Kielitutkinto porttina Suomeen ja astinkivenä suomen kieleen
A high-stakes language exam: A gate to Finland, a stepping stone to Finnish

Summary/Abstract: This is a study on perceptions of Ingrian students preparing for a language exam. Ingrians are ethnic Finns who have been living in Russia and Estonia for many generations. In order to immigrate to Finland on the basis of Finnish origin, they had to prove Finnish language skills at the Common European Framework level A2. In this paper, I analyze how students describe the influence of the exam on how they study Finnish. The data consists of students’ questionnaire responses (n = 97). The method is content analysis. On the basis of this data, it seems that the students were aware of the structure and the computer-based nature of the exam. They also knew that passing the exam was a precondition for a residence permit in Finland on the basis of Finnish origin and that they only could take the exam once. What was exceptional in this data were the positive attitudes towards the language exam and studying the language: students reported that when the exam was coming closer, studying Finnish was more interesting and even more agreeable than it used to be. What learners think about the exam may have a strong influence on how they prepare for it and on how they succeed in it. This data shows that Ingrains had good chances to succeed in the exam.

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