15.9.2020
“Ihmisil ä poissa” – away om people: Language lea ning spaces in Finnish as a o eign language s uden s’ cha du ing he co id-19…
h ps://www.kieli e kos o. i/ i/jou nals/kieli-koulu us-ja-yh eiskun a-syyskuu-2020/ihmisil a-poissa-away- om-people-language-lea ning-spaces-in…
1/11
(h ps://www.kieli e kos o.fi/fi)
“Ihmisil ä poissa” – away om people:
Language lea ning spaces in Finnish as a
o eign language s uden s’ cha du ing
he co id-19 pandemic
Sma phones enable lea ne s o p ac ice language use in di e en spaces and
en i onmen s beyond he class oom. Finnish language s uden s in wo No h
Ame ican uni e si ies pa icipa ed in a collabo a i e cha p ojec as pa o
hei second-yea language cou se. In his a icle we analyze how s uden s' cha
en ies eflec ed hei lea ning in di e en domes ic spaces du ing he global
co id-19 pandemicin sp ing 2020.
Julkais u: 9. syyskuu a 2020 | Ki joi anu :Elisa Räsänen jaAnu Muhonen
In oduc ion
Phone applica ions and access o mobile de ices b oaden he spec um o s uden s’ possible
lea ning spaces (see Neumeie 2005: 175), which can expand on hei language lea ning
expe ience. This a icle ocuses on hediscou seenabled by a mobile app, which allowed
s uden s o connec wi h pee s and p ac ice language lea ning in di e en spaces and
en i onmen s. In ou pedagogical collabo a ion, second yea s uden s o Finnish a Indiana
Uni e si y and Uni e si y o To on o cha ed in o mally du ing sp ing semes e 2020 as a cou se
assignmen .The ask was simple: o cha in o mally abou sel -selec ed opicsin Finnish. This
assignmen was g aded based on ac i e pa icipa iononly.The objec i e o he p ojec was o
enhance ne wo king, in e ac ion, au hen ic language use, and inciden al lea ning (see Kelly
2012). The cha was adminis e ed by a eaching assis an bu led by hes uden s andconduc ed
in he ee mobile phone app Kik.
Du ing he 11-week-longcollabo a ion, bo h Finnish p og ams swi ched o emo e ins uc ion due
o he co id-19 pandemic. While he pandemic did no a ec he cha ing ask much, i did ha e
an impac on he con e sa ion opics. S uden s we e mos ly obliged o s ay a home due o
physical dis ancing, and many o he co ona- ime cha ing was done in isola ion, as he quo e
15.9.2020
“Ihmisil ä poissa” – away om people: Language lea ning spaces in Finnish as a o eign language s uden s’ cha du ing he co id-19…
h ps://www.kieli e kos o. i/ i/jou nals/kieli-koulu us-ja-yh eiskun a-syyskuu-2020/ihmisil a-poissa-away- om-people-language-lea ning-spaces-in…
2/11
“Ihmisil äpoissa” <away om people> in he i leindica es. In his a icle, we analyze
selec edcha exce p s s uden s sha ed om home and su ounding en i onmen s du ing he
pandemic.We analyzehowlanguage lea ne sdiscuss hese spaces in he cha .
Cha con e sa ions ha e been widely s udied in he second and o eign language con ex om
di e en iewpoin s (see, o example,Lai 2016,Li2018, Wigham &Chanie 2015).P e ious
s udies ha e alsoin es iga ed he use o mobile apps in Finnish as a second/ o eign language
lea ning. Lilja and Pii ainen-Ma sh (2016,2019)explo edFinnish as a second language lea ne s’
in e ac ions “in he wild”; he use o mobile phones allowed s uden s o eco d he in e ac ions
which we e la e analyzedin he class oom.Komppaand Ko ilainen (2019) analyzed he
implica ions o a speech ecogni ion appApplain ou side-o -class language
lea ning.Vaa alaand Bogdano (2019) lookeda adul li e acy lea ne s’ ee ime use o mobile
de ices. They epo ed ha lea ne s use hese de ices o mul iple di e en pu poses, which
could also be u ilized as a esou ce in o mal language
lea ning.Bogdano ,Vaa alaandTammelin-Laine (2019:7) epo on anadul li e acy lea ne s'
Wha sApp cha g oup, which was used o sha ing cou se wo k,ands uden s also engaged in
in o mal con e sa ion.Räsänen and Muhonen (2020) ocus on communi y building in Finnish
language lea ne s’ Padle cha ; while s uden s sha ed glimpses o hei e e yday li es and
commen ed on each o he ’s p oduc ions hey also exp essed belonging o a suppo i e
communi y o lea ne s.
This a icle applies a da a-d i en app oach. The da a consis s o 517 cha en ies, which include
w i en ex messages, pho os, memes (gi s and s ill images), ideos and emojis. Al oge he 7
s uden s om bo h uni e si ies, 1 eaching assis an and 2 ins uc o s pa icipa ed in he
cha .The names o he pa icipan s ha e been emo ed and he da a has been u he
anonymized.
Cha ing om home, backya d, and home s ee
Home was he place whe e s uden s spen mos o  hei ime du ing co ona i us dis ancing.In
ou analysis we concen a e on he cha en ies ela ed o s uden s' homes, home s ee s and
home owns.In he cha ,s uden sin i ed pee s o many p i a e spaces ypically inaccessible o
classma es.The con enience o he mobile cha enabled sha inga imes con enien o he
s uden s, and we obse ed ha  he fi s cha en ies in he mo ning s a ed om he b eak as
able, andin hei las pos s in he e ening,s uden s wished each o he goodnigh .
In he ollowing da a exce p 1, a s uden has pos ed a ideo o he pandemic
lockdownp epa a ions, cap u ed in he ki chen pan y.The s uden lis s and shows he came a
he p oduc s she has pu chased om he g oce y s o e:

Exce p 1:My li le s o e
15.9.2020
“Ihmisil ä poissa” – away om people: Language lea ning spaces in Finnish as a o eign language s uden s’ cha du ing he co id-19…
h ps://www.kieli e kos o. i/ i/jou nals/kieli-koulu us-ja-yh eiskun a-syyskuu-2020/ihmisil a-poissa-away- om-people-language-lea ning-spaces-in…
3/11
Video ansc ip
((s uden wa es o he came a))heikaikki.munpienikauppa.<hi all.my li le s o e>
((Mo es came a, shows p oduc s on he shel .))
Popko niahah. <popco n hah> hese hings hah. ((looks up))Paljonju u . <lo s o
hings>(( aps a can))
Tee ä< ea> ((g abs a ea box, box alls on he g ound om he pile o boxes; hen
mo es he came a owa ds he g ound))
Ensimmäinen ee ä. <fi s ea>((Wa es came a a ound he oom, hen shows mo e
p oduc s))
Okei, oi onsähy in.Moimoi<okey, I wish you a e well.Bye bye>
Pu chasingmany i ems om he s o e in he beginning o qua an ine(Ma ch 2020)was a ypical
su i al s a egy: p epa edness o he si ua ion seemed impo an du ing he unp edic able
imes. The s uden seems o be a li le i onic abou he p epa a ions, because she has i led he
ideo “My li le s o e”, indica ing ha she almos has a small s o e a home now, because she
has pu chased so many i ems ha occupy a g ea deal o space in he pan y.The s uden akes
a momen o sha e he co ona p epa a ions wi h he class. The ideo seems
15.9.2020
“Ihmisil ä poissa” – away om people: Language lea ning spaces in Finnish as a o eign language s uden s’ cha du ing he co id-19…
h ps://www.kieli e kos o. i/ i/jou nals/kieli-koulu us-ja-yh eiskun a-syyskuu-2020/ihmisil a-poissa-away- om-people-language-lea ning-spaces-in…
4/11
spon aneous,un ehea sed,andunedi ed,a momen ous sha ing o he home in e io . I is
pe sonal - i shows he ace and in i es o he s uden s o he ki chen. She ends he ideo in well
wishes, a p ac ice which is ypical o he s uden cha da a du ing heco id-19ou b eak.
A common opic in he Finnish lea ne s’ cha especially in he beginning o he pandemic
ou b eak is he sudden ansi ion o emo e s udy. The en ies o en ocus on s udying Finnish
om home. The ollowing is sha ed by a s uden du ing an ongoing class:

Exce p 2: In he Finnish language cou se online
Cha ing by usingmobilephonescan b oaden he spec um o possible lea ning spaces (see
Neumeie , 2005: 175), asin his example, whe e cha ing enables inciden al lea ning o ake
place e en a home. Inexce p 2, he s uden pos s a “s a us upda e”<Doing igh now! Online in
he Finnish language cou se!>; he pic u e displays he desk wi h a lap op. Themobile cha
allows he pa icipan s o communica ein an au hen ic way. This is connec ed o he
ins an aneous quali y o cha : cha upda es can be sha ed con enien ly om ou side o class
and e en om he class oom, which blu s he line be ween in and ou side o class.
Theeage ness o pa icipa e in his cha made he language p ac ice seem less like an exe cise
and pe haps mo e like in o mal sha ing be ween pee s. S udying online and sha ing home o fice
se ings becomes a mu ually sha ed expe ience o he language lea ne s.
Ano he sha ed eali y and sha ed expe ience o many No h Ame ican uni e si y s uden s in he
beginning o he co id-19 lockdown was ha s uden s needed o e u n om hei s uden
esidences o hei pe manen add esses. Fo many his mean a quick change o own, s a e o
15.9.2020
“Ihmisil ä poissa” – away om people: Language lea ning spaces in Finnish as a o eign language s uden s’ cha du ing he co id-19…
h ps://www.kieli e kos o. i/ i/jou nals/kieli-koulu us-ja-yh eiskun a-syyskuu-2020/ihmisil a-poissa-away- om-people-language-lea ning-spaces-in…
5/11
e en coun y. He e, a s uden who has had o lea e Canada and a el o he amily home in he
Uni ed S a es, w i es an upda e:

Exce p 3: In he US wi h amily
The s uden w i es: <I am home, in he US wi h amily and I am eally good!> The quick upda e
in o ms he pee s abou he new loca ion: she has sa ely managed o eloca e,and she is al igh .
A pee eplies <Good sounds…> s a ing ha i is posi i e news o hea ha she is home and
well.Du ing cha , i is possible o he s uden s o change loca ionand pa icipa e om di e en
loca ions, wi hou in e up ing he flow o con e sa ion.
As s uden sa e indi e en places a e he lockdown, hey also sha e di e en wea he upda es
om many dis an loca ions a ound No h Ame ica, which becomes a common cha ac i i y. In
addi ion, s uden s sha e upda es omp oximi y o hei homes. In he ollowing exce p , a
s uden s a s he con e sa ion by sha ing a pho o o a snowy scene y cap u ed h ougha
window in hei home:

Exce p 4: Easy o s ay away om people

15.9.2020
“Ihmisil ä poissa” – away om people: Language lea ning spaces in Finnish as a o eign language s uden s’ cha du ing he co id-19…
h ps://www.kieli e kos o. i/ i/jou nals/kieli-koulu us-ja-yh eiskun a-syyskuu-2020/ihmisil a-poissa-away- om-people-language-lea ning-spaces-in…
6/11
Al hough i is al eady la e Ma ch, he en y ea u es a snowy,win e y,and emp y esiden ial
s ee . The commen says <snowing in Ohio> and is ollowed by anemoji wi h a d op o swea in
he o ehead, indica ing pe haps a sign o us a ion. The o he s uden ’s esponse “oooo”
implica es shockand confi ms ha he wea he is su p isingly poo o he season. A he same
ime he ollowing commen <i is easy o s ay indoo s!! away om people>
indica esencou agemen and a posi i e ake on he si ua ion: because he wea he is no
in i ing, i is easie o ollow physical dis ancing o de s.Du ing he
co onasp ing,s uden smos ly iewed he wo ld om he wa m h and sa e y o hei home.
La e , ano he s uden publishes an en y which is also cap u ed in he ga den.In he commen
he s uden w i es ha she is s aying a home and commen s ha in he loca ion, sp ing is
al eady p og essing:<We a e s aying home now. Sp ing is he e and ha is nice…>:

Exce p 5: Home
15.9.2020
“Ihmisil ä poissa” – away om people: Language lea ning spaces in Finnish as a o eign language s uden s’ cha du ing he co id-19…
h ps://www.kieli e kos o. i/ i/jou nals/kieli-koulu us-ja-yh eiskun a-syyskuu-2020/ihmisil a-poissa-away- om-people-language-lea ning-spaces-in…
7/11
Righ a e ha shesha es a pic u e o he wo pe s. A pee eplies wi h a complimen <aww nice
pho os!! Dog and ca a e cu e!!> ollowed by a wish ha he pee is no oo s essed du ing
heco ona ime. As he opic o physical and social isola ion is p e alen in he cha h oughou ,
pee s o en o e suppo . Al hough hepee ’scommen abou s ess does no di ec ly ela e o
hese pic u esi desc ibes he common discussion opic and hemood o many pa icipan s
du ing he lockdown imes.
Th oughou he cha ,pee s sha e glimpses o hei li esa e  he lockdown ea u ing emp y
spaces in big me opolises, owns, ci ycen e s, u ala eas,and na u e.A common ea u e
inall hese en iesis ha no o he peoplecan beseen. In he ollowing exce p , a s uden sha es
an image om a quie s ee in he home own:
15.9.2020
“Ihmisil ä poissa” – away om people: Language lea ning spaces in Finnish as a o eign language s uden s’ cha du ing he co id-19…
h ps://www.kieli e kos o. i/ i/jou nals/kieli-koulu us-ja-yh eiskun a-syyskuu-2020/ihmisil a-poissa-away- om-people-language-lea ning-spaces-in…
8/11

Exce p 6: In Richmond now
The pho o is cap u ed h ough a ca window; he b ie commen says <in Richmond now>. A
commen <how quie i is> om a pee ollows. The pho o unc ions as a “loca ion upda e”- he
s uden is in he home ownwhe e he usually busy s ee s a e suddenly emp y.In all he pic u es
ha s uden s a e sha ing o public places, people a e sa elyindoo s,and heplaces a e emp y.
He e again, he sha ed image o e s a window oeach o he s’expe iences (see also Combe &
Cod eanu 2016: 123).
Due o he co id-19- ime physical dis ancing heal h egula ions, esiden s in No h Ame ica
whe e asked o s ay home as much as possible and keep physical dis ance om o he people
ou side hei immedia e amily.In all he exce p sabo e, s uden s ha e sha ed images om hei
cu en loca ions a o nea  hei home. When he s uden s go ou , hey sha e pho os and
commen a ies om emp y isola ed places whe e he e a e no o he people. The ac ha he
s uden s a e ac i ely and genuinely pa icipa ing in he class cha om hese places
showsmo i a ion: ia cha ing hey can di ec hei own lea ningin o meaning ul opics, lea n
hings ha a e ele an o hem and be in con ac wi h o he s uden s (see Biggs 1995: 3−4).
Discussion and conclusions
In his a icle we ha e demons a ed some o he co id-19- ela ed cha en ies he s uden s
sha ed when seeing classma es in pe son was no possible. We ha e ocused on he spaces
Finnish lea ne s discussin he class cha and some o he discou ses ela ed o hese spaces.
Du ing he co id-19 pandemic,s uden s sha ed upda es om, o example, homes, backya ds,
ga dens, andhome owns ee s.
15.9.2020
“Ihmisil ä poissa” – away om people: Language lea ning spaces in Finnish as a o eign language s uden s’ cha du ing he co id-19…
h ps://www.kieli e kos o. i/ i/jou nals/kieli-koulu us-ja-yh eiskun a-syyskuu-2020/ihmisil a-poissa-away- om-people-language-lea ning-spaces-in…
9/11
In wha seemed like a spon aneous and au hen ic manne , s uden spos ed snapsho s o hei
li es and engaged in eal,meaning ul,and suppo i e in e ac ion in he a ge language,Finnish.
Mul imodal cues,such as pho os and ideos,suppo ed his communica ion.The easy access o
he ins an cha allowed s uden s o pa icipa e a hei con enience, making he di ision
be ween in and ou side o class lea ning less dis inc . As weha e shown he e, s uden s sha ed
au hen ic glimpseso  hei li es wi h he pa icipan s.
Rema kably,e enamid heunce ain and pe haps s ess ul imes, pa icipan s managed o keep
hei Finnish class pee s upda ed o hei ac i i ies, ( e)loca ions and well-being. Meanwhile, he
cha discou se also o e ed nume ous oppo uni ies o p ac ice and lea n Finnish.The objec i e
o he ask was pa icipa ion inFinnishin a mo e elaxed and in o mal way, and hus we as
ins uc o s only obse ed bu did no moni o he con e sa ion. We obse ed di e en le els o
ac i i y h oughou he cha om di e en s uden s bu he e we e no significan changes in
ac i i y a e he ansi ion o emo e eaching.
The use o a mobile applica ion enabled s uden s o ake language use and inciden al lea ning
wi h hem whe e e heywen .They managed okeep in ouch e en inasi ua ion whe e physical
dis ancing was en o ced,and s uden swe eab up lyloca edallo e No h Ame ica due he
co id-19 pandemic. In his pape ,we ha e demons a ed ha wi h heeasy access and usabili y
o mobile de ices,s uden s can con enien ly sha e snapsho s om hei li es and commi
oa egula language lea ning p ac ice ha goes beyond he class oom and homewo k.

Elisa Räsänen, MA, is a Lec u e in Finnish language and cul u e a Indiana Uni e si y, Blooming on,
USA.
AnuMuhonen, PhD, is an Assis an P o esso o Finnish S udies a he Uni e si y o To on o,
Canada.

Re e ences
Biggs, J. (1995). Assessing o lea ning: some dimensions unde lying new app oaches
oeduca ional assessmen .The Albe a Jou nal o Educa ional Resea ch, 41(1). s. 1–18.
Bogdano , M., Vaa ala, H. & Tammelin-Laine, T. (2019).Pe us aido hal uun: älypuhelin osana
aikuis en luku ai o-oppijoiden moniluku ai oa.Kielikukko, 39 (2), 2–9.
Jin, L. (2018).Digi al a o dances on WeCha : lea ning Chinese as a second language. Compu e
Assis ed Language lea ning (1–2)31, 27–52.
Kelly S.W. (2012) Inciden al Lea ning. In: Seel N.M. (eds) Encyclopedia o he Sciences o
Lea ning.Sp inge , Bos on, MA.h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_366
(h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/978-1-4419-1428-6_366)