Introduction
Why does a Finnish lecturer teach in English at a Finnish university if all the students are also Finnish and they could communicate in their native language? Why do university lecturers and students have to resort to a foreign language if they already share a common language? The answer is internationalization. According to Suviniitty (2012) internationalization has taken over universities, among other places. Suviniitty (2012) also remarks that in addition to appealing to international students, English is also used in education “to prepare Finnish students for the exceedingly globalized working life” (p. 5). Virkkula (2008) likewise claims that the ability to use English in working life is becoming a basic requirement not only to succeed at work but to be able to get the job done. This would certainly explain why all of the courses in the Master’s Programs at Oulu Business School at the University of Oulu are entirely in English. In addition to the teaching staff, the students are also compelled to use English as part of their studies. We wanted to know what the students of Oulu Business School think about the use of English language as part of their studies, and find out more about the interactional settings in an academic institutional environment. We conducted a survey of the use of English language in Oulu Business School and sent a questionnaire to the Oulu Business School students.
Data
The questionnaire targeted at the Oulu Business School students at the University of Oulu consisted of 17 multiple choice questions and two open questions. The aim was to find out how English is used during the studies (teaching, course literature and so on) and what the students think about the use of English language. In total, 123 students answered the questionnaire. 61.8% of the respondents were students of the master programs at the Oulu Business School, while 38.2% were undergraduate students. Almost all of the respondents, 87%, have had courses where the lecturer has spoken English, while 92.7% of the respondents have been to lectures that have been taught in Finnish. 63.4% of the respondents answered that most of the lectures at Oulu Business School are held in English, while only 36.6% answered that most of the lectures are in Finnish. All of the respondents said that they have had courses where the compulsory course literature has been in English, and 93.5% responded that in most of the courses the mandatory literature is in English. Only 69.1% answered that they have had courses with Finnish compulsory course literature, with only 6.5% responding that in most of the courses the obligatory course literature is in Finnish.
Nearly all of the respondents (97.6%) have had courses with English presentation slides, whereas 83.7% with Finnish slides. Again the majority of the respondents (81.3%) said that most of the courses have slide shows in English, while only 18.7% respondents answered that most of the courses have slides in Finnish. When it comes to additional course literature (e.g. journal articles, case studies), 98.4% responded that they have been in English, while only 58.5% of the respondents have had additional course literature in Finnish. The major part of the respondents, 87.8%, found that in most of the courses the additional literature is in English, while only 12.2% answered that in most of the courses the additional literature is in Finnish.
There is also variation with the mixing of English and Finnish language during lectures. 85.4% responded that they have had courses where the lecturer has spoken English and the presentation slides have also been in English. 74.8% answered that they have had courses where the lecturer has spoken Finnish and the slides have been in English. Almost as many (84.6%) that have had both the lecturing and the slides in English have also had the lecturing and slides in Finnish. Only 8.9% answered that they have been to courses with lecturing in English and slides in Finnish.
The major part of the respondents, 62.6%, found that in most of the courses the lecturer has spoken English and the slides have been in English. 25.2% answered that in most of the courses the lecturing has been in Finnish and the slides in English. Only 12.2% responded that in most of the courses both the lecturing and the slides have been in Finnish. None of the respondents answered that in most of the courses the lecturing has been in English and the slides in Finnish.
Most of the respondents, 70.7%, study for exams by reading English course literature and materials without translating them. 20.3% said that they translate key words and other essential parts into Finnish, while 8.1% responded that they translate most of the English materials into Finnish. There is also a clear division between the languages that students respond with in exams. Over half, 63.4%, responded that they answer exam questions in Finnish, while 36.6% answer exam questions in English.
The major part of the respondents, 87%, said that they have learnt English during their studies outside the compulsory language courses. However, 13% responded that they have not learnt English outside the compulsory language courses. 69.1% responded that they have learnt English best by reading course literature in English. Nearly half, 49.6%, said that they have learnt English best by being at lectures that have been in English of their own field of study. 26.8% responded that they learn English best by reading other literature of their own field of study. Surprisingly, only 23.6% said that they have learnt English best by attending a language course as part of their studies.
If the students have troubles with the teaching language, for example they do not understand something, only 6.5% responded that they ask the lecturer for help. Most of the respondents, 80.5%, said that they check the dictionary, and 58.5% said that they use another internet source. 30.9% answered that they ask a friend for help, and 6.5% responded that they do nothing. 5.7% responded with the choice “other”, with the most common answer among those being the use of Google.
Students’ experiences on the teaching languages
Ninety-nine respondents answered to the question on the experiences of the languages used in teaching, and both positive and negative views on using English and Finnish in the teaching in Oulu Business School could be divided from the data. In these responses, many of the respondents commented favorably on the use of English (41), but there were also many of those who criticized the use of English in teaching or the way in which the teaching was carried out (31). A third group that can be identified was those who mentioned both good and bad sides on the issue (23). In addition to the general perceptions of the use of English in teaching, there were also respondents who commented more directly on the issue of mixing English and Finnish in teaching. Also their views were distributed between those who saw that the existing practice functions well (14) and those who criticized it or suggested some improvements (11).
In addition to dividing the experiences to positive and negative, a variety of themes could be separated from the data. Firstly, many respondents thought that the use of both English and Finnish is a good thing, because they aim at working in an international setting. Teaching and studying in English prepares the students for their future careers at the field of commercial business. Due to globalization and internationalization, the primary language used in the field is English, and some respondents saw English as the main language of research and literature in the field. According to some of the respondents, studying in English promotes the students’ competence to work in international business.
The second theme that can be found from the data is the language skills of the lecturer. According to the data, the lecturer and their language skills have an essential role and the students have both positive and negative experiences. The students note that lecturing in English is a good thing as long as the lecturer is competent and comfortable with lecturing in English. The respondents state that the lecturer’s limited competence in English can have a negative effect on the students’ learning, because the lecturer is not able to contribute to the subject as much and relevant content can end up being left out. One of the main issues that received negative views from the respondents was the English language proficiency of the lecturers, or more accurately, their lack of fluency in speaking English. The respondents mentioned that in their opinion, the lecturers cannot use all of their professionalism in the subject because they have problems expressing themselves in English, and connected to this also the learning process of the students suffers.
The language skills were an issue not only for the lecturers, but also for the students themselves. Therefore, another theme that can be found from the data is the effect that the use of English has on the students’ learning process. Some respondents experienced the use of English troublesome because their own skills, or those of their fellow students, were not good enough to understand the content. The use of English might have a negative effect on the level of conversation during lectures, because some students feel that they cannot contribute as much when the discussion is in English. In addition, some respondents are more hesitant to ask or answer questions during lectures or even participate in some courses when the teaching is in English. On the other hand, the respondents mentioned that they had learnt English during their studies, and especially highlighted was the importance of knowing the relevant terminology in English. According to a sample from the data, new terminology is created continuously and most of these concepts do not have a Finnish equivalent. Therefore, it is essential to study these terms in English and be aware of the changes in the field. Many students stated that studying in English and having English course literature and materials contribute to learning terminology, but also to their English skills in general. However, some respondents saw learning terminology through English teaching challenging. Some of the respondents felt that they do not learn enough Finnish terminology and therefore are not able to discuss some themes in Finnish. According to the respondents, most group conversations are conducted in Finnish and the lack of Finnish terminology is notable and affects the level of discussion. In addition, some respondents stated that the focus of the studies should me more on the Finnish terminology, because they think that a majority of the graduates will likely work in Finland. This contrasts with the opinion about the studies preparing the students for an international career, and both views were expressed in the answers for the open questions.
In connection with learning terminology in different languages, the theme of answering exams can be found from the responses. Due to the amount of English in their studies, some students feel that they are forced to answer exams in English. Usually the students have the opportunity to choose between English and Finnish when answering exams, but some respondents state that they have to answer in English because they don’t know the terminology in Finnish. However, some students also note that their answers are not as fluent in English, and therefore they might receive a lower grade. In addition, some students stated that they feel like in some courses they are expected to answer in Finnish, but that it shouldn’t be required when only the lecturing is in Finnish and and the rest of the course materials are in English.
Some of the respondents saw that the mixture of English and Finnish in the lectures was chaotic and troublesome, whereas others saw the use of Finnish as helpful on the side, with English being the main language of teaching. Moreover, the last dominant theme, using both English and Finnish in the same context, can be found from the data. Many respondents thought that the setting of having lectures in Finnish and slide presentations in English was somewhat confusing and preferred to have the courses either in English or Finnish. According to the responses, it is common to have all background literature and additional materials in English and only the lectures in Finnish. However, the mixed language setting was preferred over having a lecture with broken English. The respondents stated that the mixture of languages is helpful with basic courses at the beginning of studies when the students are not used to using English. After acquiring basic knowledge, the amount of English gradually increases, which some respondents found fair. They thought that to fully understand the basics, the subjects need to be first dealt with in their native language, and after that the teaching language can be changed into English. However, contrasting opinions could be found, as some respondents thought that the teachers should lecture in English either from the beginning of the studies or move into English lecturing at an earlier stage.
In general, the respondents preferred a setting with only one language over a mixture of languages. According to the responses, some courses are better conducted in Finnish and other in English, and both languages have their advantages. However, some respondents stated that the role of English should be emphasized already in the entrance exam. Although basic courses are offered in Finnish, the amount of English in the studies is extensive and in some cases dominant over Finnish.
In addition to these themes, the data also shows some marked differences between students at different stages in their studies. For example, as discussed earlier, students have the choice of answering exams in either Finnish or English. Of the 47 undergraduates that answered the survey, 87.2% indicated that they usually answered in Finnish, with only 12.8% opting to answer in English a majority of the time. Conversely, the 76 students of the master’s program were almost evenly divided, with 48.7% electing to answer in Finnish and 51.3% choosing English. Similar division can be seen in almost all of the questions, such as when asked about the language used by the lecturer and the slides on the majority of courses. 82.9% of the answers from students in the master’s program indicated that most courses were taught in English with slides likewise in English, whereas the same percentage for undergraduate respondents was only 29.8%. The only point the two levels of students agreed on, was the language of the majority of the course readings for the courses they have attended has been in English, with over 90% of respondents in both groups indicating English.
Some of the differences are only to be expected. Several respondents noted that while the basic studies are in Finnish, courses taught as part of the master’s program are predominantly in English. Indeed, while 34% of the undergraduates reported having only been to courses where the lecturer spoke Finnish, none of the students in the master’s program gave the same answer. Similar results in both groups can be observed across the answers the respondents gave regarding the lecture slide material, as well as both obligatory course literature and additional reading materials for the courses.
The differences are not only in the statistics, however. When answering how they feel about the use of both Finnish and English in teaching, undergraduates for the most part mention very immediate and personal concerns. They talk of the ease or difficulty of learning, the quality of the lecturer’s language skills, and similar topics. Students in the master’s program, on the other hand, also bring up topics such as possible student exchange, future career options, globalization of the business field, and the students’ insecurity in their own language skills hindering not just their learning but their participation on the lectures. From this it can be concluded that in addition to accumulating skills and knowledge related to their field of study, the students in the master’s program have also broadened their view of studying as a whole.
Students’ experiences on the main language
We got 108 responses on the question whether the respondents experience the main language of teaching at the Oulu Business School to be Finnish or English. A clear majority, 71 respondents, stated that the main language is English, whereas only 19 experienced it to be Finnish. Most of rest 18 respondents (which we classified as “other”) saw that in the Bachelor’s program the main language is Finnish, while in the Master’s program it is English. This division is also clearly seen in the responses when they are further divided into those of the undergraduates’ and those of the Master’s students’: in the responses from the undergraduates’, both English and Finnish received 15 votes as the main language. In contrast, the students in the Master’s program saw in 56 cases that the main language is English, and only four respondents perceived it to be Finnish.
This question on the main language was an open question where also the reason for stating either “English” or “Finnish” was asked, and 71 respondents elaborated their views on this language question so that they stated a clear reason for their judgement. Of these respondents, 47 were Master’s students and 24 were undergraduates. In both of these groups the main language was most often defined as the language of teaching or more generally the language of the course. This was the case regardless of the language in question. For English as the main language, in both groups the reason that was mentioned second most often was that it is the language of research and literature in the field. In the order of times a reason was mentioned in the answers, the Master’s students highlighted that English is the main language because of the exchange students with whom it functions as a lingua franca; internationalization in general; the official status of English as defined by the department; the necessity of having English skills in the studies; and the realities of the working life that require English skills. Interestingly, the undergraduates mentioned the requirements of the working life more often than the Master’s students, and after that the exchange students and last internationalization in general.
For Finnish as the main language the responses were more scattered and included many reasons that were mentioned only once or twice. The only exception in this is the above-mentioned language of teaching, a reason that came up especially in the answers of the undergraduates. In addition to this, three undergraduate respondents saw that the main language is Finnish because it is the official language in Finland or the first language of the respondent. The following reasons were each mentioned once or twice in the rest of the answers of both undergraduates and Master’s students: Finnish as the language in the working life; the language of learning; ‘the only natural language of communication’ (“ainoa luonnollinen kommunikointikieli”); and even the language in the degree title “kauppatieteiden maisteri” (‘Master of Economic Sciences’). Thus it seems that these responses were more stance-taking and expressed also the respondents’ views on language policy in general. Some of these respondents stated here or in the other open question their wish that the studies should be less in English and more in Finnish. All in all, the responses in the language question show that the respondents have considered the question on a wider perspective, not just the language that is actively used in the lectures.
Discussion and conclusion
The languages of the studies in Oulu Business School seem to be a very thought-provoking issue. Most of the respondents expressed their opinions rather vocally, and there seems to be a variety of different views on the matter. In general, most respondents seem to understand the roles of Finnish and English and why they are used at different phases of their studies. Most students agreed on the fact that Finnish is used at the beginning of their studies and that the language shifts to English already in the undergraduate period. According to the responses, the students acknowledge the importance of English with regard to both their studies, since the studies in Master’s Programs are in English, and their future careers, because the primary language of their field is English. English is also the everyday language in many Finnish companies today (see e.g. Virkkula 2008, 382–383). However, many respondents felt that most of the students actually end up working in Finland with Finnish language, and that the use of English during their studies hinders them from learning and knowing the terminology in work life. As can be noted, there is controversy among the responses and the students’ views about working life after graduation.
Generally speaking, the respondents seem to get accustomed to using English rather quickly and are content with using English. However, language skills have an essential role from the perspectives of both learning and teaching. Some students preferred Finnish as the language of their studies, because they find studying in English challenging and therefore they have to invest more in their studies. Nevertheless, many students also stated that after a difficult beginning they got used to studying in English and found suitable studying methods for themselves. Furthermore, the language skills as they related to teachers and teaching were a dominant theme in the data. The students are content with having English as the main language of their studies, provided that the teachers have sufficient language skills. The responses showed that problems in pronunciation by the teacher especially seem to bother the students. Although the teachers have broad knowledge and vocabulary, the shortages in spoken language distract the students and hinder their learning. In addition, the students stated that from their perspective it seems that some teachers do not have sufficient skills in English, which shows as shortcomings in the teaching. These results are similar to the notions made by for example Virkkula (2008, 385) regarding the English skills of Finns in international business communication: the personnel found spoken communication, vocabulary and especially conversations via phone the most challenging.
Since the students feel strongly about the languages of their studies and especially their effects on the level of teaching, studying the teachers’ views would be an interesting topic for future research. How do the teachers think about having English as the teaching language? Since English is the primary language on their field and the language of research in general, teachers ought to be accustomed to using it to a certain level, but whether they feel comfortable with teaching in English is unclear. One possibility would be to offer a ‘support person’ or language courses for the lecturers, as was done for example at another Finnish university when an English-language Master’s program was being developed (Suviniitty 2012, 7).
Furthermore, the responses of this study can be used in administrative levels when designing and planning courses in Oulu Business School, as well as other faculties, as the findings of the study give new information on the students’ experiences and opinions on the use of English as part of their studies. The use of English language in an institutional setting can be further studied in other fields of study, too. Another interesting point of view would be to examine the Oulu Business School students’ use of English in work life after graduation, and whether or not the language use is what they expected during their studies.
Writers: Meeri Salonurmi, Silja Heikinheimo, Wille Backman, Jenni Roivainen
References
Suviniitty, J. 2012. Lectures in English as a Lingua Franca: Interactional Features. Department of Modern Languages. University of Helsinki.
Virkkula, T. 2008. Työntekijöiden kokemuksia englannista yritysmaailman yhteisenä kielenä. In S. Leppänen et al. (eds): Kolmas kotimainen: Lähikuvia englannin kielen käytöstä Suomessa. 382-420. Helsinki: SKS.
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