1,800 Teachers Registered for Filmtegration

1,800 Swedish for Immigrants Teachers: How Swedish films have made a difference in teaching new immigrants.

In September 2017, Swedish streaming TV service C More launched Filmtegration, which allows SFI (Swedish for Immigrants), the government sponsored learning program, to use Swedish films for instruction. Since then, 1,800 teachers have registered for the service – and eight of ten find that the films make it more entertaining for students to learn the Swedish language and culture.

Now, three new films are being added to those on offer: A Hustler’s Diary (Måste gitt), The Giant (Jätten) and the Beck film Steinar.

Over 1,800 teachers, thousands of film viewings and tens of thousands of students. Plus lively discussions on everything from manners to cultural differences when it comes to gender equality and love. Those are the results after a school term with Filmtegration, which was launched with six Swedish movie classics: The Charter Trip (Sällskapsresan), As It Is in Heaven (Så som i himmelen), My Life as a Dog (Mitt liv som hund), Adam & Eva, Black Jack and The Guy in the Grave Next Door (Grabben i graven bredvid). Each film also has accompanying educational material that’s been developed together with SFI educational experts from Eductus. The materials include exercises, discussion questions for specially chosen clips from the films, support for teachers in planning lessons and more.

“It’s obvious that Swedish films have attracted a lot of attention within the SFI world, the response to Filmtegration was as fast as it was big,” says Johan Gustafsson, head of communications for C More. “Several hundred teachers registered already on the first day and the number continues to grow. To continue to develop the service, we’ve followed up with how the content is used.”

A survey of teachers in 67 communities shows how teachers who have used Filmtegration experience how it affect their classes. For example, eight of ten found that the films made it more fun for newly arrived immigrants to learn the Swedish language and culture, and over half found that it makes learning easier. On the question of how Filmtegration makes teaching easier or more fun, 80 percent found that the subtitles made it easier to learn new words and concepts. Nearly as many found that the films allowed students to experience a more authentic use of language. A majority of teachers agreed that the accompanying teaching materials also made lesson planning easier, and that Filmtegration has made it easier to talk about questions that previously had been difficult to discuss in the classroom.

“The first time we used the films, we noticed that many were uncomfortable with intimate scenes, so much that some even left the classroom,” says Irene Sandberg, an SFI teacher in Fagersta. “Now we talk about before the film, and choose with films to see together with the students. A positive effect is that it’s created natural discussions about important things such as love, equality and other big life issues.”

Each film in the new set comes with accompanying educational material. Plus material for the first set of films has been updated based on feedback from the teachers.

The initiative is made possible by financing from Bonnier Social Impact, a fund within Bonnier for projects that contribute to social well-being.