Dealing with the Unmentionable : A qualitative study on Swedish EFL-teachers’ experiences of teaching sensitive topics

Abstract: The aim of the study is to illuminate upper secondary school teachers’ experiences of incorporating potentially sensitive topics in their teaching of English. To fulfil this aim, the degree project builds on six individual interviews with active English teachers at upper secondary schools in Sweden. The findings are that the chosen teachers can see four different effects on the learning of English related to the pupils’ motivation, participation, understanding of cultures, and vocabulary. Furthermore, the teachers incorporate five different strategies when teaching sensitive topics: trigger warnings, group discussions, remaining neutral, rules for discussions, and icebreakers. An implication of the results is that sensitive topics carry both benefits and drawbacks and that pupils may respond to such topics in varying ways. Additional implications relate to teaching experience, in that this can be seen to influence how many effects and strategies a teacher may be able to share.