This dissertation seeks to investigate language diversity in the classroom and ways in which this could be a resource for teachers. By looking specifically at the experience of learning English as a third language, it aims to establish what if any differences exist between L2 and L3 learners. By first looking at the overall attitudes to learning English with the use of a survey, I hoped to identify any differences between these two groups of learners. Based on these results, focus groups were used to find out what strategies were employed and how ability, motivation and personality affected these learners. The results show that whilst there is a tendency for L3 learners to be more aware of their individual language development than L2 learners, we cannot generalize. All students are motivated by travel, as this is seen as an opportunity to communicate with other nationalities. It would appear that L3 learners have greater access to travel since they often have relatives in different countries. This study also showed that students are not used to reflecting on their learning and this is something that we, as teachers should encourage in order to help students find appropriate strategies that work for them. Finally, this study showed that all students could benefit from a move away from a contrastive Swedish/English environment to a more inclusive study of language typology in general.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the difficulties newly arrived students encounter when they learn English, both from the perspective of students and of teachers, and how these difficulties materialise in the classroom. The study was carried out through interviews with teachers and newly arrived immigrant students on the language introductory program at an upper secondary school. Interviews were used to investigate teachers' and students' experiences and attitudes. The results show that the most significant difficulties the students encounter occur in connection with listening comprehension, and these appear when the students are tested in hearing comprehension. Important factors that influence students’ listening skills are, among other things, that the students learn two languages simultaneously, and also that they have not developed strategies for listening comprehension. It also emerged that both teachers and students use tools such as pictures in order to facilitate learning. Students also use Google to translate, to some extent. When examining both teachers' and students' responses, it was revealed that they have a negative attitude to learning Swedish and English simultaneously.  This is explained by the fact that they lose focus, and everything becomes confusing. In conclusion, the result shows that there are no advantages to having newly arrived students learn two languages at the same time. According to the participating teachers, the students must be well-grounded in the Swedish language before they start with English.

Syftet med den här studien var att kvalitativt undersöka L3-motivation hos vuxna invandrare som läser engelska (L3) på komvux i Sverige. Motivation undersöktes i relation till samspelet mellan målgruppens behov och mål, det svenska samhället och engelskans globala status. Den metodologiska utgångspunkten togs först och främst i Dörnyeis L2-motivationssjälvbildssystem (2005) och anpassades till studiens kulturella och sociala ramar. Resultaten indikerar att det är en stor sannolikhet att L3-motivation formas och starkt påverkas av vuxna invandrares invandrarskap och bikulturella identitet som har utvecklats i samband med integration i det svenska samhället. Detta framgår av att det svenska samhället och invandrarskapet ofta uppträder som normgivande när det gäller vuxna invandrares studier i engelska. Deras L3-motivationssjälvbildssystem indikerar dessutom att vuxna invandrares syn på den ideala språkliga självbilden är i kongruens med majoritetssamhällets förväntningar och kunskapsvillkor. Resultaten behöver dock valideras i framtiden genom fler studier och större elevpopulationer. / The purpose of this study is to by a qualitative method investigate L3 motivation in adult immigrants who study English (L3) in Sweden. Motivation was investigated in relation to the interplay between the target group’s needs and goals, the Swedish society, and the global status of English. The methodological framework was based on Dörnyei’s L2 Motivational Self System (2005) and it was adapted to the cultural and social context of the study. The results indicate that there is a probability that immigrant identity (Swe. invandrarskap) and a sort of bicultural identity, which have developed in adult immigrants as side effect in the integrational process in the Swedish society, shape and strongly affect L3-motivation. This is supported by the informants’ interview data in which the Swedish society and the immigrant identity often appear as a normative referent for adult immigrants’ English studies. In addition, their L3 motivational self system indicates that adult immigrants’ perception of the ideal language self is in congruity with the majority society’s expectations on knowledge. However, the results need to be validated through more studies and larger student populations in the future.