TV4 Offers Election Videos to Language Classes

Sweden’s TV4 Offers Election Program to Language Classes

As part of its ambition to make the 2018 election in Sweden accessible for everyone, TV4 has expanded C More’s successful Filmtegration initiative. With the new initiative Valfrihet (free choice) initiative from the Swedish TV channel provides content on the upcoming Swedish election to Swedish classes for new arrivals.

In a series of specially adapted short films, well-known Swedish program host Jenny Strömstedt and political reporter Anders Pihlblad – both part of TV4’s team covering the election – cover a range of topics, from the role of independent media in modern society, to the different political parties in the Swedish parliament and the voting system. Each film also has teaching materials available that have been produced together with the adult education provider Eductus.

Since its start in fall 2017, more than 2,000 teachers of Swedish as a second language have registered to use the Filmtegration service, which uses films from C More for classroom instruction. As the September 2018 election nears and starts to dominate media reporting, teachers from the state-sponsored SFI classes for learning the Swedish language have expressed interest in customized educational materials around this timely and relevant topic.

“SFI and Swedish as a second language focus most on learning the Swedish language, not Swedish society,” says Emma Wagby, a teacher for Swedish as a second language at Eductus in Jönköping. “But it’s fun and relevant to be able to build a language lesson around something the rest of Sweden is talking about. Daily news reporting includes a lot of works and concepts that don’t come up in traditional educational materials.”

The films and accompanying educational materials will be available for free from Filmtegration, as well as on the website www.valfrihet.tv.

“We’re not experts in education or the best way to teach a language, but when we got the request we saw that we could easily contribute to getting more people interested in the election – and we think that’s good,” says Mattias Hägerlund, project manager for TV4’s election coverage. “And if we can also serve as a tool for teaching language, that’s an extra fun bonus.”

Filmtegration is funded in part through Bonnier Social Impact, an initiative where companies within Bonnier can receive financing by Bonnier AB for projects close to their business and that have a clear social benefit.