Chapter in newsletter: British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL), issue 121 Summer 22, page 30-31.
My PhD project focuses on English education at the Language Introduction Program - LIP. LIP is an individual transit program for newly arrived immigrants designed to secure a fast transit to further education or the job market in Sweden. Drawing on Foucault’s perspective on power my project explores language ideologies and power structures within English education at LIP. Using a Foucauldian lens gives important perspectives on power, and its relation to institutions presenting an interesting framework for data analysis. In their role as institutions, schools exercise power and contribute or challenge the preservation of power structures. In addition to power structures and language ideology, multilingualism is also investigated in this PhD project. To fully integrate and be a member of Swedish society at all levels: education, job market, and social and political scene - a good knowledge of English is essential. A passing grade in English is mandatory for all higher education in Sweden. Additionally, knowledge of English is considered a norm in the job market. Many LIP students that I met described English as a subject that they struggled with, and the failing rate of the English courses were also very high. My PhD project is based on linguistic ethnography and for the duration of one school year I have conducted observations and interviews at two schools in Sweden - Slope Hill High School and Meadow Hill High School. Both schools are located in a medium-sized town in Sweden and both schools teach upper secondary school programs and LIP. 86 participants took part in this project, and 78 observations and 22 semi-structured interviews were carried out.