DOKTORSAVHANDLINGAR I SPRÅKDIDAKTIK 3 DISSERTATIONS IN LANGUAGE EDUCATION 3 ii English-Medium Instruction in Sweden Perspectives and practices in two upper secondary schools BethAnne Yoxsimer Paulsrud iii English-Medium Instruction in Sweden: Perspectives and practices in two upper secondary schools Academic dissertation for doctoral degree ©2014 BethAnne Yoxsimer Paulsrud ISBN 978-91-7447-901-0 Printed in Sweden by US-AB, Stockholm 2014 Distributor: Department of Language Education, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden iv Abstract Yoxsimer Paulsrud, B. (2014). English-Medium Instruction in Sweden: Perspectives and practices in two upper secondary schools. Stockholm University, Dissertations in Language Education 3. ISBN: 978-91-7447-901-0. Written in English with a summary in Swedish. This thesis presents English-medium instruction (EMI) in the Swedish context, fo- cusing on perspectives and practices in two schools. The research question is as follows: How and why is EMI offered, chosen, and practiced in the Swedish upper secondary school today? The aim is to explore the status of the educational option, the reasons for offering EMI to stakeholders, the stakeholders’ beliefs about and goals of EMI, and the implementation of EMI in the classroom. A survey of all upper secondary schools in Sweden was conducted to ascertain the spread of content teaching through a foreign language. The educational context was studied from an ecological perspective using methods based in linguistic eth- nography. Language alternation, academic language, and language hierarchy were all considered. Interviews were analysed for content; and classroom language use was analysed for language choice and function. The concepts of affordance and scaffolding together with translanguaging were key. The de facto policies of the micro contexts of the schools were examined in light of the declared national policy of the macro context of Sweden. The results indicate that the option in Swedish schools has not increased, and also tends to only be EMI—not Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) or instruction through other languages. EMI is offered for prestige, an international profile, marketing potential and personal interest. EMI students are academically motivated and confident, and see the option as “fun”. 100% EMI in the lessons is not the goal or the practice. Translanguaging is abundant, but how language alterna- tion is perceived as an affordance or not differs in the two schools. One focuses on how the languages are used while the other focuses on how much each language is used. In conclusion, the analysis suggests that a development of definitions and prac- tices of EMI in Sweden is needed, especially in relation to language policy and lan- guage hierarchy. Keywords: English-medium instruction (EMI), Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), upper secondary school, English in Sweden, language policy, translanguaging, academic language, language hierarchy v Acknowledgements There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after. ― Thorin II, The Hobbit (Tolkien) When I began on this path of looking five years ago, my sons were 9 and 11, starting on a path of devouring Tolkien, one commenced some years before when I read The Hobbit to them. Alas, as much as they enjoyed telling me of the continued adven- tures in Middle Earth, it was not a path we could share because mine was leading me through my own journey: pilot studies, doctoral courses, field work, research meet- ings, seminars, conferences, summer schools, and more. Tolkien would have to wait. Not all those who wander are lost. ― in Gandalf’s letter to Frodo, The Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) Luckily, on my path, there have been many wonderful people to guide me: first and foremost, my extraordinary supervisors, Inger Lindberg and Philip Shaw. I am lucky that not only did I have two supervisors who each helped me see different aspects of the research and writing process, but also two who made supervision downright enjoyable. A colleague in the office across from us often asked why we were laugh- ing so much! Thank you, Inger and Philip, for your encouragement, support, and constant questioning, as well as for generously sharing your vast expertise. Thank you to Olle Josephson, the fantastic reader for my 90% seminar. With his wise comments, the thesis could be completed. Thank you to Una Cunningham and Kristina Danielsson for carefully reading my final text. Other researchers have gen- erously given me time and feedback during my doctoral period, including Anne Burns, Constant Leung, and Do Coyle. Päivi Juvonen offered encouragement from day one. Lisa Washburn kindly sent me one of the last copies of her thesis. Joacim Ramberg shared his list of schools. Thank you to Dalarna University, especially Loretta Qwarnström and Monika Vinterek, for the support given in time and expens- es over the last five years. Thank you to Una Cunningham, who got me started on this path years ago—it all started with a Skype call from Hanoi, really. The CLISS (Content and Language Integration in Swedish Schools) group provided financial support for fieldwork and conferences, research support through inspiration and expertise, and even a little dancing when needed. Thank you above all to Liss Kerstin Sylvén, the CLISS research leader. Also, Inger Lindberg, Ylva Sandberg, Per Holmberg, Tore Otterup, Eva Olsson, Elisabeth Ohlson, Helena Reierstam, Britt Marie Apelgren, Sölve Ohlander, and most especially Maria Lim Falk. Only other doctoral students can truly understand the struggles and triumphs of earning a PhD. Thank you for inspiring coffee chats and shared fun on courses, conferences, and writing trips to all my doctoral colleagues at ISD and DU. I am especially grateful to Gustaf Skar, Aina Bigestans, and Eva Lindqvist at ISD for years of camaraderie and to Anne Reath Warren for engaging theoretical discussions vi about language. Finally, Christine Cox Eriksson has been a loyal friend and col- league every step of the way. I wish I could name every single one of my informants individually here. With- out them, there would be no thesis. The teachers at both schools were generous, kind and always willing to share their immeasurable expertise gained from years of teach- ing in English. The students were wise, funny and inspiring. I was sad when the fieldwork was over. Thank you all a million times over! I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread. ― Bilbo Baggins, The Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien) I would not have managed to finish this thesis without a lot of practical help from fantastic people. Thank you to Margareta Skoglund Ålin for always answering any question I might have and for helping with my layout, Hilda Bergmar for computer support, Grant Williams from the SU library for tireless assistance with the thesis template, and Henke and Calle from IT-support for being Mac experts. The librari- ans at Dalarna University are probably the best in Sweden, especially Paul Flack. Thank you to Kicki Molander for always making me feel at home in Stockholm. The Department of Language Education at SU provided funds to attend a superb summer school in Bangor, Wales, as well as a conference in Belgium and the 2014 AILA conference in Australia. Dalarna University facilitated participation in confer- ences and courses in China, Denmark, Finland, and Spain. Grants from Kinander and Söderberg Stipendiestiftelser made attendance at a summer school in Cardiff and the workshop after AILA 2014 possible. The International Program Office pro- vided funding for the CLIL course and conference in Eichstätt, Germany. CLISS generously supported my participation at conferences in The Netherlands, Spain and Australia. Kenneth Hyltenstam made the FLU research trip to South Africa possible. Thank you all for the valuable experiences. All's well as ends better. ―the Gaffer, Return of the King (Tolkien) Finally, my family. It is no secret that they are happy to see me finished. Thank you to my parents, Bud and Sandie, my niece Emma and my sister Lorraine for helping proofread my text (all remaining mistakes are my own). A big thank you to my par- ents for hosting me on a much needed writing retreat in California. Most of all, thank you to my boys, all three of them. My wonderful sons Nils and August have provided balance in my life in addition to a good dose of Tolkien now and then. They have proven to be capable and independent when I have been away so much. In the end, though, none of this would have been possible without the unfailing support and love of my husband, Per. Tack! Bring me the books, boys! Now, finally, I have time to read. Falun, April 2014 BethAnne Yoxsimer Paulsrud vii viii Contents 1 “You can’t really survive out there with only Swedish.” ............................... 1 1.1 Aims and foci of the main research question ................................................ 3 1.2 Outline of thesis ............................................................................................ 5 2 Teaching and learning content through a foreign language .......................... 6 2.1 Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) in Europe ....................... 8 2.1.1 Definitions ............................................................................................ 8 2.1.2 Practice ...............................................................................................