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From Brawn to Brain: Strong Signals in Foreign Language Education
Abstract and Figures
This collection of articles is based on the presentations given during the ViKiPeda-2007 (Foreign Language Education) Conference in Helsinki on May 21–22, 2007. ViKiPeda-2007 continued a series of conferences focusing on foreign language education, teaching and research. The first ViKiPeda Conference was held at the University of Jyväskylä in 1999, very much thanks to the initiative of Professor Viljo Kohonen, University of Tampere, and Professor Pauli Kaikkonen, University of Jyväskylä. The second ViKiPeda Conference was held at the University of Tampere in 2001, the third at the University of Oulu in 2003, and the fourth at the University of Turku in 2005. In 2009, the ViKiPeda Confer- ence will be organised by the University of Joensuu.
ViKiPeda-2007 represents an important step in this series of conferences. As its predecessors, ViKiPeda-2007 made it possible for some 60 experts on foreign language education, teaching and research to come together, to exchange ideas of mutual interest, and to network with colleagues from different universities.
It was a great pleasure to have two international Keynote Speakers at our conference: Dr Daniel S. Janik from Hawai’i, USA, and Dr Elena Borzova from Russia.
I would like to thank the Finnish Ministry of Education for the grant that made it possible to organise ViKiPeda-2007, to invite two international guests, and to publish these conference proceedings. I would also like to thank the following sponsors, whose contributions to ViKiPeda-2007 were highly appreciated: CICERO Learning for covering an important part of the international travel costs, and Finn Lectura, Otava, Suomen Tietokirjailijat, Tammi and WSOY for special treats between the lectures. Their book exhibitions were also an important part of the Conference.
I am very grateful to the Members of the Local Organising Committee, whose work was invaluable when solving different kinds of technical, logistical and scientific problems: Dr Pirjo Harjanne, Dr Raili Hildén, Dr Esa Penttinen and Dr Leena Vaurio. Professor Annikki Koskensalo from the University of Turku, the main organiser of the previous ViKiPeda, gave us important advice based on their own experiences two years earlier, thank you very much indeed, Annikki!
My special thanks go to the authors of the articles published in this book. This way an exchange of knowledge and expertise can be shared and fully disseminated. But we must not forget the vivid discussions during the ViKiPeda-2007, all informal exchanges of ideas and enthusiasm that was so concretely tangible thanks to all participants.
When finalising these proceedings, I had once again a good chance to lean on Mr Kari Perenius’s expert knowledge of layout. Thank you Kari!
Professori Juhani Hytönen, Director of the Department of Applied Sciences of Education, has kindly given us permission to publish the ViKiPeda-2007 Conference Proceedings in the Research Reports series of the Department of Applied Sciences, University of Helsinki.
Helsinki, March 1, 2008
Seppo Tella
Chair of the Organising Committee
Director, Research Centre for Foreign Language Education (ReFLEct) Vice Dean, Professor, University of Helsinki
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This article focuses on describing the issues considered to form the basis for the current quality of foreign language teaching in basic education in Finland. This basis has its cornerstones in research-based teacher education and active networking between the different stakeholders in the field. We introduce the main aims and core contents of language teaching as well as the latest trends of pedagogical approaches, methods and role of assessment. We present descriptions of projects and networks set up to support the application of both the latest results of research on language education and the implementation of the national core curriculum at the local school level.
Kielididaktiikan käsite syntyi 1974, jolloin opettajankoulutus siirtyi yliopistojen kasvatustieteellis-ten tiedekuntien opettajankoulutuslaitoksiin ja eri yliopistoihin perustettiin kielididaktiikan virkoja. A-L. Leino (1979) määritteli kielididaktiikan "kasvatustieteen osa-alueeksi, jonka tehtävänä on menettelytapaohjeiden antaminen kielten opetussuunnitelmien laatimista ja toteuttamista varten" (1979, 16). Tarkastelemme sitä, miten kielididaktiikan käsite on kehittynyt ja mitä se erityisesti tarkoittaa vuonna 2004. Pääväitteemme on, että (1) kielididaktiikan käsite on laajentunut kattamaan erityisesti opetus–opiskelu–oppimis-prosessin kokonaisuudessaan, syvästi ymmärtävässä eurooppa-laisessa merkityksessä. Samalla opetussuunnitelmat ymmärretään paitsi opetuksen suunnittelun ja toteuttamisen ohjeena myös tietostrategisena ja tulevaisuuteen suuntautuvana ajatteluna. Toteamme, että (2) kielididaktiikka tutkii vieraan ja toisen kielten opetusta monitieteisesti ja kult tuurienvälisen viestinnän huomioon ottaen. Se sisältää vertailevaa, soveltavaa ja kehittämistut-kimusta erilaisten kielenoppimis- ja -omaksumisteorioiden sekä opiskelu-ja oppimisstrategioiden näkökulmasta. Väitämme edelleen, että (3) kielididaktiikassa on otettava huomioon muutokset, jotka ovat tapahtuneet käsityksessä vieraasta kielestä. Vieras kieli ei ole enää vain välineaine; se on taito-, tieto- ja kulttuuriaine. Samoin on muuttunut käsitys kielitaidosta ja kiel-tenopetuksesta ja -opiskelusta. Vieraiden kielten didaktiikka toimii tiedetaustana kieltenopetukselle, joka parhaimmillaan johtaa monipuoliseen ja ihmisen elämää monin tavoin valtauttavaan kielitaitoon. Lopuksi (4) kytkemme kielididaktiikan ja kieltenopetuksen osaksi laajaa yhteiskunnallista kehitystä. Asiasanat: didaktiikka, kielididaktiikka, opetus–opiskelu–oppimis-prosessi, vieras kieli, kielitaito, kieltenopetus.
Tässä artikkelissa kuvaamme moraalintutkimuksen kehitystä tutkimuksen pohjalta 1900-luvun kahtena viimeisenä vuosikymmenenä sekä valotamme oikeudenmukaisuus- ja huolenpitoajattelun suhdetta.
The strong interest in intercultural competence—and related concepts such as transcultural competence—reflects the response to economic and other global changes which have, in many countries, increased mobility motivated by trade and, increasingly, by study abroad. Intercultural competence facilitates success in these endeavors, and is best defined according to what individuals need in specific contexts. Models, which describe aspects of the competences needed to be successful in new environments, derive from various disciplines and have varied purposes. Models are often not only descriptive but also prescriptive, with implicit recommendations as to desirable competences and behavior. Pedagogical models, derived from language teaching, pay more attention to linguistic competence than others and also include general educational aims—the development of the person—as well as the instrumental purposes more prominent in models used to prepare people to engage in commerce with other countries. The assessment of competences in the commercial context is usually based on psychological models. Assessment of intercultural competence acquired during language learning and general education is much less developed, but models and descriptors—“can‐do” statements—are becoming available, and may be used in self‐assessment in particular.