Student accounts reveal hidden language demands

Updated Oct 27, 2026

English-language reading and lectures presented difficulties even for Swedish students with strong school English preparation. In Higher Education, Marcus Warnby and Jasmine Bylund examine these demands within Swedish-taught programmes.

What the paper examines

Four students whose first language was Swedish, recruited from an earlier project, were interviewed in spring 2023. The authors use their retrospective accounts to develop a conceptual argument about coping and transition, selecting illustrative episodes rather than generating empirical themes.

What the student accounts illustrate

Preparation did not remove difficulty. Participants had strong school English preparation, yet described demanding university texts.

Missing lectures could coexist with continued study. Einar, a pseudonym, described replacing incomprehensible English-taught lectures with independent learning.

Support varied across courses. Students described occasional terminology help; the authors argue for clearer expectations and more consistent programme support.

The paper uses selected accounts to develop a conceptual interpretation that the authors identify as needing further empirical investigation.

References

[Paper Source]: Marcus Warnby and Jasmine Bylund. "Partial English-medium instruction as a participation condition: appraisal, coping, and transition in higher education" DOI: 10.1007/s10734-026-01766-3

Published online in Higher Education, 9 October 2026.