Perspectives on the Teaching of English in Swedish Upper-secondary Education

Abstract: This essay deals with the current state of English teaching in Sweden with regards to an international perspective. The first, theoretical, part discusses ways in which a departure from the traditional way of teaching English as a Foreign Language towards more recent theories emphasising communication might be beneficial. A brief overview of these different theories with regards to Swedish conditions is given, followed by a short rundown of the history of the Swedish curriculum. The second part presents deductions on current attitudes towards the study of English in Swedish schools based on a survey conducted among students and teachers at an upper-secondary school. It will be shown that despite changes in the national curriculum over the years, much of the English teaching is still treading the same path as the last decades, due to longstanding sentiments with students and teachers alike. There are also indications to show that traditional teaching has not kept up with the emergence of virtual communities, where students regularly engage in written communication with people from all corners of the world.