Zooming in on language practices in Swedish higher education. A discussion of five studies and their normative versus dynamic approach towards policy and practice
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Hedda Söderlundh
Abstract
In this chapter, five studies of language practice in Swedish higher education are compared and discussed with focus on how the policy of English-medium teaching is assumed to relate to practices ‘on the ground’. It is demonstrated that the earlier studies take a normative approach towards policy and practice, in the sense that practice is assumed to coincide with policy, while the later studies approach policy and practice from a dynamic point of view, assuming that other languages may be used in addition to the policy-prescribed medium (cf. Bonacina & Gafaranga, 2011). The underlying approach has implications for the studies’ design and focus, but also for their results concerning the use of Swedish and English in higher education in Sweden.
Abstract
In this chapter, five studies of language practice in Swedish higher education are compared and discussed with focus on how the policy of English-medium teaching is assumed to relate to practices ‘on the ground’. It is demonstrated that the earlier studies take a normative approach towards policy and practice, in the sense that practice is assumed to coincide with policy, while the later studies approach policy and practice from a dynamic point of view, assuming that other languages may be used in addition to the policy-prescribed medium (cf. Bonacina & Gafaranga, 2011). The underlying approach has implications for the studies’ design and focus, but also for their results concerning the use of Swedish and English in higher education in Sweden.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- English at Nordic universities 1
- Parallel languages in the history of language ideology in Norway and the lesson for Nordic higher education 27
- Language planning in practice in the Norwegian higher education sector 53
- Language ideology and shifting representations of linguistic threats 83
- Zooming in on language practices in Swedish higher education. A discussion of five studies and their normative versus dynamic approach towards policy and practice 111
- Language ideologies in Finnish higher education in the national and international context 127
- Local majority and minority languages and English in the university 147
- Ideologies in Iceland 165
- English at the University of Iceland 179
- Language Ideologies in Danish Higher Education 193
- Linguistic realities at the University of Copenhagen - Parallel language use in practice as seen from the perspective of international staff 225
- English from above and below, and from outside 251
- Index of topics 265
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- English at Nordic universities 1
- Parallel languages in the history of language ideology in Norway and the lesson for Nordic higher education 27
- Language planning in practice in the Norwegian higher education sector 53
- Language ideology and shifting representations of linguistic threats 83
- Zooming in on language practices in Swedish higher education. A discussion of five studies and their normative versus dynamic approach towards policy and practice 111
- Language ideologies in Finnish higher education in the national and international context 127
- Local majority and minority languages and English in the university 147
- Ideologies in Iceland 165
- English at the University of Iceland 179
- Language Ideologies in Danish Higher Education 193
- Linguistic realities at the University of Copenhagen - Parallel language use in practice as seen from the perspective of international staff 225
- English from above and below, and from outside 251
- Index of topics 265
