Information on Finland – Nordic languages as second languages

The process of defining a child as a learner of Finnish as a second language is not uniform across regions, and there are no formal assessment procedures for children learning Finnish as a L2 in early childhood education. However, the law obliges to draw up a child’s individual ECEC plan (early childhood education and care plan) together with parents. When updating the plan, the child’s linguistic background and environments, language choices and multilingual identities, as well as language skills (both in Finnish and mother tongues) and their development are regularly discussed. Before primary education, educators have a meeting or share information by some other means with the school about the child’s progress, strengths, and special needs.

Second language teaching in early childhood education and pre-primary school is not a legal requirement, and the state is not funding it, so there is variation in the way it is organized and implemented. Regional consultant resources and rotating early childhood special education teachers’ expertise are used to support children’s L2 development. 

According to the law, every child should have equal access to participate in ECEC. Language awareness is one of the key features in the national ECEC curricula. The teachers should understand the central role of language in children’s development and learning, in interaction and cooperation, and in the construction of identities and social inclusion. According to the policy documents, children are encouraged to use language in variable ways and are given time and opportunities for different interactional encounters.

There is no specific curriculum for Finnish (or Swedish) as an L2 for early childhood education. However, language awareness is one of the key features of the national curriculum for ECEC. It is emphasized that Finnish language skills are developed in a goal-oriented manner according to the needs and abilities of the children, for example through a variety of interactional encounters and learning environments. The objectives of learning include language awareness, linguistic memory and vocabulary, language use skills, language comprehension skills, speech production skills and interaction skills. Children are supported to develop the skills to make observations and express their own thoughts, feelings and opinions.

There are no special requirements for teaching L2 in early childhood education, but to qualify as a teacher in early childhood education and care and pre-primary education one needs to complete a bachelor’s degree in education and a minimum of 60 credits of studies of professional competencies in early childhood education and care. The Finnish language proficiency requirements for early childhood education teachers are not specified; the employers decide whether the language skills are sufficient at the time of recruitment. For the pre-primary education teachers, the language skills requirements are defined in the Basic Education Act: The teachers should have excellent oral and written skills in the language of instruction (Finlex 986/1998).

To meet the requirements of the national curriculum, the teachers need to have a broad understanding of languages, cultures, multilingualism, and language development. These issues are covered in the studies of professional competencies in early childhood education and care. Courses vary from one university to another. For example, in the University of Jyväskylä there is one course focusing specifically on the language education and development issues, and students can also choose to study in a specific LAMP-program (LAMP – Language Aware Multilingual Pedagogy), in which courses on language and cultural issues have been integrated into their educational studies. Furthermore, a wide range of in-service training is provided for the teachers in the field.

The new arrivals are offered preparatory education for basic education (EDUFI, 2015). The duration is usually one academic year (900 or 1000 hours depending on the grade level). The main aim of preparatory education is to provide the students with developing skills in the language of schooling.

After the preparatory education, students whose mother tongue is not Finnish, Swedish, or Sami, or who otherwise have a multilingual background, are entitled to participate Finnish as L2 and literature syllabus throughout the primary and secondary education or until they are assessed to be sufficient for the syllabus of Finnish language (L1) and literature.  L2 teaching supports the development of language in different areas of language skills, and the disciplinary literacy.

Furthermore, language aware pedagogy is a key feature in the Finnish core curricula in all the degrees of education (EDUFI, 2014, 2020). Thus, language is recognized as a main mediating tool both in learning and in building social networks. This means that all teachers are responsible for supporting their L2 students. In all the subject-areas, both the developing Finnish language skills and students’ multilingual resources should be considered.  From 8/2025 on, they are also responsible for providing tailored language support in their school subject for the students who need it.

In some municipalities and schools, structured linguistic support in connection with subject areas is offered to the students in lower secondary education (Harju-Autti & Sinkkonen, 2020). The Basic Education Act (628/1999 section 10) also allows subjects to be taught in the students’ own mother language, and this kind of support is offered in some schools.

The aim of mother tongue instruction is to support maintaining and developing students’ first language and multilingual skills. Mother tongue instruction is supplementary teaching to basic education. Thus, the education providers (the municipalities) are not obliged to offer it, and for the students, the lessons are voluntary. The supplementary teaching is mainly funded by the government, but the school must apply for the state grant (86% of the costs), and the group size of the students is four pupils minimum (two in Sami and Roma languages). The two lessons per week are taught outside the class schedule (Finlex 2009/1777).

There is no national test or uniform ways of assessing the language skills and choosing the Finnish as a second language syllabus. The teachers collaborate in defining if the student would benefit from choosing the L2 syllabus and inform the guardians about their views, but the decision is made by the guardians. The progress of a student is evaluated according to the criteria of L2 syllabus, regardless of the ways of organizing the teaching. A student may be transferred to study according to the L1 syllabus when he or she has sufficient skills to study in accordance with its learning objectives and criteria (EDUFI 2015).

The core curriculum of preparatory education for basic education (EDUFI 2015) and the core curriculum for basic education (EDUFI 2014), as applicable, set the guidelines for preparatory education. Further, each education organizer (a municipality) creates a local curriculum. The main aims are to promote the students Finnish or Swedish language skills, support their growth and development and integration into Finnish society, and to provide them with the necessary skills for basic education. As the students’ skills and backgrounds vary, teaching is differentiated according to their developmental stages and needs. At the beginning of preparatory education, an individual study plan is created for each student.

During the basic education, the special task of the L2 syllabus (EDUFI, 2015) is to support the students’ growth to become a fully legitimate member of society, with the linguistic skills for further studies after comprehensive education, and capability for lifelong language learning. The students are also supported in building their multilingual and multicultural skills and identity. L2 Finnish is not supportive or special teaching of Finnish as L1, but has its own objectives, content and assessment criteria. Multiliteracy is the key learning area. The objectives of L2 teaching are divided into five different areas in the basic education core curriculum (2014): 1) interpreting and 2) producing texts, 3) skills for interacting in situations, 4) understanding language, literature and culture, and 5) to learn to use language in all learning. (Text, in this context, refers to both written, oral, visual and other modalities, and different text types and genres.) The core curriculum also includes detailed assessment criteria for these objectives, also for the final, summative assessment (EDUFI 2020).

Also in upper secondary education, students can study Finnish according to the L2 and literature syllabus of the curriculum. The aim of the teaching is to provide the students with general linguistic and cultural knowledge and multiliteracy skills that create adequate conditions for further studies, working life and active citizenship. Further, students are supported in building their identity and appreciating their own language and culture. The Finnish language and literature test in the matriculation examination may be based on the Finnish as a L2 syllabus if the candidate’s mother tongue is not Finnish, Swedish, or Sami, or if the candidate uses sign language as their native or first language. The Finnish as a second language exam is equivalent to the Finnish language and literature exam. Either one of these is always compulsory. Passing the matriculation exam gives general entrance qualification for universities. However, there may be exceptions for specific higher education institutions, particularly universities: not all the institutions consider the exams as equivalent. In addition, some fields, such as teacher training, have specific language proficiency requirements.

In vocational education, which is the other form of upper secondary education in Finland, the common units include courses on communication and interaction skills. These can be studied according to the Finnish as a mother tongue or Finnish as a second language syllabus. The organization of the studies varies: in some educational institutions, Finnish as a second language is taught in separate groups, whereas in the others, it is integrated into the mainstream teaching.

There are national guidelines for the aims and contents of preparatory education for basic education, but the local decision-makers, i.e., the municipalities are responsible for organizing it. Preparatory education is organized in separate groups or inclusively, depending on the pedagogical choices and resources of the municipalities. For instance, in the capital area, inclusive preparatory education is offered for preschoolers, 1st, and 2nd graders, whereas the older students are studying in separate groups.

Similarly, the guidelines for the L2 syllabus in primary and secondary education are on a national level, but the municipalities are responsible for organizing it (Finlex 628/1998). Teaching L2 syllabus may be organized in the L1 class or in a separate group, or as a combination of these two in basic education, in upper secondary, and in vocational education.

The organisers of upper secondary education are either municipalities or joint municipal authorities for education, which operate regionally.

There are no specific qualification criteria for teaching Finnish as L2 in preparatory, primary or secondary education, but formally, all Finnish as a mother tongue and literature teachers are qualified as Finnish as a second language and literacy teachers too.

To teach Finnish as a second language in grades 1-9, the qualification requirements are a master’s degree, 60 ECTS in Finnish language, 60 ECTS in literature, 60 ECTS pedagogical studies, and 5-12 ECTS of communication studies. In the upper secondary (and in principle, in vocational education), the qualification requirements include also 120 ECTS either in Finnish language or literature studies.

The degree of a classroom teacher can be combined with the qualification of a subject teacher by studying the subject studies (60 credits) in both Finnish language and literature. Nevertheless, a classroom teacher is eligible to teach Finnish as a second language syllabus for their own and colleagues’ class without the specific qualification of a subject teacher.

Specialized studies for Finnish as a second language are available in the some of the open universities (basic and intermediate studies, 60-65 ECTS). Finnish language and literature teachers have specific courses on Finnish as L2, and they can complete part of their teaching practice in Finnish as a second language classes.

Furthermore, language awareness is considered in the teacher’s education in Finnish universities. For instance, in the classroom teachers’ degree program in the University of Jyväskylä, language awareness is considered from the first academic year to the last practical training course (Moate, Sopanen, & Aalto 2021), and the pedagogical studies of all subject teachers include a study unit on how to teach in linguistically and culturally diverse groups.

Additional expertise in L2 development is commonly gained through participating in large contiunous learning studies or modules (30-60 ECTS) in open university or thematic in-service trainings provided by the National Agency for Education, for example.

According to the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (Finlex 681/2023), adult migrants with a residence permit are provided with courses of Finnish and Swedish. If needed, they are also taught basic literacy skill and provided with courses that support their employment and participation in Finnish society. For the adults who have moved to Finland for work or study, language training may be organized by their employers or as part of the study programs, but employers have no obligation to organise it.

As a rule, integration training is aimed at adult migrants who are unemployed jobseekers. The aim of integration training is to promote the development of the student’s Finnish or Swedish language skills, and other skills needed in society and working life, and to support their employment or transition to further education. Finnish or Swedish as a second language is taught according to the national core curriculum. From 2025 on, new integration training courses are organized by the municipalities, but also self-motivated studies are accepted.

Basic education for adults is aimed at 1) young people who have arrived in Finland at the ending phase of the compulsory education and do not have enough time to complete it, or whose skills are still weak after completing it; 2) 17-25 year aged migrants who cannot participate in compulsory education because of their age, but who need a certificate from basic education and who need to improve their study skills to continue their studies, and 3) those adults with a migrant background who need to improve their literacy and mathematic skills, or who need a certificate from basic education to move on to further studies.

The basic education for adults is arranged in accordance with the national core curriculum. Further, there is a separate national core curriculum for illiterate adult migrants.  One can complete the whole basic education syllabus or some subjects or part of them or raise the grades of a basic education certificate. An individual study plan is created for each student.

Preparatory education for an upper secondary qualification is aimed at youth and adults who need to improve their basic skills, such as language, digital, and learning skills, to move on to upper secondary or vocational education (Finlex 1215/2020). Every student will have a personal study plan and get guidance to specify plans for further studies. The maximum completion time is one year. The students can also participate in the training for a shorter period of time according to their own needs and goals, study upper secondary and vocational qualification units, and flexibly transit to the upper secondary or vocational education.

There are no official qualification requirements for teachers of integration training but a national recommendation. Each education provider decides on its own qualification requirements. However, Finnish as L2 teachers are often required to have a master’s degree, 60 ECTS in Finnish language or Finnish as a second and foreign language studies, and 60 ECTS pedagogical studies. Work experience can compensate for gaps in formal qualifications.

There are no legal, unified qualification requirements for adult basic education either. The Ministry of Education and Culture and the Finnish National Agency for Education have outlined in their guidelines, that in principle, the teachers should have a qualification to teach in basic education, which in practice means a qualification of a class teacher or a subject teacher.

Harju-Autti, R., & Sinkkonen, H.-M. (2020). Supporting Finnish language learners in basic education: Teachers’ views. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 22(1), 53-75. 

Mustonen, S. (2021). ‘I’ll always have black hair’ : challenging raciolinguistic ideologies in Finnish schools. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 7(3), 159-168.

Makrooni, G. 2022. First-Generation Migrant Family Students in Higher Education on Their Educational Journey in Finland. Tampere University.

Mustonen, S., & Strömmer, M. (2024). Becoming a multilingual health professional in vocational education: two adult migrants’ translanguaging trajectories. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 45(9), 3678-3693.

Ruuska, K. (2023). Kuinka nopea on kotoutumiskoulutuksen nopea polku? Kieli, koulutus ja yhteiskunta, 14(2). 

Kielpeda-työväline – pdf (utu.fi) – Example of an assessment tool (developing language aware pedagogy in ECEC)

KieliVertailu (sites.utu.fi) – Example of a pedagogical tool which recognizes the multilingual resources of the children and supports Finnish language learning, especially the phonetical awareness

KiMo in English: LAMP – Language Aware Multilingual Pedagogy (peda.net), University of Jyväskylä

Aalto, E., Mustonen, S., Järvenoja, M. & Saario, J. (2019). Monikielisen oppijan matkassa. Verkkosivusto opettajankoulutukseen.  [On a journey with a multilingual student. Material for teacher education.] University of Jyväskylä, Department of Teacher Education.

Moate, J., Sopanen, P. & Aalto, E. (2021). Kielitietoinen polku opettajankoulutuksessa. Verkkosivusto opettajankoulutukseen. Jyväskylän yliopiston opettajankoulutuslaitos. [Language aware pathway in teacher education] University of Jyväskylä, Department of Teacher Education.

Supporting immigrants in higher education in Finland:

Korkeakoulujen SIMHE-palvelut | Opetushallitus (oph.fi)

Utbildning för invandare – OKM – Undervisnings- och kulturministeriet (okm.fi)

JYU.INTEGRA | University of Jyväskylä – Example of a program for immigrants who have completed or are qualified for higher education and aim to continue their studies in Finnish university.

See more about the support for migrants in higher education on the webpage of the Finnish National Agency of Education: Korkeakoulut tukemassa maahanmuuttajia | Opetushallitus (oph.fi)

National core curriculum for ECEC in a nutshell | Finnish National Agency for Education (oph.fi)

See more information about the ECEC on the webpage of the Finnish National Agency of Education:
Maahanmuuttotaustaiset oppijat varhaiskasvatuksessa | Opetushallitus (oph.fi)

Utbildning för invandare – OKM – Undervisnings- och kulturministeriet (okm.fi)

Vad är utbildning som handleder för examensutbildning (Hux)? | Utbildningsstyrelsen (oph.fi)

EDUFI 2014 – National core curriculum for primary and lower secondary (basic) education | Finnish National Agency for Education (oph.fi)

EDUFI 2015 . National core curriculum for preparatory education – Finnish National Agency for Education, pdf (oph.fi)

See more information about the upper secondary education on the webpage of the Finnish National Agency of Education: Maahanmuuttotaustaiset oppijat lukiokoulutuksessa | Opetushallitus (oph.fi)

See more information about the integration training on the webpage of the Finnish National Agency of Education: Kotoutumiskoulutus | Opetushallitus (oph.fi)

Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (1386/2010) – Unofficial English translation – pdf (finlex.fi)

The national core curriculum for the integration training of adult migrants (the National Board of Education): Kotoutumiskoulutuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteet 2022 | Opetushallitus (oph.fi)

National core curriculum for integration training 2022 | Finnish National Agency for Education (oph.fi)

See more information about the basic education for adults on the webpage of the Finnish National Agency of Education: Aikuisten perusopetus | Opetushallitus (oph.fi)

The national core curriculum for the Basic Education for Adults: Aikuisten perusopetuksen opetussuunnitelman perusteet 2017pdf (oph.fi)

See more information about the Preparatory education for an upper secondary qualification (TUVA) Vad är utbildning som handleder för examensutbildning (Hux)? | Utbildningsstyrelsen (oph.fi)