Language Immersion in Finland

-From Bilingual to Trilingual Education?

Siv Björklund University of Vaasa, Finland

LEARNME Project Workshop 2 8.5.2014

The Finnish education system in brief

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

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.

Bilingual Education in Europe

LANGUAGE IMMERSIONAddresses mainly majority speakersOften 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

CLILAddresses mainly majority speakersOften 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

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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

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

Swedish immersion aims at functional multilingualism

Mainstr

eam

SwIm

Mainstr

eam

SwIm

Mainstr

eam

SwIm

Mainstr

eam

SwIm

Mainstr

eam

SwIm0

20

40

60

80

100

Immersion languageMother tongueForeign language 1Foreign language 2Foreign language 3

Grades 8-9Secondary

Kindergarten/

Pre-SchoolGrades 1-3

PrimaryGrades 4-6Primary

Grade 7Secondary

Principles for multiple language use

The languages of immersion are separated:A. one teacher-one languageB. 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

Bilingual arrangement

Flexible convergent Strict separation Flexible multiple

Bilingual strategies

Random code-switching

Monoliterate

Time-determined Teacher-

determined Place-determined Subject-

determined

Responsible code-swiching

Preview/view/review Translanguaging Co-languaging Cross-linguistic

practices

Models of bilingual teaching

Convergent Immersion Multiple

Theoretical framework Subtractive Additive/Recursive DynamicTypes transitional maintenance

prestigious Immersion Revitalization Developmental

Polydirectional Two-way (dual) CLIL/CLIL-type Multiple multilingual

Bilingual arrangements, strategies and models by García 2009, 310

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

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

Questionnaire data

Number of completed questionnaires

Students with studies in MT, ImL and FL1*

Students with studies in MT, ImL, FL1 and FL2*

n % n % n %

Total 182 100 % 85 47 % 97 53 %

Female 96 100 % 44 46 % 52 54 %

Male 86 100 % 41 48 % 45 52 %

Total 182 100 % 85 47 % 97 53 %

Grade 4 41 100 % 18 44 % 23 66 %

Grade 5 80 100 % 31 39 % 49 61 %

Grade 6 61 100 % 36 59 % 25 41 %

To study and to know languages

(n= 95)

The student…

Total

knows fever languages than studies at school

knows as many languages as studies at school

knows more languages than studies at school

n n % n % n %

Total 95 3 3 % 75 79 % 17 18 %

Female 52 1 2 % 43 83 % 8 15 %

Male 43 2 5 % 32 74 % 9 21 %

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)

The student knows…than studies at school

1 morelanguage

2 morelanguages

3 morelanguages

4 morelanguages

Total 11 5 0 1

Female 5 2 0 1

Male 6 3 0 0

Perception of language learning (n=97)

It is … to learn languages

easy or fairly easy difficult or fairly difficult

n % n %

Total 89 92 % 8 8 %

Female 49 94 % 3 6 %

Male 40 89 % 5 11 %

Total 89 92 % 8 8 %

Grade 4 21 91 % 2 9 %

Grade 5 47 96 % 2 4 %

Grade 6 21 84 % 4 16 %

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

Swedish English German French Finnish Total

n % n % n % n % n % n

Total 55 60 % 33 35 % 3 3 % 1 1 % 1 1 % 93

Female 36 71 % 13 25 % 2 4 % 0 0 % 0 0 % 51

Male 19 45 % 20 49 % 1 2 % 1 2 % 1 2 % 42

Total 55 60 % 33 35 % 3 3 % 1 1 % 1 1 % 93

Grade 4 14 61 % 5 22 % 2 9 % 1 4 % 1 4 % 23

Grade 5 28 62 % 16 36 % 1 2 % 0 0 % 0 0 % 45

Grade 6 13 52 % 12 48 % 0 0 % 0 0 % 0 0 % 25

Monolingual, bilingual and multilingual thinking when

doing activities (n = 97/96)

Bilingual,Finnish + Swedish

45 %

Mono-lingual,Finnish27 %

Mono-lingual, Swedish

27 %

Mono-lingual, English

1 %

In what language(s) do you thinkwhen doing activities in Swedish?

Bilingual,Finnish + English

39 %

Bilingual, Swedish+ English

1 %

Mono-lingual, Finnish34 %

Mono-lingual, English

26 %

In what language(s) do youthink when doing activities in English?

Monolingual, bilingual and multilingual thinking when

doing activities (n = 62)

Bilingual, Finnish + German

30 %

Bilingual, Swedish + German

3 %

Bilingual, Finnish + Swedish

2 %

Multi-lingual,

Finnish + Swedish + German

2 %

Mono-lingual, Finnish

54 %

Mono-lingual, German

5 %

Mono-lingual, Swedish

2 %

Mono-lingual, English

2 %

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 friendsin hobbies (8)

Internet, TV(1) TV (1)

In town with relatives on vacation/in Sweden on vacation/ abroadon vacation (7) abroad with Mum (3)

Sweden (8)No need no need (1) no need (7)

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”

Languages spoken in foreign languge lessons

(case study, student views)Finnish Foreign language

More Finnish Don’t know which of them more, equally much both

Equally much, maybe a bit more German

Try to speak more Germanspeak Finnish if don’t know in German

Finnish when translating, otherwise French

Finnish when asking the teacher

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

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.

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)

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)

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)

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Journal of Immersion and Content-Based Language Education

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.