Short bio

My name is Madline Arbid, EPALE Ambassador and Erasmus+ Ambassador. I am 44 years old and have been dedicated to teaching Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) in adult education for over 12 years. I work in a small town in southern Norrland, Sweden. Despite the picturesque setting, our region faces significant challenges. The overall level of education is relatively low, and we grapple with various social issues. My role as an SFI teacher is both demanding and rewarding. 

My story

I arrived in Sweden as an 18-year-old, faced with the challenge of learning Swedish as an adult. It was both daunting and exciting—a Scandinavian language completely different from my native tongue from the Mediterranean region. The new sounds and strange vowels were particularly challenging. I remember my teacher demonstrating how to pronounce "Y" by placing a pen under her upper lip and forming her mouth into a half-open circle. I wondered where I had ended up, but I soon realized I needed this training.

Some people tend to be socially excluded if they do not dedicate sufficient time to learning and speaking Swedish fluently. I became a teacher, often described as passionate by others. However, I simply see it as doing what feels right in my heart. When I attended SFI, I focused primarily on learning the language and grammar. It was assumed that social and cultural aspects were self-evident. After SFI, I studied at Komvux, inspiring me to step toward higher education and teacher training. Working as a teacher and contributing to society makes me feel rooted in Sweden, which is important for my well-being. The opportunity to think and reflect appealed to me the most, especially since I came from an educational tradition where one had to learn things by heart and not question the teachers. However, I often encountered stiffness due to cultural clashes. 

In my teaching, I have incorporated relevant elements from my previous teachers and developed my own pedagogy. This includes providing more information about society, organizing study visits to various companies and institutions, and combating social exclusion. 

Feeling settled to experience understanding and a sense of security is essential.

One of my recent projects focused on fake news on social media. The project, named Mediaware, is funded by Erasmus+. 

The film was created to promote the project, where I discuss the misinformation spread on social media that tarnished the reputation of Sweden's social services with false claims that the Swedish state kidnaps immigrant children. This led to demonstrations and hatred towards Sweden. It later emerged that these were propagated by troll factories. It is sad, but it highlights the importance of questioning, thinking freely, and being well-informed for our well-being.