English and Spanish - Subjects on equal terms? : Differences in students´ perceived abilities, attitudes and input outside the classroom

The objective of this study is to examine various aspects of the difference between the acquisition of English and Spanish by Swedish learners in compulsory education and its causes. The two subjects have the same syllabus, with the difference that English studies start 3 years earlier, but studies of the competences of the Swedish students in these two languages (see f.ex. First European Survey of Language Competences, 2012)suggest that the gap between the languages is bigger than what could be expected and that there is an existing difference in attitude towards the two languages. The conclusion is that the predominance of English in the immediate environment of the surveyed students is considerable. The study has shown large differences between the input in English and Spanish. Students receive input in Spanish, communicate in Spanish and acquire knowledge of Spanish / Latin American cultures almost exclusively at school. On the other hand, they acquire knowledge, receive input and interact in English both in school and in their spare time. We also found considerable differences in attitudes towards the two languages and the perceived ability of the students. The Spanish is perceived as more difficult, less necessary, less fun and less useful in their future lives. New technologies create new platforms for communication that allow students to participate in interaction in the target language. This study shows that these situations occur mostly in English but also in Spanish, which in our opinion could be more used in teaching