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English is the most expansionist language in the world today. Currently, native speakers are outnumbered by non-native speakers by a ratio of 3:1, a ratio that is set to grow to 10:1 within the next ten years. One of the consequences of a language growing so rapidly is that its new users tend to ignore already accepted standards. In what linguists refer to as the outer and expanding circles of English-speakers (mainly in Africa and Asia) new varieties and standards of English are now being invented. In this study, the effects of the current expansion of English on the teaching of English in Swedish upper-secondary schools are explored. Questions raised include: Should teachers of English in Sweden reflect the changing nature of English in their teaching? Should they readily adopt the New Englishes that are emerging or should they teach with the standard they have always used? The national curriculum for the teaching of English in Sweden is discussed in some detail. The guidelines therein are evaluated in terms of their ability to capture the changing face of English as well as their ability to give solid guidance to teachers in a classroom situation. Findings derive from linguistic literature and from interviews conducted with English teachers at upper-secondary level. One of the main conclusions of the study is that whilst the national curriculum recognises the global diversity of English, its goals are overambitious in what it tries to achieve and thus it fails to provide teachers with practical guidance in their day-to-day teaching. A recommendation, therefore, is that the curriculum should be clearer in spelling out the importance of adhering to native standard varieties of English. However this does not mean that teachers should ignore the cultural diversity of the English-speaking world.

In today's globalized society, English is one of the main ways of communication. Therefore, teaching students English in such a way that they not only understand the basics, but are confident enough to communicate with an international population of varied ability and linguistic background becomes a high priority in school. In this study we look at the reported communicative confidence level (CCL) of learners at a Swedish upper secondary school. This quantitative study collected data from questionnaires from upper secondary students in the Swedish school. We found that the participants displayed an above average level of perceived communicative confidence; that a higher academic achievement correlated with a higher CCL; that the expected need, the context, and the interlocutors do not correlate with the CCL; and that a higher degree of formality and unfamiliarity of a communication situation seems to correlate with a lower CCL. To be able to make confident generalisations in the future about CCL, we suggest this study be reproduced on a larger set of data and that actual CCL, as opposed to participant perception of CCL, could be observed.

<p></p><p>This paper focuses on listening materials used in English language teaching in Sweden, especially in respect to the concept of global English. Global English could briefly be described as the linguistic, cultural, politic, and economic influence of English in the world. This influence concerns two aspects of English, namely the usage of English as a lingua franca in international communications, as well as the great range of English varieties that are used today. The purpose of this research is to study how varied listening materials are and how, when and why they are used in the classrooms. I conducted a two-part investigation to study these matters. The first part of the investigation focuses on teachers’ usage of listening materials and is based on a questionnaire handed out to five teachers. I found that the teachers varied much in their usage of listening materials. In the second part of the investigation I compare the listening materials provided by two Swedish textbooks on English, one from 1994 and one from 2003. Here I focus on the speakers’ varieties, rate of delivery, and instructions given for listening exercises. I found that both books featured a majority of speakers from the British Isles and America, and very few non-native speakers. The more recent book featured a larger degree of varieties outside the areas of Britain and the USA, as well as a larger degree of American English when dividing the varieties by the time these were spoken. RP (Received Pronunciation) and GA (General American) were also less dominating in the textbook from 2003. The rate of delivery was generally slower in the older textbook. The results from this investigation suggest that some changes seem to have occurred between the publishing of the two books. However, a focus on English as a lingua franca, where the aim is proficiency in efficient cross cultural communication rather than in the English spoken by native speakers,  does not seem to have influenced the textbooks studied here. It is difficult to appreciate whether or not changes like these have taken hold in Swedish classrooms, as teachers use many different listening materials and in many different ways.</p><p> </p>

台灣筆記型電腦代工廠商從1990年代開始，經過多年努力已經成為全球最重要的筆記型電腦代工業者，掌握超過90%的市場。然而近年代工廠商卻面臨低毛利，以及蘋果替代品和歐美市場景氣衝擊而腹背受敵以致出貨大幅下滑的困境。本研究希望藉由某個案A公司的立場，探討台灣筆記型電腦轉型平板電腦，如何在總體及產業環境下，藉由本身優劣勢的分析，配合環境的各種機會與威脅，建立一個創新而本身可以掌控的雲端運算生態體系，同時帶來相對獲利較佳的營運模式。 本研究透過檢視總體環境的雲端運算趨勢與全球英語的發展，以及分析筆記型電腦、平板電腦、印度軟體代工產業、以及蘋果iPad的商業模式等產業環境因素，整理出台灣筆記型電腦代工廠所面對的環境機會與威脅。透過對個案公司的各種內在優劣勢分析，作出以下對台灣筆記型電腦代工業者的策略建議： 1. 降低筆記型電腦代工比重，尤其是適度減少Ultrabook投入，以挪出資源給新產品。 2. 增加伺服器等相關產品線的投入，轉型為雲端硬體供應商。 3. 發展在雲端運算與相關生態體系業者的合作夥伴關係，包括與印度軟體代工業者的合作。 4. 選擇平板電腦適合的行業用產業，先從小範圍的行業用雲端運算，例如雲端英語教學，作為培養實力與經驗的起點，藉以熟悉雲端運算的商業模式，同時尋求保持良好的營運利潤水準。 / After 20 years of endeavor, Taiwanese notebook PC, or Laptop, ODMs have gained more than 90% of world share in terms of annual notebook PC shipment. However, these ODMs have been facing detrimental challenges which the profit margin is getting slimmer, and even worse is their customers have been losing markets due to both the world economy downturn, and severe challenges from Apple’s so-called “iDevice” since 2010. Through the approach the case study of a notebook PC ODM who is diversifing from notebook PC to tablet PC industry, and through SWOT analysis, I hope to figure out some feasible solution to bail the ODMs out with some innovative and profitable business models. By scrutinizing the trends of Cloud Computing and Global English under the macro environment, and the current industry status of notebook PC, tablet PC, Indian software ODMs, Apple’s iPad and its business model, we intend to figure out the overall opportunities and threats from the macro environment for the notebook PC ODMs who are keen to diversify into tablet PC field. Also, through the research to identify the internal strengths and weakness of the case company, the summary and suggestion to Taiwanese notebook PC ODMs are as follows: 1. Lower the percentage of notebook PC lines among their products portfolio. Ultrabook is not suggested to have heavy investment on. 2. Allocate sufficient resources to develop cloud-related equipments such as servers and tablet PCs. 3. Develop the crirical compentence set which are necessary for Cloud Computing, through the close partnership with major ecosystem participating companies. The cooperation between Taiwanese hardware ODMs and Indian software ODMs are highly recommended. 4. Start with one small but manageable ecosystem, such as English teaching through cloud, and get familiar with the business model and ways of sustaining profits.

This paper focuses on listening materials used in English language teaching in Sweden, especially in respect to the concept of global English. Global English could briefly be described as the linguistic, cultural, politic, and economic influence of English in the world. This influence concerns two aspects of English, namely the usage of English as a lingua franca in international communications, as well as the great range of English varieties that are used today. The purpose of this research is to study how varied listening materials are and how, when and why they are used in the classrooms. I conducted a two-part investigation to study these matters. The first part of the investigation focuses on teachers’ usage of listening materials and is based on a questionnaire handed out to five teachers. I found that the teachers varied much in their usage of listening materials. In the second part of the investigation I compare the listening materials provided by two Swedish textbooks on English, one from 1994 and one from 2003. Here I focus on the speakers’ varieties, rate of delivery, and instructions given for listening exercises. I found that both books featured a majority of speakers from the British Isles and America, and very few non-native speakers. The more recent book featured a larger degree of varieties outside the areas of Britain and the USA, as well as a larger degree of American English when dividing the varieties by the time these were spoken. RP (Received Pronunciation) and GA (General American) were also less dominating in the textbook from 2003. The rate of delivery was generally slower in the older textbook. The results from this investigation suggest that some changes seem to have occurred between the publishing of the two books. However, a focus on English as a lingua franca, where the aim is proficiency in efficient cross cultural communication rather than in the English spoken by native speakers,  does not seem to have influenced the textbooks studied here. It is difficult to appreciate whether or not changes like these have taken hold in Swedish classrooms, as teachers use many different listening materials and in many different ways.

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.