The Promise and Limits of SFI : Migrants’ Perceptions of Swedish Language Learning and Labour Market Integration in Stockholm

Sammanfattning

This study explores how current students of Swedish for Immigrants (SFI) perceive the role of Swedish language learning in job acquisition and economic integration in Stockholm. While Swedish language proficiency is often framed as a key pathway to employment, participation, and sense of belonging, existing research shows that integration is also shaped by wider social and institutional conditions. Guided by the multidimensional integration framework by Ager and Strang (2008) and the concept of “language as a key to society,” by Rydell et al. (2025), the study examines how SFI students understand the usefulness and limits of the programme. The study uses a qualitative design based on semi-structured interviews with twelve SFI students at Cuben Utbildning in Fridhemsplan, Stockholm. The data were analysed thematically through an abductive approach. The findings show that participants generally perceived Swedish as important for employment, workplace communication, confidence, and social participation. However, they also viewed language as necessary but not sufficient. The usefulness of SFI was shaped by access to Swedish-speaking networks, opportunities for practice, prior education, English proficiency, municipal differences, work schedules, immigration uncertainty, and the transferability of previous qualifications. A key finding of the study is the paradoxical role of the English language in learning Swedish. The study found that English helped students navigate SFI and everyday life, but also reduced the urgency to practise Swedish. The study concludes that SFI is a valuable bridge into Swedish language learning and future labour market participation, but its effectiveness depends on broader social, institutional, and labour market conditions.