
simple role
plays, storytelling, descriptions or explana-
tions
of
things, games, and songs.
In the higher grades
(7-9;
Hogstadium),
au-
thentic or produced recorded materials are
used for listening comprehension. Students
practice role plays and interviews and partici-
pate in discussion, singing, and music. They
engage in free conversation exercises, the aim
of
which
is
to
strengthen students’ ability
to
fully express themselves in English. For ex-
ample, in one exercise, the student
is
given a
picture in which
a
dramatic incident
is
de-
picted and asked to describe what he or she
thinks
is
taking place. The grammatical struc-
tures are introduced
to
the students through
systematic exercises. In the early stages, these
exercises are strictly oral; only later are they
incorporated with written practice. Unfamil-
iar structures are always presented with thor-
oughly familiar vocabulary (Anderman
1974).
Reading Comprehension.
At the beginning
level, English texts are presented with pic-
tures, and the teacher spends only
a
small por-
tion
of
the lesson on reading practice.
Reading at the beginning level
is
done in cho
rus. In the lower grades, only the words that
students are already familiar with are pre-
sented in reading, while at the higher levels
authentic texts, such
as
newspaper articles
and books, are used for reading comprehen-
sion. Reading
is
not used
as
a
medium for cre-
ating literary essays or for grammatical
explanations but has
a
purpose in itself; that
is,
it
is
done for pleasure or to get specific in-
formation. Generally, the emphasis
is
on gist
comprehension, while translation
of
passages
is
rarely done.
Written Proficiency.
Teachers are careful
when making the transition from spoken
to
written English and do
so
only when they are
confident that the students are completely fa-
237
FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS4UMMER
1999
miliar with the meanings
of
the words
to
be
presented. While writing
is
not generally prac-
ticed in the lower grades, middle-level stu-
dents practice spelling by copying and writing
simple messages and short letters. In the
higher grades they write about what they have
read and discussed and practice functional
writing exercises, such
as
writing messages
and letters. Students also practice “free writ-
ing,” such
as
writing one’s own
stories
or di-
aries and copying word
lists
and passages
from the textbook.
English lessons are conducted in the target
language, although teachers are prepared
to
use Swedish
if
necessary.
Giota
(1995) re-
ported in her survey study that
50
percent
of
the students indicated that the teacher almost
always spoke in English during lessons while
another 12 percent said the teacher only
spoke in English during lessons.
Teaching Materials
English teaching materials in the compul-
sory
school include the basic textbook, sup
plementary booklets, and audio-visual
materials such
as
film strips, slides, and tape
recordings. Texts are studied in two ways.
The first way
is
through intensive study, and its
purpose
is
to
gain thorough understanding
of
the content and
to
acquire new vocabulary
and grammatical knowledge. Students use
the basic textbook in this manner in class.
Ex-
tensive study
is
done individually, and
its
pur-
pose
is
to enable the student to understand
the content
as
a
whole and extract important
facts. Supplementary booklets, which contain
texts
of
simpler content and few unknown
words, are used for extensive study. This ad-
ditional study provides students with an op-
portunity
to
develop their potential
at
their
own pace. Among supplementary booklets,
exercise books are available for practice
of
grammatical structures and vocabulary that
students encounter in the main textbook.
Short stories are used
to
develop students’ in-
terest in reading on their own in English and
to
provide detailed information
of
specific
subjects. In addition, teachers make exten-
sive use
of
tape recorders in
class.
Assessment and Achievement
The Swedish national syllabus for the sub-
ject
of
English stipulates the level
of
achieve-
ment that students should attain at the end
of
the fifth and ninth year:
Targets
That
Pupils Should Have
Awed
by
the
End
of
the
Fifth
Year
in
School
Pupils should:
-
understand clear and simple speech and
be
able
to take part in simple conversa-
tions;
*
be able
to
read and understand simple
narratives and descriptions;
*
be able
to
make themselves understood in
writing, e.g., simple messages;
-
know something about living conditions
in English speaking countries.
Targets
That
Pupils Should Have
Attained
by
the End
of
the
Ninth Year
in
School
Pupils should:
-
understand standard British and American
speech;
-
be able
to
actively take part in conversa-
tions on everyday subjects and familiar
events in simple language;
-
be able
to
verbally relate something which
they have heard, read or experienced;
*
be
able
to read and understand the con-
tents
of
narrative and descriptive texts as
well
as
extract facts from
a
text;
-
be able
to
formulate themselves in writing
in simple forms, e.g., messages and letters;
-
have general knowledge about
social
con-
ditions, cultural conditions, and ways
of
living in English- speaking countries;
-
be accustomed
to
using dictionaries and
grammar reference works as aids when
reading and writing on their own.
There are no final examinations in Swedish
schools. Achievement-related final awards
are given in the ninth year
of
compulsory
238
FOREIGN
LANGUAGE
ANNALS-SUMMER
1999
school. These awards are based on
a
three-
point scale:
G
Cgodkund)
for a pass,
VG
(uul
godkund)
for
a
pass with distinction and, the
highest grade,
MVG
(mycket
udl
godkand)
for
a pass with special distinction. Subject teach-
ers award these grades on the basis
of
students’ performances throughout their
school years. In their English assessment,
teachers are required
to
consider all aspects
of
the students’ performance in terms
of
oral
proficiency, comprehension, and written pro-
ficiency. Thus, teachers are encouraged to
keep
a
record
of
students’ work in these areas.
Municipal schools administer national tests
in English, Swedish, and mathematics at the
end
of
the fifth and ninth year. The tests at the
end
of
the fifth year, however, are voluntary.
The National Agency for Education provides
the central testing service, in which objective
testing methods and
a
rigid marking system
are applied. The tests are considered guide-
lines for each teacher
to
compare the achieve-
ment
of
his or her students with that
of
the
general population. The aims
of
the tests are
not
to
judge the students’ performance on the
subject but
to
assist teachers in assessing the
overall performance
of
the class. Another
way
to
compare the standard
of
English teach-
ing
is
“teachers’ day,” when teachers
of
the
same subject gather
to
discuss teaching mat-
ters and methods.
An assessment
of
achievement in foreign
languages that involved more than 20,000 Sec-
ond, Fifth, and Ninth graders (Oscarson 1995)
showed an overall high level
of
achievement
in English skills. According to the assessment,
the goals prescribed by the National Curricu-
lum were achieved by an overwhelming ma-
jority
of
the learners. Students in general
attained relatively high levels
of
listening and
reading comprehension. In addition, the ma-
jority possessed welldeveloped speaking and
writing skills, although many showed weak-
ness in mastery
of
grammar. The students
showed confidence in their oral communica-
tive skills in everyday language use, and this
confidence was supported by teachers’ corre-
sponding assessments. However, the survey
study reported
a
broad variation in the com-
petence levels
of
the students.
Giota’s
1995 study showed that approxi-
mately
a
third
of
the students believed they
understood only a few English words and
phrases before entering school. However, at
the time
of
the survey,
80
percent
felt
they un-
derstood most or all
of
what their teacher said
in English. When asked where they
felt
they
had learned most
of
the English they knew, 55
percent
of
them answered ‘mainly in school’
and
30
percent said ‘almost totally in school.’
Only
15
percent
of
them answered that they
had learned
as
much English outside
class
as
in
class.
Balke (1991) reported that 90 per-
cent
of
the surveyed students achieved a
basic level
of
proficiency in all four skills.
Teachers
A
large majority
of
teachers
of
English are
Swedish speakers who are trained and quali-
fied
as
teachers within the Swedish school sys-
tem. There are only a few native English
speakers within the system, due to the fact
that it
is
difficult for foreign nationalities to be
qualified
as
language teachers in Sweden.
It
is
often the
case
that language teachers are
re-
quired
to
teach two foreign languages, or a
foreign language and one other subject.
A
large number
of
native English speakers are,
however, teaching English in other educa-
tional organizations where no qualifications
are officially required.
Compulsory school teachers are trained ei-
ther in universities, such as Lund, Uppsala,
Stockholm, and Goteborg, or in university
col-
leges, such
as
Karlstad and Orebro. There,
they are trained in one
of
two programs:
Teachers for grades
1-7
attend three-and-a-half
years
to
four years
of
programs
of
study, and
teachers for grades
4-9
attend four to five years
of
programs. English teachers in the higher
grades are required
to
earn university qualifi-
cations in
at
least two subjects, and super-
vised teaching practice
is
required in all
teacher training. The main emphasis
of
the
teaching practice
is
on the improvement
of
the trainees’ oral performance.
In-Service Training.
Swedish municipalities
have the responsibility to provide in-service
239
FOREIGN LANGUAGE A"ALS--SUMMER
1999
training for the teachers. The National Agency
for Education ensures that inservice training
courses are available nationwide. Until the
mid 1970s, it was considered entirely accept-
able for teachers to participate in inservice
training courses by sacrificing their holidays.
Language teachers often attended training
courses organized by Swedish organizations
in other European countries. Some
of
these
courses were subsidized, but in most cases
participating teachers paid for themselves,
as
they
still
do
today. Today, training courses,
which are paid for by the municipalities-the
employers
of
the teachers-normally take
place during the academic year. Universities
and
colleges
offer training courses that last
from one week
to
twenty weeks. Balke (1991)
reported, however, that few
of
the compulsory
school teachers surveyed had actually at-
tended inservice training courses. In Oscar-
son's study (1995), the teachers expressed
a
great need for inservice training. They were
particularly interested in recent lexical and
structural development
of
the target language
and sociocultural circumstances in the target
language countries.
English
Outside
the
Classroom
English
is
by far the most widely used for-
eign language in Sweden. Traditionally Ger-
man had been the second language in
Sweden until the end
of
World War
11,
but Eng-
lish quickly became the major second lan-
guage in the 1950s. Today Swedish children
are widely exposed
to
English outside school.
Young children have contact with English be
fore schooI age, particularly through English
programs on
TV.
About half
of
the
TV
pro-
grams in Sweden are imported from other
countries and
of
them, English programs tend
to be the most popular. The majority
of
chil-
dren watch English
TV
programs with subti-
tles. Movies in English are rarely dubbed and
usually subtitled, except for those for young
children. English-language movies are
watched by
a
high number
of
Swedes. Videos
are
also
popular and the majority
of
them are
available in English. In addition,
a
consider-
able
amount
of
popular music in English
is
played on Swedish radio programs. American
or English groups are popular, and most
Swedish bands produce at least some
of
their
songs in English. Furthermore, children also
use the computer and play computer games
in English.
It
is
common for students in higher grades
(7-9)
to
go
abroad for summer
classes.
They
usually go
to
Britain and the United States for
English language courses; this practice
is
not
as
common for lower grade students.
A
1989
survey
of
fifth graders (Giota 1995) showed
that only
a
few
of
the students
(16
percent)
had visited an Englishspeaking country and
had done
so
for
less
than four weeks
of
their
vacation. Although their English-language ac-
tivities in free time involved
a
variety
of
listen-
ing, speaking, reading, and writing activities,
the most frequent were listening activities
such
as
watching
TV
and listening to music.
They also engaged in activities such
as
writing
letters, reading comics and
books,
and speak-
ing English with English speakers or their fam-
ily members, but with
less
frequency.
Motivation
and
Attitudes
Swedish children are taught
to
see
a
value
in the use
of
the English language in school.
Oscarson (1995) reported that most
of
the
children surveyed had positive attitudes to-
ward English, with
20
percent
of
them having
a
very positive attitude. Ninetysix percent
of
them stated that they expected
to
use what
they learned in English classes.
According to Giota's 1995 study, almost all
the students
felt
their English comprehension
and speaking skills in
class
were good or very
good. Nearly all
of
them believed that it was
important for Swedes to know English. They
regarded speaking English
as
the most impor-
tant element
of
English use outside school
and comprehension
of
spoken English
as
the
second most important. About
80
percent
of
them said they enjoyed speaking English in
class.
In the same study,
63
percent
of
the fifth
graders surveyed indicated that English
is
compulsory in school because it
is
a
world
language and that their motive for learning
240
FOREIGN LANGUAGE A"AU4UMMER
1999
English
is
to communicate in English and un-
derstand other cultures. Thirty percent stated
that they learn English because it will be
of
use to them. Only
7
percent had
a
negative at-
titude toward learning English; this minority
indicated that they learn English in school be-
cause an authority has decided they should.
These students showed consistently lower lev-
els
of
performance than other students on the
given achievement tests. Balke (1991) re-
ported that students, in general, have
a
posi-
tive attitude towards the use
of
English and
have confidence in their use
of
English in real-
life
situations.
Discussion
and
Conclusions
The Swedes have achieved
a
remarkable
standard
of
English over the last few decades.
Social atmosphere and affective factors have
played important roles in their achievement.
The use
of
English
is
widespread in today's
Swedish society: people are exposed to the
language in almost every aspect
of
their daily
lives. The society has put great emphasis on
the use
of
English. For the most part, children
have
a
strong motivation to learn English and
have
a
positive attitude toward the language
and its use.
However, the
most
important factor for
sec-
ond/foreign language educators and re-
searchers
to
consider should be the Swedes'
impressive educational efforts toward the cre-
ation
of
a
nation bilingual in Swedish and
English. Young children enter compulsory
school with the knowledge
of
only
a
few Eng-
lish words and phrases, but
a
large number
of
them grow
to
function
as
English speakers
with
a
high level
of
communicative compe-
tence.
It
is
important to note that English
is
taught
for practical purposes in Swedish schools.
The English curriculum emphasizes the im-
portance
of
English oral skill acquisition and
English
as
a world language. In
class,
students
are encouraged to produce oral output in
English while instructions are given in the tar-
get language. They are exposed
to
English
of
different regions and are encouraged
to
see
the value
of
learning other languages through
the ability
to
understand and communicate
with people
of
different cultures.
It
is
also im-
portant
to
note that reading
is
not used
as
a
ve-
hicle
to
teach or explain grammatical points
or for other purposes.
It
is
practiced for plea-
sure or for the student's search for specific in-
formation. In addition, functional writing
exercises, such
as
writing messages and
let-
ters, are emphasized.
The new National Curriculum has made
it
possible for young students to start learning
English in the first grade. Considering the fact
that early exposure to
a
language promotes
easier acquisition
of
the language, this
is
an-
other educationally sound move that the
Swedes have taken.
This article has attempted to give an outline
of
English language education in Swedish
compulsory schools, but there are obvious
limits in overview articles such
as
this one.
It
is
strongly recommended that further exten-
sive research be conducted on each category
dealt with in the article, such
as
the curricu-
lum, specific teaching methods and materials,
scholastic assessment, and teacher prepara-
tion and training. It is the author's belief that
foreign language educators can greatly bene
fit from the knowledge
of
Swedes' successful
efforts in the teaching
of
English.
Finally,
it
is unfortunate that less-advan-
taged researchers with limited or no Swedish
skills find
it
difficult
to
access
the literature
that the Swedes have produced in the field
of
second-language acquisition because
of
its
unavailability in languages other than
Swedish. Swedes have achieved
a
great level
of
success in the teaching
of
English and other
foreign languages. It
is
likely that they will
contribute to the field
of
second-language
ed-
ucation once their research and its applica-
tions are shared by others.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
I
would like to thank Elaine
K.
Horwitz
of
Foreign Language Education, University
of
Texas at Austin, and Pia Kohlmyr
of
the
Department
of
English and Mats Oscarson
of
the Department
of
Education, Goteborgs Uni-
versitet, Sweden, for their helpful comments
24
1
FOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALSAUMMER
1999
on
an
earlier draft
of
this
article.
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English Teaching Profile: Sweden
  • British Council
British Council. 1986. English Teaching Profile: Sweden. London, England: British Council.
Läroplan för grundskolan, Lgr 80
  • Skoloverstyrelsen