The coordinating school Masaryk`s Business Academy Jičin, Czech republic Partners

1. A comparative analysis of teaching foreign languages in the schools participating in the Comenius project ”Learn with us”. 2009 – 2011

2. The coordinating school Masaryk`s Business AcademyJičin, Czech republic • Partners Business Academy, Ružomberok, Slovakia Finnish-Russian school, Helsinki, Finland

3. Common features • the teaching of foreign languages is based on the communicative approach which aims at the active use of a foreign language in concrete situations • all schools take into account the students' age, interest and level of preparation • highly qualified teachers • high-tech classrooms in accordance with European standards • the equivalence of the national foreign language examination in accordance with the ”Common European Framework of reference for languages” • the popularity of English among students • teaching Russian is a specific feature for the schools in this project

4. Differences • Students differ by age: children start to study the first foreign language in pre-school (age 6-7) in the Finnish-Russian school • Latin is taught in Jičin Business Academy, Swedish is taught in the Finnish-Russian school • In Chech and Slovak Business Academies Russian is taught as the second foreign language, in the Finnish-Russian school as the first foreign language and as the mother tongue • After completing school the foreign language examination test aims at the following language level:

5. since 2011 an oral exam has been included in the upper secondary school programme in the Finnish-Russian school • below you can see how long the national examination lasts in different countries, i.e. • native teachers teach Russian in the Finnish-Russsian school • in the Finnish-Russian school some subjects are taught in Russian as well • because Finland and Russia are located close to each other Russian teaching material is easily obtained and the school organizes study trips to Russia every year