Studying languages

A1 language learned from the first grade

Prior to making their language choice, pupils in pre-primary education will be able to get to know the available languages during the Kikatus lessons. For more information about language choices and the languages offered, you may attend the city’s centralized language choice events, as well as each school’s parent events concerning language choices. Schools will inform guardians of the dates of their language choice events in eVaka.

The guardian will make choice of language learned from the first grade in Wilma in March to April. The pupil starts learning the language in the first grade. The language choice is binding throughout basic education.

Instructions on how to make the language selection in Wilma

If it is desired to choose two foreign languages for a pupil during the initial school years, it is recommended the first foreign language they learn be a different language than English. A child’s age of language learning sensitivity encourages beginning language studies early. If another A1 language than English is selected, English learning will begin as the A2 language in the third grade.

A1 language choices

City of Tampere basic education provides the ability to learn English, German, French, Spanish, Swedish, Russian or Chinese as the A1 language. Any language class to be founded must contain at least 12 pupils. Each school’s language pathway determines the languages available.

• English: all schools
• German: Ahvenisjärvi, Annala, Atala, Etelä-Hervanta, Hatanpää, Juhannuskylä, Kaarila, Kaukajärvi, Kissanmaa, Koivisto, Kämmenniemi, Lamminpää, Leinola, Lentävänniemi, Lielahti, Linnainmaa, Messukylä, Normaalikoulu, Olkahinen, Peltolammi, Pispala, Puistokoulu, Sampo, Takahuhti, Tammela, Tesoma, Vehmainen, Wivi Lönn, Vuores
• French: Ahvenisjärvi, Annala, Atala, Hatanpää, Kaarila, Kaukajärvi, Kissanmaa, Koivisto, Lielahti, Messukylä, Normaalikoulu, Olkahinen, Pispala, Rahola, Sampo (grades 7–9), Takahuhti, Tammela, Wivi Lönn, Vuores
• Spanish: Ahvenisjärvi, Juhannuskylä, Kaukajärvi, Kämmenniemi, Lamminpää, Leinola, Lentävänniemi, Linnainmaa, Rahola, Sampo, Tesoma, Vuores
• Swedish: Etelä-Hervanta, Lentävänniemi, Lielahti (grades 7–9), Linnainmaa
• Russian: Etelä-Hervanta, Hatanpää, Juhannuskylä, Koivisto, Lielahti, Takahuhti, Vuores
• Chinese: Annala, Kaukajärvi (grades 7–9), Pispala, Vuores, Wivi Lönn (grades 7–9)

A1 language lessons

• Grades 1–2 one hour a week
• Grade 3 three hours a week
• Grades 4–8 two hours a week
• Grade 9 three hours a week

A2 language learned from the third grade

The choice of A2 language is made by the guardian in February or March of the second year in the Wilma system. The pupil starts learning the language in the third grade. The language choice is binding throughout basic education.

A2 language choices

The A2 language is English if the pupil has chosen another foreign language as their A1 language.

For others, A2 language is optional: German, French, Spanish, Swedish, Russian or Chinese. Any language class to be founded must contain at least 16 pupils.

• Englanti: all schools
• German: Ahvenisjärvi, Annala, Atala, Etelä-Hervanta, FISTA, Hatanpää, Juhannuskylä, Kaarila, Kaukajärvi, Koivisto, Kämmenniemi, Lamminpää, Leinola, Lielahti, Linnainmaa, Messukylä, Olkahinen, Peltolammi, Pispala, Rahola, Takahuhti, Tammela, Tesoma, Vehmainen, Wivi Lönn, Vuores
• French: Ahvenisjärvi, Atala, FISTA, Hatanpää, Kaarila, Kaukajärvi, Kämmenniemi, Messukylä, Pispala, Takahuhti, Tammela, Vehmainen, Wivi Lönn, Vuores
• Spanish: Ahvenisjärvi, FISTA, Kaarila, Kaukajärvi, Kämmenniemi, Lielahti, Linnainmaa, Olkahinen, Sampo, Tammela, Vuores
• Swedish: Kissanmaa, Leinola, Lentävänniemi, Lielahti (grades 7-9), Linnainmaa, Olkahinen, Puistokoulu, Sampo, Tesoma
• Russian: Etelä-Hervanta, Koivisto, Takahuhti
• Chinese: Wivi Lönn

A2 language lessons

• Grades 3–7 two hours a week which increases the total number of lessons per pupil.
• Grades 8–9 two hours a week as an optional subject, the total number of lessons per pupil does not increase.

B1 language learned from the sixth grade

The B1 language is the second national language, Swedish. B1 language learning starts in the sixth grade for pupils who have not studied Swedish as an A1 or A2 language.

B1 language lessons

Grades 6–9 seven hours per week in total.

B2 language learned from the eight grade

Learning B2 is optional and starts in the eighth grade. Optional B2 languages are German, French, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Chinese or Latin.

The B2 language is chosen as an optional subject in grade 7.

B2 language lessons

Grades 8–9 four hours per week in total.