How Swedish Teachers Work with Different Varieties of English in Their Classrooms

Abstract

British English and American English are frequently used in Swedish schools. Today, however, English is a global language, and several other English dialects and accents are to be found worldwide. Therefore, questions that come to mind are why solely American English or British English are practiced in Swedish schools? In the Swedish curriculum, Gy11, it is stated that students should be given the opportunity to be exposed to different varieties of spoken English in order to develop all-round communicative skills. The aim of this study is to examine if, and how, EFL teachers work with different varieties of English, apart from British English and American English, at an upper secondary level in Sweden. Results form a questionnarie show that teachers did work with different varieties of English in their classrooms. There are several approaches to be found regarding how this was done. However, Internet was an appreciated resource among the teachers, in order to practice different varieties of English. This study gives a broader view of the actual working with English varieties from nine tachers' points of view.