Language policy for migrant children in Sweden

Amor Segerhammar and Ann-Charlotte Karnermo, Language Center Gothenburg, Sweden

RUTU ROUNTABLEMULTILINGUAL EDUCATION FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN IN EUROPE6 NOVEMBER/ UTRECHT, THE NETHERLANDS

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Language CenterWe educate world citizens through language and culture

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Government Regulations and Policies

• Language policy adopted by the Swedish Parliament in 2005 and the Language Act of 2009

• Swedish as the main language in Sweden

• Mother tongue studies is a school subject and has its own separate syllabus which also concern literature, history and culture of the country origin.

• Mother tongue teaching is compulsary in comprehensive (7-15 yrs old) and upper secondary level (16-18 yrs old).

• First language support is offered to children in pre-school.

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Mother Tongue Teaching

• The municipality have the overall responsibility for the provision of mother tongue teaching in schools.

• The municipality will only arrange teaching in the mother tongue if there is a suitable teacher and there are at least five pupils who want teaching in the language.

• Mother tongue teaching is available to students providing the mother tongue is a living language at home and the students have a basic level of proficiency in the language.

• In the case of Sweden’s official minority languages (Samish, Meänkieli, Romani, Finnish and Yiddish), mother tongue teaching can also be provided to children who do not speak the language in a daily basis at home.

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10 most frequent mother tongues in compulsary school (2013/2014)

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Positive Effects of Mother Tongue TeachingStudents who regularly participate in mother tongue teaching:

• Have higher marks in Swedish, English and mathematics

• Have better command of Swedish than other multilingual students

• Are more confident and enjoy school better than other multilingual students

• Have better understanding of abstact concepts than other multilingual students

• Learn a lot about their new country

• Constitue a bridge for integration into the new culture

• Students who feel more secure and attain their goals can lead to reduction of costs in society.

(Hyltestanstam, Tuomela 2006)

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Mother Tongue Teachers

• Conducts language training, mother tongue teaching and study guidance

• Acts as support to the other teachers, parents and families

• Mother tongue teaching is commonly taught in separate classes both before and after regular classes.

• Study guidance is provided both before and after regular classes as well as integrated in the schedule.

Assessment Tests for Migrant Students

• Mother tongue teachers conduct assessment tests for students entering the education system or during their education.

• The main purpose is to look at their needs before they are placed into school and to be able to tailor the education for every child individually.

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Pedagogical Skills Development for Mother Tongue Teachers • Further education in Mother tongue curriculum and syllabus

• Core values

• Computer technology and web-based learning

• Teaching methods and strategies in reading and writing acquisition

• Assessment testing courses

• Study guidance skills

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The Language Center in Gothenburg

• 10 500 students in compulsory school

• 1 447 students in upper seconday school

• 300 mother tongue teachers representing 70 different languages

• 1 executive director, 7 principals

• 4 administrators

• 2 computer technicians

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Services Provided by the Language Center

• We organize classes in mother tongue and modern languages

• Give examinations in both mother tongue and modern languages

• Provide study guidanceStudents who have not yet learned enough Swedish to be able to follow lessons are given study guidance to have the content of subject/lessons explained in their mother tongue

• Assessment testing Assessment tests for students entering the education system or during their education, to tailor the education for every student individually

• Provide classes in web-based distance learning

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Our challenges

• Recruiting teachers with educational degree

• Tougher demands for students who participate in mother tongue education

• Mother tongue education must be given higher status and become an integral part of schools

• Meeting needs of pupils which are likely to be mixed ages and standards

• Lack of cooperation with other classes and other teachers

• Teaching outside school hours

• Economic resources according to school priorities

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