Describes a visit made to Sweden to ascertain why Swedish citizens speak such excellent English. Motivation was a key factor. Describes observations of the methods of teaching English as a second language in Swedish schools. Makes recommendations for foreign language teaching in Great Britain based on these observations. (SED)

Since Sweden will never again be a monolingual, monocultural country, new approaches to language instruction in the schools must be developed. Instruction in Swedish and in Swedish as a Foreign Language should be provided for all pupils for whom Swedish is truly a foreign language. Instructional programs should be designed to prevent the…

Focuses on English-language education in the Swedish compulsory school, where the framework and foundation for the achievement of English fluency is established. Oral skills and practical aspects of English learning are emphasized in the compulsory school curriculum. (Author/VWL)