Fiction and the Syllabus : A Qualitative Study of the Teaching of Fiction as Related to the Syllabus for English in Swedish Junior High School

Abstract: The aim of this study is to investigate how fiction in English is taught in Swedish Junior High Schools with the present syllabus as a focus. I compare the present syllabus with the previous one in order to observe what changes English language teaching has undergone in regards to the teaching of fiction. Seven English teachers from different parts of Sweden discuss what role fiction has in their classroom, why they teach fiction and how the teaching of fiction is realized in practice. The reading literacy and frequency of reading are also analyzed in contrast with the increased consumption of technology. The results were consistent with research and statistics as presented in this study. The notion of students as individuals with individual needs and interests was consistent among the informants as was the awareness of the necessity of introducing reading as an everyday activity in the compulsory school.