“Ihmisiltä poissa” – away from people : language learning spaces in Finnish as a foreign language students’ chat during the covid-19 pandemic

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)