Smart Work 2027: Finnish language support for developing language skills

In autumn 2026, several Finnish as a second language (S2) pupils who had only been in Finland for a year or two were due to start seventh grade at our school. We knew they would need a lot of support just to manage in lower secondary school, especially in the content subjects. We considered how to best organise their support and Finnish language learning.

When the class divisions for the following autumn were made in spring, recently arrived pupils were placed in the class where the other pupils study A2 French. This made it possible to arrange the timetable so that French lessons would not necessarily have to be scheduled at the edges of the day, since a Finnish language support lesson is held at the same time as French for those who do not take optional French. Similarly, for those seventh-graders who are exempt from studying Swedish, Finnish language support has been arranged during Swedish lessons.

This development initiative has brought additional support for learning Finnish, making schoolwork increasingly meaningful as pupils better understand what is being said and happening in lessons. In addition, a situation has been achieved where seventh-grade S2 pupils have meaningful activities during the lessons they are freed from.

The work will continue in the same way during the spring term, and hopefully in the coming years as well.

Developers

Lyseo Comprehensive School:
Hanna Sulander, Deputy Head Teacher
Eeva Sipilä, Deputy Head Teacher
Minna Inovaara, S2 Teacher