Multilinguals' Strategies : A qualitative study on multilingual students' use of English in Swedish upper secondary school

Abstract: In a multilingual world, it is common for the English classroom in upper secondary schools in Sweden to be filled with more than second language learners. These multilingual students have the potential to bring their language learning strategies (LLS) to the classroom, as well as their language repertoire, which every student could benefit from. The aim of this degree project is therefore to gain a deeper understanding of the language repertoires and language learning strategies of participating students at upper secondary schools in Sweden. To explore this, a qualitative approach was employed to discover participants’ language repertoires and the LLS participants report to use. Interviews were used to collect data about language use, repertoire and reported strategy use. In addition to the interviews, Oxford’s (1990) Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) was utilized to find out which strategies participants claimed to use in a broader sense. The results show that participant’s multilingualism is not taken advantage of in school, but it blossoms outside of English class where it is used to retain connections to friends and family. The results also show that participants use cognitive, social and compensation strategies the most, by translating, practicing, and asking others for help.