Finnish Language and Social Participation

Multilingualism is in todays Finland the rule rather than the exception but Finnish language is still in key position when it comes to participating Finnish society, culture and working life. The significance of Finnish language is great in enabling the interaction of individuals and communities.

Research that concentrates on the learning and mastering of Finnish from the viewpoint of first and second language users provides new insights on mastery and its meanings, for example, in education, working communities and in other official or non-official communities.

In addition, the research group of Finnish Language and Social Participation examines how Finnish communities are prepared for the increasing linguistic variation. What connects the research done in this group is the connection between the Finnish language and social participation the ways in which the language enables or restricts individuals actions and the possibilities of influence and being heard.

The collaboration between the research areas of Finnish as a first and as a second language gives us the unique possibility to examine side by side how different circumstances are reflected in language.

Our research subjects include:

• Language competence and its development in various groups of people and in different contexts
• Native language
• Writing literacy in the context of scientific writing
• Writing literacy in historical context
• Writing literacy as a civic skill
• Language learning in and outside the school system
• Finnish as a second language for children and adolescents
• Finnish as a second language for adult immigrants
• Finnish as a second language for academic professions (e.g. interpreters, doctors)
• Mastery of vocabulary
• The study of the definitions of language proficiency requirements
• The The study of language proficiency evaluation and testing
• Professional/specialist communication and its pedagogics
• Language education politics

Liisa Mustanoja

University Lecturer, PhD

liisa.mustanoja [at] tuni.fi

+358 50 318 0769

 

Virve Valtonen

University Lecturer, UEF

virve.valtonen [at] uef.fi

+358 50 512 4471