Learning outcomes in endangered S�mi languages assessed for the first time � revitalisation measures still needed

The recently completed assessment of learning outcomes in the S�mi languages showed that the pupils� speaking skills were stronger than their writing skills. During their leisure time, many of the pupils only used S�mi a little. Education at school plays an important role in the revitalisation of the S�mi languages. The biggest problems are not having enough qualified teachers and especially the lack of learning materials.

In the spring of 2015, the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC) assessed the learning outcomes in the S�mi languages. Included in this assessment, which was carried out for the first time ever in Finland, were all pupils in grades 7, 8 and 9 studying the S�mi as a mother tongue syllabus or syllabus A for S�mi under the basic education curriculum. In total, 77 pupils from eight schools were included in the assessment. Of those 77, four pupils studied Inari S�mi and 33 studied Northern S�mi under the S�mi as a mother tongue syllabus, while seven pupils studied Inari S�mi, four studied Skolt S�mi and 29 studied Northern S�mi under syllabus A in S�mi. The assessment will be published on Tuesday 3 May 2016 at 09.30.

Pupils studying the S�mi as a mother tongue syllabus scored an average of 60% of the maximum points, while pupils studying the syllabus A in S�mi scored an average of 46% of the maximum points. In both syllabuses, the highest level of language proficiency was attained by pupils who studied Northern S�mi. There was great variation in the language proficiency levels attained by the pupils.

Situation of the S�mi languages still worrying

The preservation of the S�mi languages has been supported since the 1990s through education at school and language nest activities, among other measures. However, further measures for revitalising the S�mi languages are still needed.

� The situation is still worrying in all three S�mi languages, as shown by the low number of pupils included in the assessment and how little the S�mi languages are used by pupils at home or during leisure time. For instance, no one studied Skolt S�mi as a mother tongue, notes Project Manager Mari Huhtanen.

Only four of the pupils spoke only S�mi at home; the rest of the pupils also spoke Finnish alongside S�mi or spoke only Finnish at home. Pupils studying under the S�mi as a mother tongue syllabus did very little writing in S�mi in their leisure time, and did not read books written in S�mi. The extracurricular activities related to the S�mi language of pupils studying under syllabus A in S�mi occasionally included listening to S�mi music. The pupils� views of the usefulness of the S�mi language were nevertheless fairly positive.

Girls� language proficiency better in nearly all content areas

In S�mi as a mother tongue, the best learning outcomes were attained in speaking assignments; the average percentage of correctly completed questions was more than 80% in both S�mi languages. Pupils studying Inari S�mi found reading comprehension assignments to be the hardest; they only completed 22% of the questions correctly. For pupils studying Northern S�mi, the section in which they performed the weakest was writing (47%). In syllabus A in S�mi, the pupils performed the best in listening comprehension (58�68% questions completed correctly) and the weakest in language knowledge (Skolt S�mi 20%, Inari S�mi 32%, and Northern S�mi 38%).

In the assessment of language proficiency in the S�mi as a mother tongue syllabus and A syllabus in S�mi, the girls performed better than the boys in all content areas except in the mother tongue speaking assignments, in which the proficiency levels attained by girls and boys were fairly equal. In S�mi as a mother tongue, the percentage of correctly completed questions by girls in the examination as a whole was 65%, while the boys completed 57% of the all the questions correctly; in A syllabus in S�mi, the corresponding figures were 52% for girls and 39% for boys. The greatest difference in language proficiency in the S�mi as a mother tongue syllabus was in reading comprehension, in which the percentage of correctly completed questions by girls was 18 percentage points higher than that by the boys. In A syllabus in S�mi, the greatest difference was in writing skills: the girls� percentage of correctly completed questions was 24 percentage points higher compared to the boys.

Learning materials often in Finnish or must be acquired from Norway

16 teachers responded to the survey for teachers. Of the respondents, slightly over half (56%) had language teacher qualifications. In the opinion of the teachers, the attainment of good learning outcomes was hindered most by the scarcity and quality of learning materials, and insufficient teaching hours. The teachers had to use a lot of Finnish-language materials or acquire materials from Norway, for example. Nevertheless, the teachers were highly motivated to teach the S�mi language. Most of the groups in which the S�mi language was taught comprised 3�5 pupils, while the smallest groups only had 1�2 pupils.

The assessment of learning outcomes in the S�mi as a mother tongue syllabus and syllabus A in S�mi produced information on the proficiency levels attained by pupils, on how well the objectives of the national core curriculum have been met, and on success in promoting educational equality. The assessment of learning outcomes in the S�mi as a mother tongue syllabus included language knowledge, reading comprehension, writing and speaking, while, in addition to these four, the assessment of A syllabus in S�mi also included listening comprehension.

Further information:

Project Manager Mari Huhtanen, tel. +358 29 533 5510, firstname.lastname@karvi.fi

The report