Guided tours for SFI students about Swedish traditions

In Linköping there are several schools that offer "Svenska för Invandrare" (abbrev. SFI) - i.e. Swedish For Immigrants. It is a language education course for those who have recently arrived in Sweden and who cannot speak Swedish. A large part of the curriculum also focusses on Swedish society as a whole; history, habits, traditions and cultural heritage.

In Gamla Linköping, we have developed a school program aimed at SFI Schools based on Swedish Christmas traditions. During this program, which includes a guided tour of some of our museum buildings, we explain how traditions have developed in Sweden over the centuries - traditions that consist of a mixture of Christianity, superstition, folk beliefs and influences from the rest of the world. Since the students are learning the Swedish language, it is helpful for the program to be based on the relevant objects in the museum collection.

This means that we have to rearrange some of our museum environments to be able to show the power of traditions in a chronological order. The program starts in the museum's aristocratic home, Baron von Lingen's manor house, and we begin our story in the middle of the 18th century. We then move to another museum home, Villa Lugnet, where we follow any changes up until the 1910s. On our way through streets and alleys, we look at typical rural traditions, such as the tradition of the sheaf and the making of Christmas decorations around a farm. We discuss both traditions that have disappeared and those which have survived and are part of today's Christmas celebrations.

As the students' language skills vary, students and teachers are given a glossary in advance, so that they have the chance to prepare for the visit. The students who come to the museum have different educational levels, so it is important that the guide is flexible and adaptable to meet the needs of the group. Most of the time we know approximately what level of knowledge we can expect, but the opposite is sometimes also the case, and this can, of course, be a real challenge.

During the visit, there is also plenty of room for discussion, conversation and curiosity. The students come from many different countries and religions, with mixed customs and beliefs. The more the guide knows about other religions, the better the visit and the conversations will be. Often both the student and the educator are surprised by the similarities between concepts and traditions, which leads to a sense of affinity and community.

The SFI program is offered over a 5-week period during the weeks before Christmas, when the museum transforms into a wintry Christmas landscape, with plenty of Christmas decorations. At this time we organise one of Sweden's biggest Christmas markets and other events in accordance with our living history concept.

During the same period, we also have school programs for Swedish school pupils from the age of about 10 and older. However, it is mainly the programs for SFI which generate the most visits (and maybe the most appreciated visits), and many SFI teachers tend to come back with new students year after year.