Mémoire (M.Ed.)-- Univerité du Québec à Chicoutimi, 2002. / Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

<p>Based on the on the assumption that the two recent Swedish poetry collections <em>mil</em> by Anna Hallberg and <em>mallamerik, mallamer, malameri, mallame, amerik, mallameka, merikka, </em>by Lars Mikael Raattamaa, are constructed with theoretical questions about identity, national identity, language hierarchy and power in mind, this study aims to investigate the ways in which these issues come to expression. Simplified, the term <em>language-poetry</em>, or <em>språkmaterialism</em>, can be used to describe a language-philosophical poetry that aims to eliminate the hierarcic structures between writer and reader in a text and invite the reader to become the co-worker of it. The study shows that by different ways of eliminating the <em>centre</em> of the text, the text is made democratical. But one question that this study asks is how can a nation's conventional and standardised written  language – the language of the centre – be used to write itself out of this centre into the margin? Stepping from a theoretical background of postcolonial theories on identity and national identity, including reflections as those given by Benedict Anderson, Madan Sarup, Timothy Brennan, Stefan Helgesson and Mia Cuoto, the analysis points out how this poetry laborates with the terms <em>bugging, repetition, national language identity, and space </em>as poetic material, in order to work in line with ─ and contrary to - conceptions of a unified and shared language. Adapting and transforming the architectural term sprawl into literature, and spreading similar phrases over the pages by, for example, thematizing names, Swedish suburbs, and the use of language referents made empty, an elimination of the textual centre is shown to take place. This study concludes that in these poems it is by pointing out markers of a Swedish identity which is transparent that identity becomes both constituted and articulated, as well as problematized; concepts of collectivity, orality, and lack of textual coherence create a dimension of  boundlessness in language.  </p><p> </p>

Based on the on the assumption that the two recent Swedish poetry collections mil by Anna Hallberg and mallamerik, mallamer, malameri, mallame, amerik, mallameka, merikka, by Lars Mikael Raattamaa, are constructed with theoretical questions about identity, national identity, language hierarchy and power in mind, this study aims to investigate the ways in which these issues come to expression. Simplified, the term language-poetry, or språkmaterialism, can be used to describe a language-philosophical poetry that aims to eliminate the hierarcic structures between writer and reader in a text and invite the reader to become the co-worker of it. The study shows that by different ways of eliminating the centre of the text, the text is made democratical. But one question that this study asks is how can a nation's conventional and standardised written  language – the language of the centre – be used to write itself out of this centre into the margin? Stepping from a theoretical background of postcolonial theories on identity and national identity, including reflections as those given by Benedict Anderson, Madan Sarup, Timothy Brennan, Stefan Helgesson and Mia Cuoto, the analysis points out how this poetry laborates with the terms bugging, repetition, national language identity, and space as poetic material, in order to work in line with ─ and contrary to - conceptions of a unified and shared language. Adapting and transforming the architectural term sprawl into literature, and spreading similar phrases over the pages by, for example, thematizing names, Swedish suburbs, and the use of language referents made empty, an elimination of the textual centre is shown to take place. This study concludes that in these poems it is by pointing out markers of a Swedish identity which is transparent that identity becomes both constituted and articulated, as well as problematized; concepts of collectivity, orality, and lack of textual coherence create a dimension of  boundlessness in language.

This thesis presents English-medium instruction (EMI) in the Swedish context, focusing on perspectives and practices in two schools. The research question is as follows: How and why is EMI offered, chosen, and practiced in the Swedish upper secondary school today? The aim is to explore the status of the educational option, the reasons for offering EMI to stakeholders, the stakeholders’ beliefs about and goals of EMI, and the implementation of EMI in the classroom. A survey of all upper secondary schools in Sweden was conducted to ascertain the spread of content teaching through a foreign language. The educational context was studied from an ecological perspective using methods based in linguistic ethnography. Language alternation, academic language, and language hierarchy were all considered. Interviews were analysed for content; and classroom language use was analysed for language choice and function. The concepts of affordance and scaffolding together with translanguaging were key. The de facto policies of the micro contexts of the schools were examined in light of the declared national policy of the macro context of Sweden. The results indicate that the option in Swedish schools has not increased, and also tends to only be EMI—not Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) or instruction through other languages. EMI is offered for prestige, an international profile, marketing potential and personal interest. EMI students are academically motivated and confident, and see the option as “fun”. 100% EMI in the lessons is not the goal or the practice. Translanguaging is abundant, but how language alternation is perceived as an affordance or not differs in the two schools. One focuses on how the languages are used while the other focuses on how much each language is used. In conclusion, the analysis suggests that a development of definitions and practices of EMI in Sweden is needed, especially in relation to language policy and language hierarchy.

This thesis presents English-medium instruction (EMI) in the Swedish context, focusing on perspectives and practices in two schools. The research question is as follows: How and why is EMI offered, chosen, and practiced in the Swedish upper secondary school today? The aim is to explore the status of the educational option, the reasons for offering EMI to stakeholders, the stakeholders’ beliefs about and goals of EMI, and the implementation of EMI in the classroom. A survey of all upper secondary schools in Sweden was conducted to ascertain the spread of content teaching through a foreign language. The educational context was studied from an ecological perspective using methods based in linguistic ethnography. Language alternation, academic language, and language hierarchy were all considered. Interviews were analysed for content; and classroom language use was analysed for language choice and function. The concepts of affordance and scaffolding together with translanguaging were key. The de facto policies of the micro contexts of the schools were examined in light of the declared national policy of the macro context of Sweden. The results indicate that the option in Swedish schools has not increased, and also tends to only be EMI—not Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) or instruction through other languages. EMI is offered for prestige, an international profile, marketing potential and personal interest. EMI students are academically motivated and confident, and see the option as “fun”. 100% EMI in the lessons is not the goal or the practice. Translanguaging is abundant, but how language alternation is perceived as an affordance or not differs in the two schools. One focuses on how the languages are used while the other focuses on how much each language is used. In conclusion, the analysis suggests that a development of definitions and practices of EMI in Sweden is needed, especially in relation to language policy and language hierarchy.

In recent years, Sweden has seen a vast increase in the number of migrant-background pupils entering the school system. According to official policies, these students should be included in everyday school activities wherever possible. The focus of this study is to investigate when and why this does not happen; with a focus on English lessons in upper primary school, we consider how exclusionary practices are implemented and justified by teachers. Exclusion from classroom activity is a complex, multifaceted topic, and thus needs to be explored from multiple angles. In this study, we adopt a mixed-method approach to data collection, drawing on observation of English classes, interviews with teachers, and analyses of local and national policy documents. We then use the analytical framework of nexus analysis in order to consider how exclusion is a social action, which can be seen as the combination of the historical body, the interaction order, and discourses in place. The main findings of the study show that the reasons pupils get excluded vary between teachers but mostly comes down to teachers' belief in some form of hierarchy between school subjects and that learning Swedish is prioritized for pupils with a migration-background. The implications of these findings are that that teachers do not perceive certain actions as exclusionary but rather view them as standard routines or even as something positive towards the students, which can be hurtful for the excluded pupils and leads to the loss of the socio-cultural learning environments that take place inside the classrooms.