Aalto University Student Union would like to thank for the opportunity to comment the implementation plan of Aalto’s language policies and states the following by request:

1. Trilingualism everywhere    

The implementation plan includes several favourable and even ambitious objectives for improving the position of the English language, in particular. In AYY’s opinion, it is crucial for Aalto’s success that the university takes big steps towards trilingualism and ensures adequate resources to implement this objective. 

AYY considers, however, that the presented investment in the Swedish language is very modest and wonders the reference concerning the fact that the use of Swedish is still outlined separately. The clearest and the best solution would be to take into account the position of Swedish in all language policies from the very beginning and not pursue the parallel use of Finnish, Swedish and English as equal languages always when possible.

The leading idea in AYY’s own trilingualism work is that language minorities are interested in the same material as the Finnish-speaking students are. Therefore, only if certain information concerns for justifiable reasons only the members of a certain language group, translating it into three languages can be considered unnecessary. AYY wishes that Aalto would adopt the same principle as the leading idea of its own trilingualism.

AYY states that the best solution is to aim at providing communications with as similar contents as possible in all three languages. In this way, the overall management and updating is easier, and the time-consuming routine work can be outsourced to translators.

1. Adequate staff resources 

The plan does not define adequate translator resources. The university’s own translator service is only mentioned in connection with research. Several sections also suggest that persons in various positions produce summaries and translations of their documents by themselves.

AYY reminds that the cheapest and most effective way is to hire an adequate number of own translators and let them routinely translate all essential documents and let the staff focus on their actual duties instead of writing summaries and translations. Having own translators is also much cheaper than purchased translation services. In addition, this enables the extensive use of Swedish, as producing three language versions is as fast and easy as producing two language versions.

If we want to secure the participation opportunities of the members of the international community and, on the other hand, the position of domestic languages and their development as the languages of science, using the various languages side by side is necessary. Making the whole staff committed to this very demanding goal is impossible unless commissioning translations to professional translators is made easy enough.

It is particularly essential to appoint the persons in charge. In addition to the aim of committing the whole Aalto community to the objectives, a person with an adequate mandate and resources to advance trilingualism measures and the opportunity to focus on the coordination of the entity is needed on the higher level of Aalto.

1. AYY’s comments on presented measures (attachment)
   

The original document is attached to the statement and AYY’s comments are added to the presented measures. The most relevant examples from these comments:

1. The pervasive principle should be to adopt an approach where the international students and staff are not isolated to their own activities but all Aalto members work and spend their everyday lives together. This should be the starting point in information, decision-making organs, services, teaching arrangements, etc.
   • The main event language should be English if people with a foreign language are present.
   • Non-Finnish members of the community should have the opportunity to operate in Aalto’s desicion-making bodies.
2. A more specific measure programme is needed on the development of training and incentives. Aalto should create an incentive system for the whole staff to improve their language skills and provide adequate support for the staff teaching in English. Students should also be encouraged to interaction exceeding the language barriers by increasing the interaction in teaching and crediting achievements that support internationalisation as part of a degree.
3. ”International students have the opportunity to study either Finnish or Swedish or both languages.” This is a crucial section that requires further attention as Finnish skills, in particular, have a significant impact on the international student’s employment opportunities and integration into Finnish society.
4. The campus area should be completely trilingual. External partners and service providers should also be influenced.
5. Aalto Inside does not reach the students and therefore it is essential to invest in other communication channels (such as Into, Noppa, aalto.fi). Essential information should also be translated into Swedish.
6. More concrete measures are needed for the implementation of the Swedish-speaking students’ rights.

Approved by AYY Board

In Espoo, 25 Nov 2011

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Attachment

Comments to detailed propositions in Aalto’s plan (chapter by chapter commens to the original document):

• Swedish should be a consistent part of all language policies from the beginning instead of outlining the Swedish policies later in a separate project.
• The report of the language group regarding the position of Swedish at Aalto  (Arbetsgruppen för svenskspråkig undervisning i Aalto-universitet, 18.6.2009) includes a number of concrete means to strengthen the position of Swedish. AYY wishes that these means are integrated into Aalto’s language practices.
• A change in atmosphere could be promoted through active measures, such as keeping the matter in discussion in all possible events, training and material. A plan should be drafted on these measures.
• Aalto should create an incentive system to improve the language skills of the staff.
• AYY already awards the international teacher of the year and the international act of the year prizes. The language act of the year prize would be partly overlapping but it would create a positive atmosphere. Students should also be encouraged to interaction exceeding the language barriers by increasing the interaction in teaching and crediting achievements that support  internationalisation as part of a degree. All language teaching should be intensified
• and it should support the improving of practical language skills, speaking skills, and language skills in the student’s own field.
• A more detailed programme of measures for training and incentives is necessary.
• Adequate resources are the foundation for everything.
• Trilingual communications should not only be increased at Inside but everywhere (Into, Noppa, aalto.fi, for example). Inside does not reach the students, so it is essential to invest in other communication channels.
• Trilingualism should be reflected in all job descriptions, but efficient coordination on the higher level is also essential.
• The most important issue is to clarify objectives in various situations. Domestic languages are of great significance especially in terms of the universities’ third mission,  implementing its social role.
• Creating family networks is one favourable measure. However, in terms of the comfort of living, the key factor is to adopt a broader approach where international students and staff are not isolated in their own activities, but instead all Aalto members  work and spend their everyday life together. This should be the principle in communications, decision-making bodies, services, teaching arrangements, etc. Many of Aalto’s interest groups, such as AYY and OIN, already work to facilitate the adaptation of the community’s international members. Aalto should fully utilise opportunities to collaborate with its interest groups.
• The main language of events should be English in the presence of people with a foreign language.
• This is very important so that student representatives have equal influencing opportunities, among other things. However, we have to keep in mind that according to law Finnish is the university’s administration language. This should not be interpreted to mean, however, that Finnish is the only language of administration and other languages are not used along with it.
• The main language of events should be English in the presence of people with a foreign language. All Swedish-speaking participants are taken into account similarly to the Finnish participants.
• The campus area should be made trilingual. External partners and service providers (such as companies operating within the campus, HSL, essential service points of the government) should be influenced to take language issues into coThe most important documents and instructions should always be provided in Swedish as well.
• Inside does not reach the students and therefore documents should be published at Into, in particular.
• Inside does not reach the students and therefore documents should be published at Into, in particular.
• These are also needed in Swedish. Aalto also includes  Swedish-speaking staff.
• The plan counts on the assumption that people in various positions produce summaries and language versions by themselves. It would be cheaper and more efficient to hire more translators and routinely translate more texts into two languages and let communications and administrative staff focus on their actual duties instead of writing summaries. Having own translators is also much cheaper than purchased translation services. If a document is translated into English, it can often be translated into Swedish with the same effort.
• Also in Swedish, see the previous
• Also in Swedish, see the previous
• Also in Swedish, see the previous
• See the previous
• Course descriptions should be translated into three languages. Students can check the main vocabulary of their field from the descriptions also in other than the teaching language. For bilingual students, for example, this can be the only way to accumulate vocabulary in the second mother tongue. nsideration. A particular attention should be paid to represent all three languages.
• The number of translators presented here is inadequate if the language service should also cover other than researchers’ needs, such as administration and communications. Language services are definitely needed for their use as well.
• It is essential to increase the Swedish-language education.
• A very important entry.
• More concrete measures are needed for the implementation of these rights. In the current situation, students often do not receive their exam questions in Swedish although they are entitled to use Swedish in their answers.
• The target corresponds to AYY’s policies. It is essential to increase the Swedish-language education.
• This is an extremely important entry that requires further attention:
  • Aalto’s own teaching of domestic languages must be improved and resources increased.
  • Courses on different levels should be available in sufficient quantities during the day and evening in order to achieve advanced language skills along with studies in the student’s own field.
  • Teaching should not empasise grammar too much or be separated from the everyday life: courses should teach how to speak and understand spoken Finnish.
  • Students should be informed more about the necessity of Finnish in the labour market in Finland as early as possible. They should not be given a misleading picture of the employment opportunities without Finnish skills.
  • National language studies should be included as compulsory in all foreign-language Master’s programmes.
  • International students should be able to have their Finnish and Swedish studies approved as part of the compulsory language studies.
• An incentive system should be created in order to develop the language skills of the staff. The staff teaching in English should be provided enough support, such as language training, multicultural pedagogical training and longer teacher exchange periods.
• A very important policy. Everyone teaching in English should have adequate linguistic and cultural capabilities!
• At least all static basic information, such as depictions of the organisation, teaching and research should also be published in Swedish on the website.
• The writing of summaries is laborious. It is easier to have translators to produce the same content in Swedish.
• Press releases should be published in Finnish, Swedish and English. What the community communicates about itself is essential also for the community’s own members, including its non-Finnish members.
• This kind of basic material is definitely also needed in Swedish.
• The main language of events should be English if people with a foreign language are present.