Hösten 2016 genomförde vi en studie i en svensk grundskola i en årskurs 2 med syfte att kartlägga några elevers inställning till att lära sig det engelska språket och hur den inställningen påverkades av högläsning av engelsk barnlitteratur. Syftet var också att kartlägga om högläsning påverkade elevernas passiva ordförråd samt om eleverna använde någon form av språklig strategi vid mötet av okända ord under högläsningen.    De datainsamlingsmetoder som användes i studien var 71 strukturerade elevintervjuer, enkla observationer av tre undervisningstillfällen med högläsning av en ny engelskspråkig skönlitterär text vid varje och ett ordtest som genomfördes före och efter de tre undervisningstillfällena.   Studiens resultat antyder att högläsning av engelsk barnlitteratur inte har påverkat elevernas inställning till att lära sig engelska markant, men att eleverna var positiva till högläsning i engelskundervisningen. Resultatet visar även att elevernas passiva ordförråd verkar ha ökat efter de tre undervisningstillfällena, samt att cirka hälften av eleverna kunde rapportera att de använt någon språklig strategi i mötet med de engelska texterna, till exempel att använda bilderna eller likheter med det svenska språket.    Vår slutsats är att högläsning av engelsk barnlitteratur i undervisningen kan bidra till att upprätthålla elevers språkliga nyfikenhet och positiva inställning till att lära sig engelska samt att de utökar sitt passiva ordförråd. En annan slutsats är att alla elever bör ges möjlighet i undervisningen att utveckla förmågan att använda språkliga strategier i enlighet med Skolverket (2011b). / The autumn of 2016, we conducted a study in a Swedish grade 2 class with the aim to identify some pupils´ attitudes to learning the English language and how those attitudes were influenced by the reading aloud of English children´s literature. The aim was also to see whether reading aloud influenced the pupils´ passive vocabulary and whether they used some form of linguistic strategies when encountering unknown words during the listening.    The data collection methods used in the study were 71 structured interviews with the pupils, simple observations of three lessons with reading aloud of English children´s literature and word tests conducted before and after the three lessons.    The study´s results suggest that the reading aloud of English children´s literature did not affect the pupils´ attitudes towards learning English significantly, but that the pupils were positive towards reading aloud during English classes. The results further indicate that the pupils´ passive vocabulary increased after the three lessons, and that about half of them used a linguistic strategy when encountering unknown words during the reading, for example use of pictures and of the similarity to the Swedish language.    A conclusion of this study is that reading aloud of English children´s literature in teaching can help to maintain pupils´ linguistic curiosity and positive attitudes to learning English, as well as expand their passive vocabulary. Another conclusion is that all pupils should be given the opportunity in class to develop the ability to use linguistic strategies according to Skolverket (2011b).

The aim of this master’s thesis is to compare the English syllabus for secondary school in Sweden and the English syllabus for (the age equivalent) junior high school level in Japan, with a focus on communicative competence as it is defined by Canale and Swain (1980). Moreover, the results of the syllabus analysis are compared with qualitative data gathered from in depth, semi-structured interviews with three active English teachers from secondary school in each of the respective countries. The qualitative data is discussed on its own and the teachers’ views, their teaching practices and their interpretations of the syllabus are contrasted with the directives and teaching guidelines described in the two formal syllabi.   The objective of this thesis is to shed light on similarities and differences between what the English language syllabus for secondary school in Sweden and Japan suggest about communicative competence, and compare the findings with teachers’ interpretation and implementation of the syllabus.   The findings of the study reveal significant differences in the way the syllabi treat communicative competence and this is corroborated by the teacher interviews. Though both syllabi have set developing communication skills as an outcome, the analysis highlights key distinctions between the documents. Qualitative data gathered from respondents further distinguishes the way CLT has been implemented in Sweden and Japan.