In autumn 2021, Liminka upper secondary school initiated a bilingual (Finnish-English) stream, the only one of its kind in Northern Finland. On the bilingual stream, approximately 25% of the studies are conducted in English during the 1st and 2nd years. Study units of the senior year prepare students for the Matriculation Examination, so these studies are primarily in Finnish.
In the English-language study units, teaching takes place entirely in English, but the textbooks are in Finnish in order to familiarise students with the terminology of each subject in both languages. Assignments subject to evaluation are done in both languages situationally at the teacher’s discretion. Subjects studied in English include, for example, some of the compulsory study units of mathematics (MAY1 common to all), religious education, visual arts, geography, and history.
In English-language studies, the group size is smaller than usual, which gives the teacher more time to guide students in their studies. The teacher helps the students also in Finnish if needed. Students on the English stream also study English in their own group, whose tuition is differentiated upward. Consequently, even the English study units provide skilled students with adequate challenges and opportunities to learn new things. Toward the end of the upper secondary school, a student can even opt to carry out university-level English studies.
On the bilingual stream, studies are conducted in accordance with the National Core Curriculum for General Upper Secondary Education, so the students study the same contents as the students on the general stream. English-language upper secondary education benefits students’ further studies in Finland and abroad because they get used to academic English already in upper secondary school.
Each year, 20 students are selected for the bilingual stream based on the grade average of the comprehensive school leaving certificate and an entrance exam. The entrance exam is organised in May. Student feedback about studying on the English stream has been positive thus far, so applying is worth your while!
