Students in Malå, Sweden improve English skills
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Teachers in Malå, a community in Sweden, observed that students are increasingly proficient in English while their Swedish skills decline.
Jessica Persson, a teacher at Nilaskolan, noted some students are nearly fully English-speaking despite Swedish being their first language. Recent national English tests showed ninth-graders in Malå achieved nearly the highest scores in Västerbotten county, averaging 16.4 out of 20 points, above the national average of 15.8.
Persson and Essi Hentilä believe children now spend more time with English-language activities than they previously did with Swedish ones. However, the teachers also explained that higher expectations for Swedish language skills mean students may receive better English grades without necessarily having stronger overall language abilities. Students’ listening and speaking skills are improving, but their English writing skills haven’t developed at the same pace because much of their exposure to English outside of school is informal.
Teachers are working to strengthen these skills through grammar and writing instruction.
