“Swedishness” as a Norm for Learners of English in Swedish Schools: A Study of National and Local Objectives and Criteria in Compulsory Schools

This paper examines whether the Swedish steering documents for English-language education are ethnically biased, that is, whether Swedish culture and language or “Swedishness” are used as norms when teaching and assessing students. To examine whether such bias exists, the central curricula and syllabi from 1994 and 2000, as well as local steering documents, work plans, and grading criteria for English language studies from 85 Swedish compulsory schools, have been analyzed. The analysis of the steering documents focuses on what they say about grammar, translation, and intercultural understanding. The results of the study suggest that, in many cases, the starting point for schools is still Swedish culture and “Swedishness.” The most noteworthy result of the study is that nearly one third of the schools had objectives and criteria for English language studies that use the Swedish language and Swedish conditions as their reference point. This gives students with Swedish backgrounds better preconditions for attaining the learning goals and receiving better grades in English then those of students with other cultural backgrounds.