SHIFTING IDEOLOGIES IN SWEDISH EFL TEXTBOOKS: A Longitudinal Analysis of Global Englishes and Student Competency Expectations

Abstract

The English language has permeated nearly every aspect of the modern world. This essay aims to examine how the learning materials of one non-English monolingual culture, Sweden, has adapted to keep pace with extracurricular English-language acquisition of students. It also seeks to evaluate how the concept of Global Englishes has been adopted. This paper uses interdisciplinary influences from linguistics, pedagogy, and sociology to explore learning materials from one Swedish publisher over the span of 14 years. By analyzing relevant adjustments, and what this represents for larger cultural shifts, the results of this research show a significant advancement in expectations for Swedish student capabilities, as well as a shift away from traditional inner-circle ideologies.