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Perspectives on Swedish as a Second Language
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Perspectives on Swedish as a Second Language

A special issue of Languages (ISSN 2226-471X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2021) | Viewed by 11486

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Åsa Wedin

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Guest Editor
School of Languages, Literature and Learning, Dalarna University, SE- 791 88 Falun, Sweden
Interests: education; literacy; multilingualism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Boglárka Straszer

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Languages, Literature and Learning, Dalarna University, SE- 791 88 Falun, Sweden
Interests: sociology of language; multilingualism and education; language identity; linguistic landscaping; minority languages; translanguaging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are planning to set up a Special Issue in the journal Languages, https://www.mdpi.com/journal/languages. The preliminary title is “Perspectives on Swedish as a Second Language”. Since the introduction of Swedish as a Second Language (SSL) in the Swedish school system as a subject parallel to Swedish in primary and secondary school, research (see Hyltenstam and Milani, 2012) and reports (e.g., National Agency for School Development, 2004; SI, 2010; Swedish National Agency of Education (SNAE, 2018)) have pointed out discrepancies in its implementation, such as a low level of teacher qualifications and perceived low status of the SSL school subject among both students and their parents (see also Hyltenstam and Milani, 2012). A general conclusion in the report from SNAE (2018) is that the education in SSL is not equivalent across schools, and that there is a risk that students will receive different education and be assessed differently depending on the individual school and teacher. SNAE (2018) also concludes that some students may not get the education that they need in SSL. In an analysis of discourses of SSL in the academic field in relation to the concept of equality, Hedman and Magnusson (2018) studied the contrast in the subject between a discourse that they call equality-as-uniformity and a discourse they call equality-as-equal opportunity. They concluded that crossing discourses about SSL both collided and intertwined with each other.

In contemporary Sweden, with its changing conditions and patterns for mobility, as in many other countries, the school system faces new challenges. The 2015 surge of migration in Europe resulted in new challenges and opportunities across public institutions, particularly for the school system. The Covid-19 pandemic has made the variable and changeable nature of mobility even more visible. The pandemic is likely to have effects on mobility, and thus on conditions for learning among students who find their linguistic environments changing, as well as their opportunities for education. At the same time, voices are raised in public debate that argue for changes in language policies for education, with other agendas than the one that characterizes research on SSL. Some examples include demands for language tests in relation to citizenship and employment, and recently for the closing of the subject Mother Tongue Tuition (https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/7570193). Ideologies expressed in these debates may result in changes at the policy level that will affect conditions for education for SSL students and for the SSL subject. Relevant for SSL as a school subject is also its relation to the subject Swedish, as the recent call for a review of the two subjects from the Swedish government suggests[1].

The scope of this Special Issue is to highlight the insights that can be gained from research in the second-language field focusing on the Swedish context. The main issue is education in Swedish as a second language in contemporary society, and the aim is to contribute to the international research field on multilingualism and education, multilingual pupils and their needs, as well as the status of second-language education in school and in the larger society. The specific purpose is to illuminate research on SSL from various perspectives, including the following:

  • Establishment and growth of SSL over time as a school subject;
  • Relation of SSL education to issues of ideology and policy, such as in debates and official discourse;
  • Shortcomings and dilemmas such as relations between the school subjects Swedish and SSL;
  • Issues of implementation (teacher competence, teacher education, organizational issues);
  • Didactic questions and teaching and learning practices, for example regarding assessment, mapping, or language development among students;
  • Relations between SSL and Swedish for immigrants for adults;
  • SSL in primary and secondary school for children and adolescents.

Thus, this Special Issue will contribute to research on multilingualism and education with an international perspective, by situating contemporary Swedish research on SSL in the international research scene.

We request that, prior to submitting a manuscript, interested authors initially submit a proposed title and an abstract of 400–600 words summarizing their intended contribution. Please send it to the Guest Editors ([email protected] and [email protected]) or to the Languages Editorial Office ([email protected]). Abstracts will be reviewed by the Guest Editors for the purposes of ensuring proper fit within the scope of the Special Issue. Full manuscripts will undergo double-blind peer review.

The tentative completion schedule is as follows:

  • Abstract submission deadline: 15 February 2021
  • Notification of abstract acceptance: 15 March 2021
  • Full manuscript deadline: 20 August 2021

References

Hedman, C. & Magnusson, U. (2018). Lika eller lika möjligheter? Diskurser om skolämnet svenska som andraspråk inom det akademiska fältet i Sverige. [Equal ore qual possibilities? Discourses about the school subject Swedish as a Second Language in the academic field in Sweden]. Acta Didactica Norge, 12(1). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5617/adno.5569

Hyltenstam, K. & Milani, T. (2012). Flerspråkighetens sociopolitiska och sociokulturella ramar. [The sociopolitical an socicultural frames of multilingualism] In K. Hyltenstam, M. Axelsson & I. Lindberg (Eds.), Flerspråkighet: en forskningsöversikt [Multilingualism: A research overview] (p. 17–152). Stockholm: The Research Council.

National Agency for School Development. (2004). Kartläggning av svenska som andraspråk. [Mapping on Swedish as a Second Language]. Stockholm: National Agency for School Development.

SI (2010). Språk- och kunskapsutveckling för barn och elever med annat modersmål än svenska. [Development of language an knowledge among children an students with other mother tongue than Swedish]. Stockholm: School Inspectorate.

SNAE (2018). Svenska som andraspråk i praktiken: En intervjustudie om hur skolor arbetar med svenska som andraspråk i årskurs 7-9. [Swedish as a second language in practice:  An interview study about how schools work with Swedish as a Second Language in grades 7-9]. Report 470. Stockholm: Swedish National Agency of Education.

[1]https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2020/11/regeringen-beslutar-om-oversyn-av-svenskamnena/?fbclid=IwAR09zEKuEtqIq1RtcrIkpreO9QQKTgGw-4PZo8vJHTa2_SGujNxdXdRbwT8

Prof. Åsa Wedin
Dr. Boglárka Straszer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Languages is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Swedish as a Second Language
  • L2-students
  • L2-classroom
  • multilingualism and education
  • ideology and policy
  • teacher education

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Editorial

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6 pages, 337 KiB  
Editorial
Introduction to the Special Issue on Swedish as a Second Language
by Åsa Wedin and Boglárka Straszer
Languages 2022, 7(2), 113; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7020113 - 6 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1726
Abstract
This Special Issue focuses on Swedish as a second language (SSL), which is the subject where second language students (L2 students) in Sweden, in primary and secondary school and in adult education, receive teaching in Swedish [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives on Swedish as a Second Language)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

15 pages, 389 KiB  
Article
A Model for Analyzing Teachers’ Written Feedback on Adult Beginners’ Writing in Swedish as a Second Language
by Liivi Jakobson
Languages 2022, 7(2), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7020074 - 24 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1868
Abstract
This study serves to fill a research gap in the written feedback practices of teachers in a second language (L2) writing by focusing on adult beginners, previously uninvestigated in feedback studies. For investigating this, a feedback analysis model was developed. Unlike previous models [...] Read more.
This study serves to fill a research gap in the written feedback practices of teachers in a second language (L2) writing by focusing on adult beginners, previously uninvestigated in feedback studies. For investigating this, a feedback analysis model was developed. Unlike previous models in L2 contexts, in this study feedback is divided into two main areas, focus (what the teachers comment on) and manner (how the comments are given). The study was conducted in a web-based Swedish as a second language course and included three experienced teachers and their L2 students. The analysis of teachers’ written comments on 60 texts from 12 of the students revealed that in the two main areas both new and previously used categories of feedback were identified. In the area focus five new subcategories were identified within language accuracy, and in the area manner politeness, and reinforcement of learning outcomes were identified as new categories. Within the area, focus, the teachers concentrated on language accuracy, and within the area, manner, all three teachers mostly provided information, but also made a range of suggestions. There was also individual variation among teachers. The analysis of feedback strengthens the importance of applying the main distinction between ‘focus’ and ‘manner’ in L2 contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives on Swedish as a Second Language)
17 pages, 634 KiB  
Article
The Writing Process of Bilingual Students with Focus on Revisions and Spelling Errors in Their Final Texts
by Elisabeth Zetterholm and Eva Lindström
Languages 2022, 7(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7010061 - 4 Mar 2022
Viewed by 2687
Abstract
Research on writing that focuses on what writers do when they compose shows that processes such as planning, transfer to writing and editing are recursive and affect the writing process of first and second language writers differently. To our knowledge, what has yet [...] Read more.
Research on writing that focuses on what writers do when they compose shows that processes such as planning, transfer to writing and editing are recursive and affect the writing process of first and second language writers differently. To our knowledge, what has yet to be explored in research is the writing process of young bilingual students. The present study focused on the revisions and spelling errors made by 9-year-old bilingual students during a writing activity in their L2. Details about the writing process (e.g., revisions) were taken from statistics registered in the keystroke logging program ScriptLog and were analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Results from the quantitative analysis show that the mean proportion of the students’ revisions is relatively low compared to results in previous research. The qualitative analysis showed both surface and meaning changes; the latter were found at both the micro- and macrostructural levels. Bilingual students exhibit a creative writing process in which several meaning changes occur in a language (in this case Swedish) that they are particularly competent in. The spelling error analysis indicated that the bilingual students make the same type of spelling errors as monolingual students in their initial stages of learning to write. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives on Swedish as a Second Language)
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15 pages, 369 KiB  
Article
Reading in Language Introductory Program Classrooms in Sweden
by Erika Bomström Aho
Languages 2022, 7(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages7010036 - 14 Feb 2022
Viewed by 1730
Abstract
The ability to read is important for studies, work and social life, and therefore, reading needs to be central in all school subjects. The purpose of this article is to shed light on the factors that either facilitate or limit second-language students in [...] Read more.
The ability to read is important for studies, work and social life, and therefore, reading needs to be central in all school subjects. The purpose of this article is to shed light on the factors that either facilitate or limit second-language students in a transitional program at an upper secondary school in Sweden in terms of their reading and reading comprehension skills. Observations of teacher-initiated reading practices and interviews with teachers about reading and texts, which were analyzed using Bernhardt’s compensatory model for second-language reading, show that all teachers highlight the importance of reading and the fact that reading in the subject they teach can help students to become competent readers of Swedish texts. Despite this, the amount of reading and processing of texts varies—in some classes, students do not read at all, and in other classes, they read a great deal. The only teacher who seems both to include the processing of texts and to choose texts that interest students is the teacher of Swedish as a Second Language (SSL). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives on Swedish as a Second Language)
16 pages, 472 KiB  
Article
Researching the Complexities of the School Subject Swedish as a Second Language: A Linguistic Ethnographic Project in Four Schools
by Christina Hedman and Ulrika Magnusson
Languages 2021, 6(4), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/languages6040205 - 10 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2449
Abstract
This article focuses on language education policy for language learners in Sweden by building on a synthesis of findings from a research project on the school subject Swedish as a second language (SSL). The project was located in three upper secondary schools and [...] Read more.
This article focuses on language education policy for language learners in Sweden by building on a synthesis of findings from a research project on the school subject Swedish as a second language (SSL). The project was located in three upper secondary schools and one primary school with a large proportion of migrant students, of whom a majority studied SSL. We present previously published core findings, as well as revisit data for new analyses. The overarching aim is to contribute new knowledge on the complexities of arranging for sustainable, equitable and high-quality language educational provisions that include the teaching and learning of the language of schooling, through the lens of SSL. First, we outline and discuss the relatively unique design of SSL and discourses surrounding the subject, and also make some international comparisons with English as an Additional Language. Secondly, we discuss the role of pedagogical scaffolding of advanced literacy and literary content, and of multilingual aspects in SSL, as well as examine policy frictions in the data. We conclude by reflecting on the role of teacher competences and research methodology. Researching a second language subject is to stand in the crossroad of macro policy, the theory and practice of language education, and equity. All these aspects need to be considered to reach sustainable educational goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Perspectives on Swedish as a Second Language)
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