Assessment in English for Young Learners in Sweden

Abstract

English is taught in Swedish schools from the primary level, often from year 1. However, grades are normally not awarded until year 6, and the official information as to what English instruction in the early years should focus on in terms of content and learning objectives is quite limited, as are the guidelines regarding assessment. Against this background, we have interviewed a number of Swedish primary school teachers about the curriculum and other official documents regulating English education in Sweden, as well as their teaching and assessment practices, including the challenges they perceive and the strategies they employ to overcome them. Contact between the school and the students’ homes has been an additional, though related, focus. The participants confirmed that they experienced English instruction in primary school as not very well regulated, leaving them with some uncertainty as to how they should organize it and, in particular, how the students’ performance should be assessed. The fact that English is ubiquitous in most young Swedes’ lives was addressed as well. While the teachers did adopt different strategies to deal with the challenges they faced, they also expressed a need for enhanced guidance or cooperation.

Keywords

• English for Young Learners, Sweden, assessment, curriculum, interviews