Finnish as a second-language subject curriculum (FIN1-03)

The Finnish as a second-language subject curriculum shall protect the right of Finnish-speaking Norwegian pupils (Kvens) to tuition in Finnish, cf. section 2-7 of the Education Act. These rights only apply in primary and lower secondary school. The subject curriculum lays down competence aims for upper secondary education. If the county authorities wish to do so, tuition programmes may be offered pursuant to this subject curriculum.

Gjelder fra: 2020-01-10T00:00:00 +1

Gjelder til: 2022-07-31T00:00:00 +2

Purpose

Historically, northern Norway has been multilingual based on the coexistence of various groups: Finnish-speaking Norwegians (Kvens, speaking the Kven language), Finns, Sami and Norwegians. The Finnish-speaking Norwegians, who are a national minority, and the Sami people, who have the status of indigenous people, occupy a special position in Norwegian society and Norwegian culture. The Kven language has been granted the status as a language in its own right and is no longer considered a Finnish dialect. Efforts to develop the Kven language and normalize the written language are in process. The Finnish language has a long tradition in northern Norway, and tuition in this language has been given for years.

Language is an important means of communication in interaction across national borders. Increased cooperation between the countries in the Barents region and in the rest of the Nordic countries renders competence in Finnish or the Kven language useful in business and industry, cultural activities, tourism, research and political cooperation.

Learning a language means acquiring a vocabulary and skills in using the language – reading, listening, speaking and writing – in any number of contexts. Moreover, the teaching in the subject shall give a deeper understanding of one's own identity and culture in a multicultural region. Familiarity with the culture and customs in neighbouring countries also gives increased insight into one's own minority culture and greater understanding of Norwegian and Sami culture in general. Language skills enable pupils to communicate in the local community and in countries where Finnish is spoken in connection with studies, working life and travelling.

Learning a new language builds on experiences from previous language learning in and out of school. When we are aware of the strategies that help us understand and be understood, the acquisition of knowledge and skills becomes simpler and more meaningful. As Finnish and the Kven language belong to another language family than Norwegian, thus being very different from Norwegian, the language teaching provides greater insight into how to learn a new language. The subject thus becomes an important element in the pupils' personal development and a significant contribution to interdisciplinary orientation in languages, creating an important basis for lifelong learning.

Communicative skills and cultural insight can promote greater interaction, understanding and respect between persons with different cultural backgrounds. Thus language and cultural competence promote the general education perspective and strengthen democratic involvement and co-citizenship.

Main subject areas

The subject has been structured into main subject areas with competence aims. These main subject areas supplement each other and must be considered together.

This subject is a common core subject for all the upper secondary education programmes. Learning in this subject shall therefore be made as relevant as possible for pupils by adapting each subject to its education programme as much as possible.

Finnish as a second language has competence aims after the second, fourth, seventh and tenth years in primary and lower secondary school and after Vg1, Vg2 and Vg3 (the first, second and third years) in the programme for general studies, and in vocational programmes after Vg1 and after the supplementary year qualifying for general education.

Overview of main subject areas:

Year

Main subject areas

Years 1 – 10

Vg1 - Vg3

Language learning

Communication

Culture, community and literature

Language learning

The main subject area language learning comprises knowledge about the Kven and Finnish languages and insight into own language use. Being able to assess one's own language usage, define one's own needs and select strategies and work methods are requirements for achieving this. The main subject area focuses on what it means to learn a new language and on seeing the relations between Finnish and the Kven languages, the first language and any other languages.

Communication

The main subject area communication focuses on using the Kven or Finnish languages to communicate. This is done through listening, reading, writing, prepared spoken production and spontaneous spoken interaction and also through the use of appropriate communication strategies. It also includes participation in various social arenas, where a key idea is mastering an increasing number of genres and forms of expression. Good communication requires knowledge and skills in using vocabulary and idiomatic expressions, pronunciation, intonation, spelling, grammar and syntax of sentences and texts.

New media and the development of a linguistic repertoire across subjects and topics are also key elements of the main subject area. General politeness and awareness of social norms in different situations are also an important element.

Culture, community and literature

The main subject area culture, community and literature focuses on cultural understanding in a wide sense. It covers key topics in connection with societal life, literature and other cultural expressions among the Kven minority in Norway and in the Finnish-speaking world. The main subject area also focuses on acquiring knowledge about the Kven language as a minority language in Norway.

Working with different types of text and cultural forms of expression is vital for the development of linguistic skills and understanding of the way others live, their cultures and views on life. Reading literature may also provide enjoyment and experiences and form the basis for personal growth, maturity and creativity.

Teaching hours

PRIMARY SCHOOL LEVEL

Years 1 to 7: 564 teaching hours

LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL LEVEL

Years 8 to 10: 172 teaching hours

PROGRAMME FOR GENERAL STUDIES

Vg1: 103 teaching hours

Vg2: 103 teaching hours

Vg3: 103 teaching hours

VOCATIONAL PROGRAMMES

Vg1: 84 teaching hours

SUPPLEMENTARY STUDIES QUALIFYING FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

Vg2 + Vg3: 225 teaching hours

Basic skills

Basic skills are integrated in the competence aims where they contribute to the development of competence in the subject, while also being part of this competence. In Finnish as a second language the basic skills are understood as follows:

Being able to express oneself orally and in writing in Finnish as a second language means understanding and using the language in increasingly more varied and demanding contexts across cultures and subject fields.

Being able to read Finnish as a second language is part of the practical language competence and means being able to read and understand, to explore and reflect upon increasingly more demanding texts and thus gain insight across cultures and disciplines. Developing reading skills in Finnish as a second language also improves general reading skills.

Having skills in mathematics in Finnish as a second language means being able to supplement mathematical competence in one's native language with the necessary expressions in Finnish and the Kven language. Exploiting information from graphs, tables and statistics is important for understanding texts in Finnish and the Kven language.

Being able to use digital tools in Finnish as a second language expands the learning arena and adds valuable dimensions through the opportunity to encounter authentic use of the language and use the language in authentic communication situations. Important features of Finnish as a second language in digital contexts include being critical of sources and aware of copyright issues and protection of personal privacy.