Q: As an educator, what is my role in the service?

We’ve made things as easy as possible for educators. You have your own username and password that you use to log in to the application for your learners' daily games. The children each have their own account, and they will soon learn to navigate the application by themselves. You will hold the keys to the kingdom, so to speak, but the learning is up to them. As an educator, you will also have access to our playful sessions. You are free to use them as you wish. There are written pre-planned 30-to-45-minute group sessions for each topic that you can use with your group, or you can pick and choose from a variety of activities and use them when it works for you.

Q: What is the theory base of your learning method?

We don’t subscribe to one single learning theory. Instead, we combine a variety of theories. Some of these include communicative language teaching, Lev Vygotsky’s ‘zone of proximal development’ and learning as a social process, John Dewey’s idea of learning by doing, and Hermann Ebbinghaus’s memory research.

Q: What is your curriculum based on?

Our curriculum are based on the Finnish early education curriculum and principles, as well as language immersion and spaced learning. This means that children learn the new language by listening, repeating, and playing with the language in various situations and through interaction - just like they learned their mother tongue. Children learn about their environment in the new language through exploration, active learning and artistic expression to name a few.

Q: How broad is the curriculum?

The full scope of the service is approximately 3,5 years of daily learning. The service supports all areas of language learning – listening, speaking, reading and writing – with a special focus on conversation.

Q: What are your themes and vocabulary based on?

Our vocabulary base covers core vocabulary and high-frequency words from for example the Dolch word list, and the Cambridge Young Learners English requirements. The themes both support the vocabulary and reflect children’s real experiences and interests from everyday chores to space.

Q: Do you only teach vocabulary?

No, we don’t. There are simple conversational sentences included from day one. As the curriculum progresses, the content will gradually become more immersive and sentence-based, and more complex grammar structures are introduced. In the beginning, however, the focus is on building vocabulary and getting to know the new language. 

Q: Does Moomin Language School teach speech and pronunciation?

Yes, it does. Both the application and the playful sessions include activities specifically designed to practice proper pronunciation and encourage conversation. 

Q: How does Moomin Language School teach communication skills?

There are simple conversational sentences and polite language use in the application from day one. The playful sessions are designed to encourage children to use what they have learned in the application to communicate with each other and the teacher/educator.

Q: Does Moomin Language School teach any other skills than language?

The many benefits of early language learning are well documented, but that’s not the only way our service supports children’s development. Digital and fine motor skills are enhanced, naturally. The stories in the service teach empathy, everyday skills, interesting facts about nature and different cultures, just to mention a few. Additionally, the wide variety of activities in the application and the playful sessions develop children's 21st century skills, such as creativity and problem-solving skills.

Q: How does Moomin Language School encourage creativity in children?

The service includes creativity in both the application and the playful lessons. The application teaches language in a way that leaves room for the children’s interpretation. There are little stories everywhere. Every week there are also new extracurricular activities like coloring, puzzles, rhymes, and songs. The playful sessions include crafts and many other activities that boost creativity as well as language skills.

Q: Does Moomin Language School teach 21st century skills?

Yes, it does. The various 21st century skills, otherwise known as transversal competences, go hand in hand with the principles of Finnish education, and they have been taken into consideration in the planning of the service. We also continue to build them into the service as we develop it further.

Q: What happens in the playful sessions?

Each session consists of three parts. The session begins with circle time, where the children connect and orientate to the session as a group. Then children do various activities such as physical games, drama, arts and crafts, and singing songs. These activities are related to the theme of the week, encouraging children to speak and use the language they’ve learned. At the end of the session, the group comes back together to connect, ground themselves and say goodbye to each other. The playful sessions have been designed to be flexible and enable teachers and educators to choose the parts that work for them and adapt them for their learners' level and needs. 

Q: Do the playful sessions come in languages other than English?

We currently offer playful sessions only in English. However, the sessions are available to all our teachers and educators, so there is no reason why you couldn’t adapt the games and activities to your group’s needs in other languages, too. If you do, we’d love to hear about your experience!

Q: I don’t speak fluent English. Can I still use Moomin Language School and organize the playful sessions for children?

Yes, you can. The service does not expect the children to already know English. The instructions of the playful sessions are in English, but they are very clearly written and planned with visual cues. All the poems and songs have been pre-recorded by our native English-speaking voice actors, so that you can concentrate on your role in supporting the children’s learning journey.

Q: I work with children who have special needs. Will Moomin Language School work for them?

We have had good experiences with all kinds of learners. For example, kids who have language development delays have improved their mother tongue skills along with their new language skills. Research supports our experiences, but you are the expert on your students. All we can say is that they might surprise you!

Q: I want to use the service with my class. What do I do?

We’re glad to hear it! You can begin by contacting our reseller in your area. If there is no Moomin Language School distributor where you are, please send us a message and we’ll help you along.