language eduaction situation and language teaching in Finland

In basic education students must study their mother tongue and at least two foreign languages, one of them being the second national language (swedish or finnish). In addition, it is possible to study languages as optional and elective subjects. The first compulsory language , which can be the second national language, swedish or finnish, english, french, german or russian, must be started at the lower stage (grades 1 to 6). The other cumpolsory language starts at the upper stage. Whatever the starting grade, the students have to receive instructions to at least the nationally decided minimum.

For pupils whose mother tongue is not finnish or swedish, learning their own language is voluntary. However, they should also learn either finnish or swedish as a second language. In comprehensive school all the other subjects are thought in finnish or swedish, which is a reason why pupils should achieve basic skills also in the language of their comprehensive school. The great majority of pupils in Finland learn finnish as their mother tongue.

Mother tongue and literature subject belong to the basic subjects of comprehensive schools in Finland. The purpose and main aim is to teach pupils those significant skills that are fundamental for all learning in school, namely literacy skills, including the technical skills for reading and writing. Mother tongue and literature subject has more lessons than any other individual subject in comprehensive school and additionally it is the only cumpolsory subject in the national matriculation examination test at the end of upper secondary school.

Pupil’s main taks is to get interested in language, literature and interaction. It should be an object as well as a tool for learing. Pupils learn to get involved in culture and participates in and influences society by becoming active and learn about the ethnical responsibility. The subject is based on three main fields – linguistic field and their study of literature, communication studies and in addition the studies of floklore, theatre, drama and media. By means of this subject is to support the development of the pupil’s identity, their self-esteem and their artistic imagination. For example they should be confidence to communicate and express themselves orally and in writing. The core contents of mother tongue and literature are comprised in five dimensions: interaction skills, text comprehension, preparing compositions and spoken presentations, information management skills, and realtionship with language, literature and other culture.

Pupils should develope different skills during this subject, which reachs from understanding, analysing and critiacly read different kinds of texts to have a basic knowledge oft he history, structure and variations of the finnish language, and of the language situation both in and outside Finland.