Education, identity, and multilingualism among Spanish heritage speakers in Sweden

This article explores the status of Spanish as a heritage language in Sweden, a Scandinavian society with diverse multilingual communities. We offer a systematic literature review, focusing on both empirical studies and educational policies related to multilingualism and Spanish heritage language speakers (SHSs). The selected studies cover such areas as identity and socio-affective factors in educational contexts as well as aspects of SHSs’ linguistic systems. By synthesizing available research and policy frameworks, this work combines descriptive analysis with instructional implications to provide a critical overview of the educational and sociolinguistic dynamics shaping multilingual SHSs experiences in Sweden. Key challenges such as the mixed classroom are discussed in considering current and future educational opportunities for SHSs in Sweden.