Swedish as a second language: Teachers’ perspectives on writing instruction for adult learners

Abstract

This article aims to deepen our understanding of second language (L2) writing instruction at the lower secondary level for adults in Sweden by examining experienced teachers’ reported views on writing instruction. The applicability of Ivanič’s (2004) discourse analytical framework is tested in this context. Two qualitative methods were used: surveys (N=24) and semi-structured interviews (N=5). Findings reveal a narrow and instrumental focus in writing instruction, predominantly characterized by a skills discourse and a genre discourse, with the overarching aim of preparing students for further studies. Teachers report that instruction is influenced by contextual factors such as students’ heterogeneity, time constraints, and local teaching agreements, where collective discourses of writing shape how teachers enact writing instruction—sometimes aligning with their individual views and at other times diverging from them. This study raises the question of whether contextual constraints outweigh teachers’ individual discourses of writing in the enactment of writing instruction for adult L2 learners, and priority in such a setting is given to language form. Further, the findings highlight the need to pay greater attention to how the skills discourse manifests itself in L2 contexts and suggest a possible development of the framework to include the student as an influence on teachers’ views on writing.