Bilingual aspirations

Students’ language learning practices in bilingual bachelor’s degrees at the University of Helsinki

Abstract

This paper examines students’ practices in becoming bilingual experts. Students study in bilingual bachelor’s degrees (Finnish-Swedish) at the University of Helsinki. The research questions are: 1) What practices do the students engage in to promote language and content learning? 2) How are language ideologies and perceptions of language learning reflected in student practices? 3) How do learning environments, including teachers’ practices, guide and regulate students’ practices towards bilingual expertise? The data consist of observations during the lessons as well as interviews immediately after the lessons. The data were analysed qualitatively. The main theoretical concepts are content-based language learning, bilingual expertise, language ideologies and the learning environment. The analysis shows that many students pro-actively seek opportunities to enhance and practise their “weaker” language. However, students’ language ideologies, attitudes, and perceptions of what it is to ‘know’ and ‘learn’ a language affect the practices they engage in. In this context, the different status of Finnish and Swedish in the society plays a role as well. The students call for student-centred, engaging teaching methods that offer a safe environment in which to practise one’s expert voice in different languages. The students are mostly content with the language support offered by the Language Centre, but the timing of the support is not always ideal. Integrated language and content courses with co-teaching were mentioned as a desirable practice.