Performative functions of multilingual policy in second language education in Sweden

Abstract

This paper targets the aim of ‘strengthening the students’ multilingualism’ in a second language subject in Sweden, Swedish as a second language (SSL), which represents a relatively rare L2 design internationally. The study investigates how ideological space for multilingualism with regard to this aim opens implementational space at the classroom level [Hornberger. 2002. “Multilingual Language Policies and the Continua of Biliteracy: An Ecological Approach.” Language Policy 1 (1): 27–51]. We draw on ethnographic fieldwork in three linguistically diverse upper secondary schools in Sweden, where SSL is a parallel subject to Swedish, free of choice, and is taught by qualified teachers. Ideological and implementational space was found to be primarily for empowering students and valorizing their multilingualism and less for learning functions and pedagogical multilingual practices. Some students emphasized multilingual aspects as being empowering and as a reason for choosing SSL, indexing the performative function [Fairclough. 2014. “Semiotic Aspects of Social Transformation and Learning.” In The Discourse Studies Reader. Main Currents in Theory and Analysis, edited by Johannes Angermuller, Dominique Maingueneau, and Ruth Wodak, 378–387. Amsterdam: John Benjamins] of macro-level policy in combination with teacher agency. We argue that in spite of the brevity of the formulated multilingual macro policy and its restricted ‘potential space’ [Johnson 2011. “Implementational and Ideological Spaces in Bilingual Education Language Policy, Practice, and Research.” In Bilingual Education and Bilingualism: Educational Linguistics in Practice: Applying the Local Globally and the Global Locally, edited by Frances M. Hult and Kendall A. King, 126–139. Bristol, GBR: Multilingual Matters], it still had a significant bearing at the local level. This finding reinforces the importance of researching established macro-multilingual policies in situ in education.