Teaching English as a Foreign Language to Newly Arrived Students: Challenges and Opportunities

The purpose of this study was to find out what a sample selection of teachers in Malmö and Lund, Sweden, perceived to be the most common strengths and challenges of newly arrived students when learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The study was conducted as there have been very few studies so far in Sweden on this particular subject, as well as an influx of newly arrived students in the recent years. The two research questions ask what the most common strengths and challenges for newly arrived students are, as well as, how the participating teachers meet the perceived challenges. Four qualitative interviews were constructed based on interviews and questionnaires used in similar studies, and then analyzed using tape analysis. The results showed that all four participants agreed that background factors (such as possible trauma) played a big part, and affected how quickly students go from introductory programs into regular Swedish high school, as well as a lacking vocabulary. Since the findings in this study is coherent with findings in similar studies, it becomes obvious that further action needs to be taken to ensure that our newly arrived students learn what they need to, and get the help they deserve