Adult migrants’ voices about learning and using Swedish at work placements in basic language education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11476887 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Robert Walldén (0000-0002-2565-8875, Malmö University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 56 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 43-65 |
| Publication date | 2024-01-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Studies in the Education of Adults (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0266-0830 • E-ISSN: 1478-9833 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02660830.2023.2246763 |
| OpenAlex | W4387642199 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 22 |
The aim of the present study was to contribute knowledge about how adult L2 learners perceived their possibilities to use and develop the target language (Swedish) when formal language teaching was combined with placements. Situated in the context of Swedish for Immigrants (SFI), the study drew inspiration from action research and ethnographic methodology. A thematic analysis was conducted underpinned by the systemic-functional linguistic concepts of field, tenor and mode. The findings showed that the students highly valued interaction with L1 Swedish speakers outside of the classroom. Several of the students described rich opportunities to interact socially, which, however, also entailed anxiety about their status as L2 speakers. A few of the students reported accessing field-specific language and literacy practices that aligned with their current career goals. However, students with placements relating to kitchen, garage and warehouse work voiced feeling isolated and having little opportunity for social interaction. While students in the first of two course instances found it difficult to discuss and exemplify language they had learnt, a vocabulary assignment developed for the second course instance facilitated discussions about placement-related words and expressions. Implications for teaching are discussed, including using authentic examples of workplace discourse as preparation for placement visits
Context (archaeology · Discourse analysis · Ethnography · Feeling · Linguistics · Literacy · Mathematics education · Pedagogy · Qualitative research · Situated · Situated learning · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Vocabulary · Computer Science · EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Second Language Learning and Teaching · Social Psychology
Challenging assumptions about migrant language use
Contextual elaborations and shifts when adult L2 learners present and discuss workplace-related vocabulary
Second-language writing development of adult immigrants following three study paths reflecting their varying levels of prior education
The reluctant writer
Vocational Swedish for adult learners with limited educational background
An Introduction to Functional Grammar
Continuity and change
Shifting identity positions in the development of language education for immigrants
Quick-chatting”, “smart dogs”, and how to “say without saying”
Assisting the development of sociopragmatic skills
You will certainly learn English much faster at work than from a textbook.” – Law students learning English beyond the language classroom
Interaction and meaning making in basic adult education for immigrants the case of Swedish for immigrants in Sweden (SFI)
Research agenda
Affordances and constraints
Understanding the Quality of Out-of-Class English Learning
Tracking the Development of Sociopragmatic Skills
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Theory Construction in Qualitative Research
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2.5 |
| Citation span | 2024 - 2026 (3) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |