Representation of English as an International Language in Swedish and German Textbooks : A Comparative Study of Textbooks in the Subject English used in Swedish and German Upper Secondary Schools

Abstract: This study is investigating how English as an international language is represented in textbooks of institutionalised second language learning at upper secondary high schools in Germany and Sweden, as well as if and how these representations differ. The method to be used in this essay is a textbook analysis, in which the frequency of references to Inner, Outer and Expanding Circle countries (see Kachru’s (1992) concentric model of World Englishes) is measured. It is thus a comparative study between German and Swedish textbooks, with focus on upper secondary schools and on the representation of English as an international language. The aim of this study is to investigate whether textbooks in the EFL classroom in Swedish and German upper secondary schools present English as an international language.