Multilingual civic orientation is a course in which immigrants receive information about Finnish society in their native language or another language they are fluent in.
The aim is to give immigrants an idea of how Finnish society works and to support and accelerate their entry into society. Provisions on multilingual civic orientation are laid down in the Act on the Promotion of Integration (section 25, 681/2023, hereinafter the Integration Act). Multilingual civic orientation is part of the municipal integration programme, i.e. the initial service package for integration. The content of the integration programme is laid down in section 13 of the Integration Act. In addition, provisions on the content and organisation of multilingual civic orientation are laid down in Government Decree 576/2024.
The focus of multilingual civic orientation is on native language and dialogicity
The key factors in multilingual civic orientation are native language and dialogicity. The trainer is a person who has a good command of both the language of instruction and Finnish or Swedish, and who is also very familiar with Finnish society, the service system and culture. It is an advantage if the trainer is as familiar as possible with the countries and societies of origin of the participants in the civic orientation. Such a trainer is best able to explain the features of Finnish society in an understandable way. The law or decree does not specify the qualifications required of the trainer, but the organising municipality or employment area can decide for itself what kind of competence is required of the trainer.
In addition to native language, a key aspect of multilingual civic orientation teaching is dialogicity, i.e. the opportunity to ask questions and discuss things learned. This supports learning and strengthens the client's participation and agency. The goal is for clients to gain an overall picture of what Finnish society is like and how it has shaped itself into what it is today. Multilingual civic orientation cannot be replaced by, for example, videos watched independently or information sessions that provide information about local services.
Can civic orientation be studied independently?
The duration of multilingual civic orientation is defined in the Government Decree as at least 70 hours of teaching and independent study. In principle, it should be implemented in the form of teaching. Independent study should only be offered when the languages that the integration client knows are so rare that group-based teaching or teaching through an interpreter is not possible. Self-study can also be considered when the integration client's background and skills are sufficient for self-study.
For more information about the implementation of civic orientation: [email protected].
