Feedback about potential schools

[AnaTeresa]

It seems that this piece of information was overpassed when reading my first post, as I state the fact they are fluent in Finnish on it:

The kids are fluent in Finnish and English, and they speak Spanish are their mother tongue

To clarify this, they are not just fluent in Finnish I would have said bilingüal (they talk to each of us on our respective language)

Ana

[Upphew]

It seems that this piece of information was overpassed when reading my first post, as I state the fact they are fluent in Finnish on it:

The kids are fluent in Finnish and English, and they speak Spanish are their mother tongue

Isn't the first time and won't be the last one.

To clarify this, they are not just fluent in Finnish I would have said bilingüal (they talk to each of us on our respective language)

Then it won't matter too much where they start their school, curriculum will be the same, biggest thing will be that who gets to do the homework with kids.. After 5 or 6 years it might be beneficial to start looking at school that starts to prepare for lukio and doing things in Finnish (or Swedish (or Saami!)).

edit. caveat: I don't have children, nor haven't been in school for a while...

[onkko]

Thanks Onkko,

My children will not be Finns, because my children are already Finns. And they are also Spanish.

Both my husband and myself always did what it took to make sure they know their roots. That's why they are bilingüal in Finnish and Spanish, even if they are living in Spain and they are attending a school in English. That means they currently master 3 languages, and we want to keep this. I do not understand why this has to be perceived as something negative.

Ana

You got me wrong, i wasnt talking about passport or nationalities, i was talking about "where one belongs, fully understand and is understood".
If i would talk to your children with thick accent im able to produce and which im most comfortable with would they understand? 99,99% of my finnish friends understand 99% of what i say, some words are alien to them but even then they understand basic meaning even with alien word.
Katoko ei mul ol mitähä ongelmia ymmärtämisehe suhtehe, kaik o ymmärtän mitoon sanonu. Oha siel ain jotaki sanoi joitnneijoo ymmärtän mut ei mitähä isompia.
Would your childrens be comfortable in 100% finnish workplace and would they understand what people talk and how to act?
Do they learn "not so clear" indicators what finns give, can they intepreter what is really happening and why?
Are they really fluent, do they understand odd words and invented words? Or even rare words?
Are you sure that they wont "emit" wrong signals what alienates finns?
Can you be sure they know all needed words and oddities to apply and prosper in finnish education? Ask them what parkki, paanne, savotta, nila, hete, kovera, ihq, messis, tod, hanki, pyörre, peelo, nörtti, etc... mean, those are mix of old and new words what first come in my mind. I think hardly none knows exact meaning of all but they can explain what its related to. "something to do with """.
Your childrens would not be finns or spanish, they would be drifting somewhere between.

[Upphew]

You got me wrong, i wasnt talking about passport or nationalities, i was talking about "where one belongs, fully understand and is understood".
If i would talk to your children with thick accent im able to produce and which im most comfortable with would they understand? 99,99% of my finnish friends understand 99% of what i say, some words are alien to them but even then they understand basic meaning even with alien word.
Katoko ei mul ol mitähä ongelmia ymmärtämisehe suhtehe, kaik o ymmärtän mitoon sanonu. Oha siel ain jotaki sanoi joitnneijoo ymmärtän mut ei mitähä isompia.
Would your childrens be comfortable in 100% finnish workplace and would they understand what people talk and how to act?
Do they learn "not so clear" indicators what finns give, can they intepreter what is really happening and why?
Are they really fluent, do they understand odd words and invented words? Or even rare words?
Are you sure that they wont "emit" wrong signals what alienates finns?
Can you be sure they know all needed words and oddities to apply and prosper in finnish education? Ask them what parkki, paanne, savotta, nila, hete, kovera, ihq, messis, tod, hanki, pyörre, peelo, nörtti, etc... mean, those are mix of old and new words what first come in my mind. I think hardly none knows exact meaning of all but they can explain what its related to. "something to do with """.
Your childrens would not be finns or spanish, they would be drifting somewhere between.

They will be living in the Kehä3 bubble. Before the kids are of age they most likely will think people outside of the Kehä as lappalaiset and something a bit above monekys

[onkko]

They will be living in the Kehä3 bubble. Before the kids are of age they most likely will think people outside of the Kehä as lappalaiset and something a bit above monekys

That is probably true but atleast they are integrated in their local community and can understand us "lantalaiset" or "junantuomat"

[AnaTeresa]

[You got me wrong, i wasnt talking about passport or nationalities, i was talking about "where one belongs, fully understand and is understood".
If i would talk to your children with thick accent im able to produce and which im most comfortable with would they understand? 99,99% of my finnish friends understand 99% of what i say, some words are alien to them but even then they understand basic meaning even with alien word.
Katoko ei mul ol mitähä ongelmia ymmärtämisehe suhtehe, kaik o ymmärtän mitoon sanonu. Oha siel ain jotaki sanoi joitnneijoo ymmärtän mut ei mitähä isompia.
Would your childrens be comfortable in 100% finnish workplace and would they understand what people talk and how to act?
Do they learn "not so clear" indicators what finns give, can they intepreter what is really happening and why?
Are they really fluent, do they understand odd words and invented words? Or even rare words?
Are you sure that they wont "emit" wrong signals what alienates finns?
Can you be sure they know all needed words and oddities to apply and prosper in finnish education? Ask them what parkki, paanne, savotta, nila, hete, kovera, ihq, messis, tod, hanki, pyörre, peelo, nörtti, etc... mean, those are mix of old and new words what first come in my mind. I think hardly none knows exact meaning of all but they can explain what its related to. "something to do with """.
Your childrens would not be finns or spanish, they would be drifting somewhere between.

Ok I understand. Anyway I cannot understand all the words in Spanish from some regions here.. not to mention Spanish from Southamerica
Currently the children manage well in Finnish, and they only talk in Finnish with his dad and some friends. Even considering how difficult it is (I studied it up to the 4/6 level), I guess that once they are living in FInland, were they will manage in Finnish with relatives and friends they should be able to master it. I am much more concerned about how rusty their Spanish will be in the future...



Ana

[Rosamunda]

All schoolchildren who have a mother tongue other than Finnish or Swedish are entitled to 2h per week tuition in school in their mother tongue. This is a national programme, funded by the local municipalities. Some municipalities fix minimum class sizes for these groups but given that Spanish is a major language I'm pretty sure there will be groups running near where you live. Two hours per week isn't much but it will give your children a chance to meet other bilingual Spanish/Finnish children and eventually make friends and more...

In order to get into one of these groups there is a form to fill in (I think it's available on the internet pages of the town where you will be living).

The classes usually take place after normal lessons (though in some schools they are integrated into the timetable) but your children may have to travel to another school in order to find a group. The groups usually have children of different ages but the teachers do try to accommodate fluency, age, location etc as best they can.

http://www.vantaa.fi/instancedata/prime ... nniksi.pdf

[AnaTeresa]

Thanks Penelope!



Ana