“We should understand something before we can use the new language.”:adult learners’ perspectives on multilingualism in Finnish as a second language teaching

• Main Author: Heikinheimo, S. (Silja)
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Oulu 2018
• Subjects: English Philology; Northern Finland
• Online Access: http://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:oulu-201801111061

This study explores adult learners’ perspectives on multilingualism in Finnish as a second language teaching. Multilingualism emphasises the contextual variety of language resources that is available to a language user. In the context of language learning, multilingual resources can benefit the process of learning a new language. However, the language learner needs to be aware of the benefits of multilingualism and the ways in which multilingual resources can be utilised. In this study, adult immigrant learners of Finnish were asked about their linguistic backgrounds and about their experiences of the use of different languages in Finnish as a second language teaching and learning. In addition, the use of different languages in everyday life, outside the Finnish course, was explored. The data were collected during spring 2017 by a questionnaire designed for this study. The data were analysed qualitatively, employing methods of qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis. In addition, parts of the data were analysed quantitatively, to provide, for example, frequency and distribution counts. The respondents (N = 35) were from six different courses, from three third-sector language course providers in a city in Northern Finland. The level of the courses varied from a beginner’s course to an upper-intermediate/advanced-level course. Most of the respondents were beginner-level students who had studied Finnish for a maximum of one year. Most of the respondents estimated their skills in English as fluent or almost fluent. According to the respondents, the main languages used in the Finnish courses were Finnish and English. They were used by both students and the teacher. The use of Finnish was characterised by interaction focused on course-related matters, and the respondents expressed a preference for using Finnish. English was described as an additional resource in communication and learning. Most of the respondents expressed a clear preference for the use of English as an additional language in Finnish ...