EDUCATION IN FINLAND. PRACTISE YOUR LISTENING SKILLS.

SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT. Listening is one of the abilities that teachers are required to prove in the state exams. Let us open up this “CHALLENGE SERIES” with this interesting insight about education in Finland.

CHALLENGE 1: “Practise your listening”. Listen to this video about the Finnish educational model and give a short answer to these questions.

1.- Resume the main ideas for the success of the educational system in Finland.

2.- Explain the role of FLT in this system.

3.- Which methodological aspect may seem controversial?  Why?

4.- What does the speaker note about the teacher´s  qualifications?

5.- Which are in your opinion the main differences with the Spanish educational system?

KEY WORDS TO DESIGN A MEDIUM DEVELOPMENT ANSWER:

1.- Relaxed learning environment, close relation teacher-student, obvious finantial support (3 teachers per class) and its implications in aspects like attention to diversity.

2.-  It is seen as key. When they finish school  children are competent in three foreign languages, and four in some cases.

3.- Homogeneous grouping according to abilities. Apparently it is not in line with accepted principles like heterogeneous groupwork to attend the natural diversity; however, the possibility to count on three teachers should for certain cover all the possible needs of special educational support.

4.- A high qualification is required.

5.- Economic support wich allows three teachers per classroom; extended methodological strategies that focus on non-stressing learning environments (non-competitive); according to the speaker, decisions are taken on the groung of educative and not politic principles.