A Comparative Analysis of the Finnish and the German Mother Tongue and Literature EducationSeminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Pedagogy - School Pedagogics, grade: 1,0, University of Helsinki (Department of Applied Sciences of Education), course: Key Factors of Finnish Language and Literature Education, language: English, abstract: "Language is the key instrument that allows us to create the reality we live in and coordinate our actions with others" (LAHDENPER , 2006: 69). The language we need to build up our own life by interacting with others and its related education are at the same time alike and unlike in different countries. Whereas there are common features in languages and language education, distinctive linguistic and especially cultural conditions lead to variations in teaching mother tongue and literature. The results of the international student assessment programme PISA, organised by the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) (SARKOMAA, 2008: 2), have been widely discussed in Germany since the publication of its first cycle. The mass media and experts have labelled the achievements of the German pupils and consequently the German education system as weak. While Finnish students achieved an average scale of about 550 in the reading literacy assessment and consequently the second place in 2006, the German pupils scored with nearly 500 points, which meant the 18th rank of all countries and four positions above OECD-average (HARJUNEN and KARJALAINEN, 2008: 150). At the same time, the Finnish results meant a positive surprise for the Finnish society and were considered to be excellent (SARKOMAA, 2008: 3). Finnish is a member of the Finno-Ugrian language family and therefore completely different from the Indo-European languages, such as German, which are spoken mostly in Europe (KULONEN, 1998: 1). One of its characteristics is a phonological writing system, which makes it easy to learn to read and to write (THE BLACKWELL ENCYCLOPEDIA OF WRITING SYSTEMS). This might be an advance of the Finnish students compared |
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akademische Texte assistants and special BOARD OF EDUCATION class teachers CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT comparative analysis contents core curriculum offers credit points curricula didactics dyslexia ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION educa federal fields of activity Finland Finnish core curriculum Finnish curriculum Finnish Language FINNISH NATIONAL BOARD Finnish sign language Finnish students German as second German curriculum German education system German language German mother tongue German primary school German pupils grade GRIN Verlag guage HARJUNEN and KARJALAINEN immigrants JAKKU-SIHVONEN JUGEND UND SPORT language and literature language education learning problems literacy literature education migration background MINISTERIUM FÜR BILDUNG NISH NATIONAL BOARD OECD ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC PLATH and RICHTER primary school teacher RIKAMA school books school system second language special education teachers SPORT LAND BRANDENBURG study programme teacher education teacher students teacher training programmes teaching mother tongue teaching prac teaching practice texts and media tion tongue and literature University of Erfurt WRITING SYSTEMS