Language Immersion in Finland -From Bilingual to Trilingual Education?

1. Language Immersion in Finland-From Bilingual to Trilingual Education? Siv Björklund University of Vaasa, Finland LEARNME Project Workshop 2 8.5.2014

2. The Finnish education system in brief

3. Education provision in Finland Finland has two official national languages, Finnish and Swedish Population structure in 2013: Fi 89.3 % Sw 5.3 % Other languages 5.3 % Parallel education systems for the national languages have been established. Both systems are regulated by the same laws and the same national curricular frameworks Approximately 40 % of the student population in Swedish schools is bilingual (Swedish-Finnish), though there is great variation locally and regionally

4. Education provision in Finland The study of the other national language (“the other domestic language”) is mandatory for all Finnish students. There are no bilingual Finnish-Swedish schools in Finland, only schools with special status as language schools (e.g. The Finnish-Russian school in Helsinki) Language immersion crosses the line of the existing parallel system: Swedish is used as the language of instruction during most of the Finnish-speaking immersion students’ time spent in Finnish-speaking schools.

5. Bilingual Education in Europe LANGUAGE IMMERSION Addresses mainly majority speakers Often used as an umbrella term for many different bilingual education programs Core and variable features within immersion have been identified. Adaptations in new contexts create challenges. Possible to consistently identify immersion education worldwide in future? A need to find better ways within the education system to foster individual bilingualism for the benefit of the surrounding bilingual community CLIL Addresses mainly majority speakers Often used as an umbrella term for many different bilingual education programs More visible on the Europan arena than immersion during the last years In general, more subject-based than program-based Mainly initiated or promoted within the education system by administrators and teachers, aim at improving and renewing language learning in general

6. Different types of immersion programmes Immersion programmes language enhancement language maintenance language revitalization A) second language immersion B) foreign language immersion - one-way immersion, two-way immersion (dual immersion) - early/delayed/late immersion -total/partial immersion

7. Early total immersion in Finland For Finnish-speakers with no natural extensive experience of the other official language in Finland, Swedish, and its culture. The immersion language (Swedish) is introduced early (at the age of 3-6) Subject teaching (e.g. biology) in the immersion language is used to enhance students’ Swedish language competence along with subject mastery in the mother tongue to foster the students’ Finnish (mother tongue) language development along with subject mastery Teachers act as one language models. Mainly developed for Swedish as L2, but teaching of other languages is integrated in Swedish immersion programs as well

8. Swedish immersion aims at functional multilingualism

9. Principles for multiple language use The languages of immersion are separated: A. one teacher-one language B. one subject-one language The languages of immersion are integrated: C. Teaching thematic units (thematic instruction crosses both subject and language) D. Daily schemes (during a school day students use at least two, mostly multiple languages) The discourse of the classroom is most likely bilingual, often multilingual

10. Bilingual arrangements, strategies and models by García 2009, 310

11. Multiple languages in immersion (Multi-IM) The Multi-Im project aims at exploring multilingual dimensions within Swedish immersion programs. The research approach is three-folded and includes: 1.sociolinguistic perspectives 2. psycholinguistic perspectives 3. pedagogic perspectives Data: teacher & student questionnaires and interviews, classroom observations

12. The data of the study Questionnaire completed by 97 students in grades 4-6 with multiple-oriented language program Case study 10 students in grades 4-5 (10-12 years of age); 4 girls and 6 boys; Finnish as mother tongue, Swedish as immersion language, English from grade 2 or 3, German/French from grade 4 Structured interviews

13. Questionnaire data

14. To study and to know languages (n= 95)

15. Knows more languages than studies at school (n = 17) • Spanish (8 students) • German (4 students) • Russian (3 students) • Japanese (3 students) • Estonian (2 students) • French (1 student) • English (1 student) • Italian (1 student) • Danish (1 student) • Thai (1 student)

16. Perception of language learning (n=97)

17. The foreign language I master best is.. (n=93)

18. Monolingual, bilingual and multilingual thinking when doing activities (n = 97/96)

19. Monolingual, bilingual and multilingual thinking when doing activities (n = 62)

20. Language use (case study) In what contexts have you needed …. Frequent use Swedish English German in school in school in the yard with friends (3) with friends in hobbies (8) Internet, TV(1) TV (1) In town with relatives on vacation/ in Sweden on vacation/ abroad on vacation (7) abroad with Mum (3) Sweden (8) No need no need (1) no need (7)

21. Students’ comments on the use of English ”On the Internet some sites may be in English only” ”In Europe it is rather difficult to travel if one does not know English” ”It would be useful to know at least English. And Swedish, because Finland is still a bilingual nation” ”English is a common language”

22. Languages spoken in foreign languge lessons (case study, student views) Finnish Foreign language

23. Some preliminary results Immersion students indicate that they know all the languages they study at school Immersion students in grades 4-6 are very confident in their language skills Immersion students report using the foreign languages they study in the classroom (but rarely outside the classroom) Swedish (L2) is important both locally (school, friends, hobbies) and (inside)/outside one’s own country English (L3) is important mostly beyond one’s own country (vacation), but the use of English outside school increases over the grades German/French (L4) are rarely used, mainly languages studied in school

24. Some preliminary results Almost 80 % of the students report using L1 in thinking activities Thinking processes in specific classroom activities during Swedish/English/German lessons: approximately 50-60 % of the students claim that they think in only one language. Finnish (L1) is dominant, whereas Swedish (L2) positions itself as a mid language (between L1 and other languages). In particular the relationship between Swedish and English will be focussed in further studies with immersion students in grades 7-9.

25. Strategy for the National languages of Finland (2012) “Good language skills are the key to all language use and to viable bilingualism; for this reason, sufficient learning of languages must be ensured at all education levels. Teaching must be developed so that increasing attention will be paid to communication skills. Effort will also be made to expand the provision of language immersion. In order to improve learning outcomes in the Swedish language, it would be well founded to investigate whether the number of Swedish lessons could be increased at least so that the continuum of education is ensured until the last grade of comprehensive school.” (p. 24)

26. Strategy for the National languages of Finland (2012) ““Better conditions are created for ensuring adequate and high-standard immersion teaching. Within the appropriations reserved in the State Budget for the personnel training of teaching staff, enough immersion teachers are trained both within basic training and further training to meet this country’s need for them. (Ministry of Education and Culture) As part of the preparations for the training, the need for immersion teachers is determined on the basis of the demand for immersion. Together with universities, the Ministry will create a specialisation path for immersion teachers within the training programmes for kindergarten teachers, class teachers and subject teachers. (Ministry of Education and Culture)

27. Strategy for the National languages of Finland (2012) • A curriculum for national immersion teaching is drawn up as part of the revision of curricula in basic education. The core curriculum takes into account the continuum and special features of immersion teaching. (National Board of Education) • Municipalities and parents are informed of immersion activities and possibilities. (National Board of Education)” (p. 26)

28. Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education 28

29. Literature on multiple languages in Swedish immersion Bergroth, M. (2006). Immersion students in the matriculation examination. Three years after immersion. In: S. Björklund, K. Mård-Miettinen, M. Bergström & M. Södergård (eds), Exploring Dual-Focussed Education. Integrating Language and Content for Individual and Societal Needs, 123-134. Vaasa: Vaasa University. Björklund, S., K. Mård-Miettinen & T. Mäenpää (2012). Functional multilingual competence. Exploring the pedagogical potential within immersion. In: M. Bendtsen, M. Björklund, L. Forsman & K. Sjöholm (eds), Global trends meet local needs, 203-217. Åbo Akademi University. Björklund, S. & K. Mård-Miettinen (2011). Integration of multiple languages in immersion: Swedish immersion in Finland. In: D. J. Tedick, D. Christian & T. Williams Fortune (eds), Immersion Education: Practices, Policies, Possibilities, 13-35. Multilingual Matters. Björklund, Siv (2011). Swedish immersion as a way to promote early multilingualism in Finland. In: Idske Bangma, Cor van der Meer & Alex Riemersma (eds), Trilingual Primary Education in Europe, 13-31.Mercator: Leeuwarden. Björklund, S. (2005). Toward trilingual education in Vaasa/Vasa, Finland. International Journal of the Sociology of Language, 23-40. Björklund, S. & I. Suni (2000). The role of English as L3 in a Swedish immersion program in Finland. Impacts on language teaching and language relations. In: J. Cenoz & U. Jessner (eds), English in Europe. The acquisition of a third language, 198-221. Multilingual Matters. Clevedon.