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An Analysis of Present Day Books for Teaching Swedish as a Second Language in Finland (Svenskböcker i finska högstadier)

Date: 1.1.1996-31.12.1998
Code: K1831
Department: Åbo Akademi University / Faculty of Arts (HF), Dept. of Nordic languages
Address: Nunnegatan 4, FIN-20500 Åbo
Phone +358-2-2341660
Fax +358-2-2154 661
E-mail ansoderg@abo.fi
Project leader: FM Annemarie Södergård, forskare (1.1.1996-31.12.1998)
Type of research: 0 (0=Within duty, 1=Ordered research, 2=Co-operation)
- basic research 100 %
Finnish funding organizations: Svenska kulturfonden () FIM 15000
Svenska litteratursällskapet () FIM 12000
Leo och Regina Wainsteins stiftelse () FIM 25000
Man months: 12 months in 1998; Totally: 36 months
Keywords: läromedel, svenska, oppimateriaali, ruotsin kieli, svenska som främmande språk, läromedel, grammatikregler, ett levande språk, motivation, Swedish as a Foreign Language, School books, Grammar rules, Motivation,

The aim of my work in progress is to point out deficiencies in present day books for Swedish studies and their incapability of giving a realistic description of spoken Swedish, for example the ineffective way of teaching grammar.The books tend to split up grammatical units and teach separate facts as independent of each other.The difference between written and spoken Swedish is not acknowledged and the pupils learn an unnaturally correct version of the language.The speakers in the books mix these two codes, which is not typical for a Swedish speaking person.The grammar exercises are often too easy to interest pupils and they fail to teach the student to form whole sentences.The texts in both text- and exercise books are not interesting to teenagers.Some books choose to describe the life of a fictitious Swedish speaking community in spite of the fact that there is a vivid Swedish speaking minority in Finland.Pupils often find it difficult to identify themselves with the events in the texts and they therefore lack motivation.

Publication(s)

5.3.1996 / 23.3.1998