Vocational Swedish for adult learners with limited educational background: rethinking literacy-based instruction

This study investigates a vocational Swedish orientation course within the Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) program, targeting adult learners with limited prior formal education and emergent literacy. Using the Continua of Biliteracy framework, the research analyzes classroom activities and study visits to explore dimensions of multilingual literacy and associated pedagogical challenges. Data collection included classroom observations, transcriptions of lessons, and student interviews. Findings highlight the potential of resource-based teaching methods, incorporating students’ multilingual repertoires and personal experiences to engage them in learning specialized vocabulary and workplace-related language. Strategies such as translanguaging, visual aids, and contextualized instruction were used to support language development. However, the course predominantly emphasized written language and receptive skills over oral communication and productive language use. Challenges emerged from the reliance on abstract and written materials, which occasionally limited student engagement and comprehension. The study concludes that integrating oral language practice, collaborative activities, and meaningful connections to students' everyday lives can enhance engagement and address gaps in existing instructional approaches. Recommendations include using multimodal supports, preparing students for study visits with targeted pre-visit activities, and fostering multilingual collaboration in work-related contexts. This research contributes to understanding how tailored pedagogical strategies can support emergent literacy learners in vocationally oriented language education.