Sweden Mother Tongue Tuition (Grundskola)

Mother tongue tuition (modersmålundervisning) in Sweden is an optional subject offered to students whose mother tongue is not Swedish. It is available for all grades, including year 6, within the compulsory school system (grundskola). The aim is to support multilingual development and provide additional knowledge of the student's cultural background. This tuition is seen as supporting a child's language, identity, personality, and cognitive development. Parents or guardians need to apply for this tuition through their municipality.

Mother tongue tuition in Sweden has been available since the 1970s. It is a voluntary subject and aims to support students in developing knowledge in and about their mother tongue. This includes all oral languages used by children in their home environment.

The curriculum for mother tongue tuition, as outlined by Skolverket (Swedish National Agency for Education), focuses on developing skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. It also covers cultural and societal aspects related to the mother tongue. For Year 6, the curriculum includes:

• Reading and writing: Developing reading strategies for understanding and interpreting texts from various media, distinguishing between explicit and implicit messages, and writing different types of texts adapted to their typical structures and language features. Students also learn about basic language structure compared to Swedish and use dictionaries and other aids for spelling and understanding words.
• Speaking, listening, and talking: Giving oral presentations for different audiences, focusing on pronunciation, emphasis, and intonation. Discussions about narrative and non-fiction texts are also included.
• Narrative and non-fiction texts: Exploring narrative and poetic texts for children and youth, including literature, lyrics, tales, and myths from different periods and areas where the mother tongue is spoken. Students also learn about descriptive, explanatory, and instructional texts related to traditions and phenomena in those areas.
• Use of language: Learning words and terms used to express emotions, knowledge, and opinions, including their shades of meaning and value connotations. Synonyms and antonyms are also covered.
• Culture and society: Examining customs, usage, and traditions in areas where the mother tongue is spoken, comparing them to Swedish customs. Schooling in those areas is also compared to the Swedish system.

Specific knowledge requirements for different grades (A-E) are also detailed in the curriculum. These requirements outline the expected level of proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and cultural knowledge for each grade level.