<p>The aim of this study is to investigate whether culture is perceived and taught in similar ways in regard to the study of English during the final year of compulsory schooling in Sweden and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In order to achieve this, relevant parts of policy documents and teaching materials from both school systems are analyzed – based on a framework which was devised using Claire Kramsch’s definition of culture as a foundation – and discussed. Our findings indicate that culture is not perceived and taught similarly in regard to the study of English during the final year of compulsory schooling in the two school systems we examine. In Sweden, based upon that which is expressed in the policy documents, it appears that learning about culture is seen as a natural component of language learning. On the hand, this does not appear to be the case in regard to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. While representations of culture are present in the teaching materials examined from each region, the ways in which it is portrayed reflect that which is set forth in the policy documents, i.e., culture is more fully integrated in the textbook used in Sweden than it is in the one used in Macedonian classrooms. Our study is of interest to those active within the field of education because an increasingly globalized world means that classes are being comprised of increasingly heterogeneous groups of students. Having insight into differences that exist between school systems may lead to a greater understanding of the situation that exists in one’s own corner of the world.</p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA/oai:DiVA.org:hik-2461 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Swartz, Karen, Polozhani, Junije |
| Publisher | University of Kalmar, School of Human Sciences, University of Kalmar, School of Human Sciences |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, text |
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