Many-sided possessive suffix of Finnish and a Finnish learner Cover Image

Suomen monitahoinen possessiivisuffiksi ja suomenoppija
Many-sided possessive suffix of Finnish and a Finnish learner

Author(s): Kirsti Siitonen, Manami Mizuno
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies
Published by: Eesti Rakenduslingvistika Ühing (ERÜ)
Keywords: possessive suffix; source language; non-living reference; Finnish as a second language; colloquial Finnish; written standard Finnish

Summary/Abstract: Those who are teaching their mother tongue as a second language often learn things from their own language thanks to the interpretations and questions put forward by their students. This may shift their attention to the issue of how do native speaker in fact interpret and use their language. The present article is concerned with the Finnish possessive suffix from the point of view of teaching and learning. First, this suffix and its present-day use are shortly studied. Then, it will be clarified how this suffix is taught in the textbooks of Finnish as a second language, and which difficulties the suffix presents to the learners. The mother tongues of the learners are referred, and the question is raised of how do Finnish native speakers grasp these suffixes. Finally, the question is raised, how to enhance the learning of possessive suffixes by teaching and exercises.

  • Issue Year: 2010
  • Issue No: 19
  • Page Range: 136-159
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Finnish