Finding room: critical literacy in GY2000 and Lgy11: a deductive content analysis of English language education policy in Sweden

Abstract: Through a deductive content analysis, this paper aimed to elucidate a place for critical literacy as an educational approach based on research by Lewison, Flint and Van Sluys in the Swedish curricula for upper secondary school, GY2000 and Lgy11, respectively. After reading research by Cabau and Hult, showing how the curricula propagates the position of English in the curriculum, and the Swedish society, this analysis sought to make the potential place for critical literacy alongside the English language clear and tangible. After analyzing the curricula, it became clear that both GY2000 and Lgy11 mainly focused on facilitating functional knowledge of English so that students could best take part in a globalized society where English is the main language of communication, with marginal space for critical literacy. Where critical literacy was concerned, Lgy11 explicitly mentioned that social issues should form the content of education, with other English-speaking cultures as focal points. The main focus, however, was still on gaining knowledge of English for the sake of functional knowledge. This places critical literacy’s role on the sidelines, putting the decision of whether to include a social justice focus in their education or not in the hands of each individual teacher. Another area where critical literacy had a place was when the curriculum mentioned analyzing language, where critical literacy could be worked with to the extent that students could critically analyze language and try to make clear how the text was trying to position them and others in the world. This paper then finishes with a discussion on how critical literacy’s place in both curricula relate to each other as well as pointing towards potential directions research could take.