Who benefits from adult literacy training?

- Initial assessment and literacy learners

Nordisk alfabetiseringskonferens

2014

Lähtöruutu-project

Sanna Markkanen

Procedure for 20 minutes

• Short presentation

• Set of the

assessment tasks on

the table

• Group work

• Reflection &

experiences

• Handout

Features of the Finnish Phonological System

• Large scale vowel system - 32 different variants of vowels and

vowel combinations • -> large number of vowels (8) and vowel combinations (16)

• Distinction between long and short sounds (tuli/tuuli, kipeä/kiipeää)

• Lots of vowels in words

• Distinction between long and short sounds in consonants

(kuka/kukka, mato, matto)

• Long and compound words (työvoimatoimisto,

pakastevihannespussi, menneisyydessä, juostakseen)

• Main stress placement on the first syllable of each word

• Flat or descending intonation

• -> word and sentence boundaries are difficult to distinguish

• Meaning of words in not necessarily always apparent due to

inner changes of words in their declination forms (käsi-käteen,

kuka-kukka)

• Grammatical information at the end of words, for example in

declinations (talossa, talosta taloon)

Learning to read and write in Finnish

• Complete sound to letter correspondence = shallow orthography

(13 consonants and 8 vowels)

• If the phonological system of students’ native languages varies

greatly to Finnish, often students will have difficulties in learning

sound to letter correspondence (eg. Arabic, Chinese, Farsi,

Dari, Kurdish etc.)

• -> mäki-Mäkki-mikä-Mika-Miika-mekka-mekko-mökki-maku

• Difficulties arise when students can’t hear the subtle differences

between sounds and are not able to produce them.

• Due to these features, exact reading is especially important

when learning to speak, read and write the Finnish language.

Literacy Courses in the Capital Region of

Finland

163

9 100

13

13 7

20

Placement

statistics

The assessment procedure

• An interview with an interpetation – about 30 min

• Reading task – about 30 min

• Dictation – short words, usually known to the applicant

• Assessment tasks in the classroom with pen and paper – about

30 min

• The example package is on the table

• The procedure & assessment principles are described in the

handout

Group work

• What kind of initial assessment you have in your context? • Is it prior to the course or included in the course?

• What criteria are used for placing students in literacy courses? What kinds of literacy

courses are available?

• How literacy students find your classes?

• How heterogeneous are literacy classes in your school?

• Who benefits from literacy training? • How much literacy training is needed/enough

• to be able to study with literate learners

• to be able to survive in the Nordic society?