The Irresistible Rise and Hegemony of a Linguistic Fortress: English Teaching in Sweden

English has been compulsory for all Swedish pupils since 1962. At the same time, Swedish society has, for decades, been experiencing the phenomenon of an overwhelming Anglicization. Nowadays, the situation has gone so far that English may be considered as a second language in the Swedish daily living environment. This article mainly aims at analyzing the various stakes that support the dominant position and status of the English language not only in the Swedish school system, but also in society in general. It first briefly investigates the development of English learning and teaching before World War II and analyzes its introduction as a compulsory subject, as well as its development as a core subject in the successive compulsory school curricula. Then, it focuses on the role and status of English in Swedish society and the educational system before finally examining its position according to the newly introduced language policy.