English teaching in Finland: How have Finnish children

attained such high-level English proficiency?

Sauli TakalaTokyo, December 13, 2010

Europe-an Union

Area: 338 424 sq km5th largest in Western Europe1160 km long, 540 km max widthHelsinki (metropolitan): 1,2 mFiinnish: 91%Swedish: 5,5%Sami: about 17 000 Republic: 1917Parliament: 200Population: 5, 3 miliionNeighbours: Sweden, Norway, Russia, Estonia

Member of EU: 1995Currency: Euro (2002-)Neutral: not a member of NATO Export: electrotechnical, wood & paper, machibery (ice-brakers, cruise ships)

Midnight sun for several weeksLapland: no sun for 2-3 months,Northerrn llights

PhD

Masters

Bachelor

Upper Vocational Secondary /3 education

Basic education , 9 yrs

Kindergarten

In the newest Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA, 2009), Finland maintained a place near the top of the tables in all categories: reading, mathematics and science. The same pattern since 2001.

My personal history of language study• 1948-1952: four years of primary school: no foreign language study• 1952-1957: lower secondary school; Swedish from grade 1, English from grade 2• 1957-1960: upper secondary school; Swedish and English continued (3 years); German and Latin started (3 years)• 1961- five years of university study: MA major in English, minor Swedish• Authorized translator (English-Finnish-English 1974)• Study/PhD in the USA: 1981-1984

A milestone in language education in Finland: comprehensive school

• A municipal school system with a national curriculum; free education • 9 grades; age 7 – 15/16• Introduced gradually during the 1970s• Grades 1-6: lower stage, class teachers; • Grades 7-9: upper stage, subject teachers• Initially: (1+) 2 languages required; A1-language from grade 3 (age 9 75%, 10% grade 1, 15% grade 2)); B1 language (Swedish/ Finnish) from grade 7; optional C-language grades 8-9• A2-language optional; mostly from grade 5;( 994-)

Grade

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

A1 15% 85%

A2* 24%

B1 100%

B2*

14

B2+B3

43%

A1-lan-guage

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005

English 93.8% 90.1% 88.3% 89.7% 90.1% 91.0%

Swedish 5.4% 7.3% 2.0% 1.5% 1.1% 1.1%

Finnish 4.7% 4.5% 5.0% 5,3# 5.2% 5.3%

French 0.2% 0.6% 1.4% 1.0% 0.7% 0.8%

German 0.7% 1.4% 3.1% 2.0% 1.1% 1.2%

Russian 0.4% 0.6% 0.3% 0.1% 0.2% 0.2%

At the end of the Upper Secondadry School

5 languages studied: 2% of all students4 languages : 12%3 languages : 42%2 languages : 42% (English

+ Swedish)

What level have pupils/students reached

in their study of languages?

International comparisons•IEA study (1971) Belgium, Chile, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Israel, The Netherlands, Thailand •Finnish lower secondary school pupils (15-16 yrs): performed at theinternational average level•Finnish 18-19-year olds: above average•Takala (1998): Using some common items in RC and LC in 1971, 1979, 1983, 1991, 1993:•Very clear & consistent improvement;esp. LC Finnish pupils knew about 80-85% of what pupils in Sweden knew (Eng/Swe related)

International comparisons cont.

•Two studies coordinated by France; 1996, 2002

•2002: Denmark, Finland, France, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden

•Tests: Listening comprehension, grammatical knowledge, reading comprehension, writing

Assessment of Pupils´ Skills in English in Eight Countries; 2002; total score (%)

National assessments of proficiency using the Common European

Framewwork of Reference (2001) scales as criteria

F. Kaftandjieva

F. Kaftandjieva

Breakthrough

Waystage

Threshold

Vantage

Effective Operational Proficiency

Mastery

Language Proficiency: Common Reference Levels

F. Kaftandjieva

Breakthrough

Waystage

Threshold

Vantage

Effective Operational Proficiency

Mastery

Basic user

Independent user

Proficient user

Language Proficiency: Common Reference Levels

Broader Level DistinctionBroader Level Distinction

F. Kaftandjieva

Breakthrough

Waystage

Threshold

Vantage

Effective Operational Proficiency

Mastery

Language Proficiency: Common Reference Levels

Finer Level DistinctionFiner Level Distinction

A1.1A1.2

A2.1A2.2

B1.1B1.2

B2.1B2.2

C1.1C1.2

C2.1C2.2

Level A1 is the point at which the learner can interact in a simple way rather than relying purely on a rehearsed repertoire of phrases.Level A2 (Waystage), (a) majority of descriptors stating social functions (greet, short social exchanges…), and (b) descriptors on getting out and about (simple transactions ..)

Level B1 (Threshold Level)- (a) maintain interaction and get across what you want to: eg. give or seek personal views and opinions in an informal discussion with friends…), (b) cope flexibly with problems in everyday lifeLevel B2 (Vantage) reflects three new emphases: (a) effective argument,(b) holding your own in social discourse, and (c) a new degree of language awareness (eg. correct mistakes if they have led to misunderstandings)Level C1 is characterised by access to a broad range of language: fluent, spontaneous communication.Level C2 represents the degree of precision and ease with the language of highly successful learners: convey finer shades of meaning precisely; a good command of idiomatic expressions etc. 100 hrs 200-300 hr s 450 hrs 1000s hrs

Level in English (%): grade 9 (15-16 years; 7 years of English, Tuokko, 2007)

A225

A234

A240

B141

B139

B132

B2>29

B2>23

B2>25

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Receptive skills Speaking Writing

A1 A2 B1 B2>

Appraisal: fairly good /good outcome (Note: English and Finnish arre not related

Distribution of Levels (%) in the Matric Exam (19yrs)

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

En-10

Ger

-10

Rus-1

0Fi-1

0

Ger

- 3/5

Rus 3

/5

Fr 3/5

Sp3/5

Swe6

A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2

10: 10 years of study; 3/5: 3-5 years of study; 6 - 6 years of study

Possible reasons for quite good learning results, even if Finnish in not related to any of the other

commonly studied foreiign languages (cf. Japanese!)

• Education has generally been highly valued; even poor parents have tried to support studying• Language skills are essential for the society and individuals (makes possible communication with other people; no one understands Finnish)• Finland is strongly dependent on foreign trade• Motivation to study languages is quite good (exception: compulsory Swedish/Finnish)• English is a popular subject, even among the boys

Possible reasons for quite good learning results

• English is everywhere present (”sticks to the clothes”)• No dubbing of foreign films (TV, cinema) – excellent exposure to genuine foreign speech• English textbooks are common in higher education• Foreign travel has expanded dramatically: no one understands Finnish abroad; L2s are needed• In work, secretaries/translators/interpreters are seldom available any more; empoyees need to be able to communicate on their own (emails, phone/skype, videoconferencing...)• A substantial part of English profiency comes from out-of-school use!!

Possible reasons for quite good learning results• 40 years of experience in teaching foreign languages to all pupils; no streaming - mixed ability classes; all are expected to learn English (more or less)• Listening comprehension and essay-writing tests part of the Matriculation Examination since 1977; positive washback (understand and use L2)• L2 used in language tests in testing comprehension (positive feedback to using L2, not L1, in teaching)• Four skills as goals for more than 40 years; increasing emphasis on communication competence, less on linguistic correctness• Language teachers are well educated and can use L2 fluently (C1/C2); mainly L2 is used in class• Only national textbooks/tests basically are used; encourages national development work

Thank you for your attention!

Questions and Comments Welcome!

sjtakala@hotmail.com