Speaking Boost · B1 · Lesson 39 of 50
Speaking Boost B1 · Block 8: Society and Environment

What can we learn from Finnish schools?

Children start at seven, little homework, teachers with master's degrees. Learn what made Finnish schools famous, design the school of the future, and speak at a parent-teacher meeting.

1

Warm-up

5 min
1.1

School days

Answer and give a real example for each one.

  1. What was your favourite subject at school? Why?
  2. Who was the best teacher you ever had?
  3. Did you have a lot of homework?
  4. What did school teach you that you still use today?
  5. What do you wish school had taught you?
  6. Are you still learning something new now?
2

Words and phrases

10 min
2.1

New words

For each word or phrase, say one true sentence about your school experience or education today.

2.2

Which word?

Choose the word or phrase that fits.

  1. Programming has been added to the school .
  2. I had three hours of every day.
  3. At school, we had to dates and poems.
  4. Schools should teach so kids can spot fake news.
  5. She was worried about her .
  6. Copying from your neighbour in a test is a way to .
  7. Our teacher never smiled and had lots of rules. She was very .
  8. He of university to start a business.
2.3

Opposites and pairs

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

  1. to pass ↔ to
  2. a classroom lesson ↔
  3. to learn by heart = to
  4. learning all your life =
  5. money for studying =
  6. strict ↔
2.4

Useful phrases

Use each phrase to talk about education.

  • When I was at school, we used to...Коли я навчався(-лася) в школі, ми...When I was at school, we used to stand up when the teacher came in.
  • Children should be taught...Дітей треба вчити...Children should be taught how to manage money.
  • ... should be banned / allowed...... треба заборонити / дозволити...Phones should be banned in classrooms.
  • What I liked most about school was...Що мені найбільше подобалося в школі, так це...What I liked most about school was my friends.
  • I wish school had taught me...Шкода, що школа не навчила мене...I wish school had taught me how to speak in public.
  • The education system needs to...Системі освіти потрібно...The education system needs to focus more on practical skills.
  • Learning by heart is (not) useful because...Завчання напам'ять (не) корисне, бо...Learning by heart is useful because it trains your memory.
  • It's never too late to learn.Вчитися ніколи не пізно.My mum started university at 50. It's never too late to learn.
3

Read and react

8 min
3.1

The Finnish model

Read the article. Hover over the dotted words for help.

What can we learn from Finnish schools?

In the early 2000s, the world was surprised. In the international PISA tests, which compare 15-year-olds' reading, maths and science, a small Nordic country came near the top: Finland. Education experts from all over the world started visiting Finnish schools to find out the secret.

What they found looked strange to many. Finnish children start school at seven, later than in most countries. School days are fairly short, with frequent breaks, often outside. There is relatively little homework, and there are no national standardised exams until the end of upper secondary school.

Perhaps the most important difference is teachers. In Finland, teaching is a highly respected profession, and teachers need a master's degree. Getting into teacher training is very competitive. Teachers have a lot of freedom to decide how to teach.

However, the story isn't perfect. In recent PISA tests, Finland's results have fallen, as in many other countries, and Finns are now discussing what has gone wrong, from smartphones to reading habits.

Still, the Finnish model raises important questions for every country: should children start school later? Should homework be reduced? Should teachers be paid and respected more? There's no single answer, but the debate is worth having.

3.2

True or false?

  1. Finland did very well in PISA tests in the early 2000s.
  2. Finnish children start school at five.
  3. There is a lot of homework in Finnish schools.
  4. Finnish teachers need a master's degree.
  5. Finland's PISA results have always continued to rise.
3.3

What do you think?

  1. Which part of the Finnish model would you like in Ukraine?
  2. Should children start school later? Why?
  3. Is homework useful?
  4. Why is it important that teachers are respected?
4

Grammar for speaking

10 min
4.1

Grammar for speaking

Modal passive: modal + be + past participle

Saying what is necessary, possible or recommended (when the doer isn't important).

Phones should be banned. Homework must be done on time. Languages can be learnt at any age.

will be + past participle

Future passive.

More lessons will be taught online.

Active vs passive

Passive = focus on the action or the object.

Teachers should teach critical thinking. → Critical thinking should be taught.

Common modals: should be, must be, can be, could be, might be, has to be, needs to be. Careful: ✗ Phones should banned. ✗ It can be learn → It can be learnt / learned.

4.2

Choose the right form

  1. Phones
    in class.
  2. Languages
    at any age.
  3. Homework
    before Monday.
  4. In the future, more exams
    online.
  5. Teachers
    more.
  6. Critical thinking
    in every school.
  7. This problem
    with more money.
  8. Uniforms
    compulsory.
4.3

Fix the mistake

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

  1. Phones should banned in schools. →
  2. English can be learn online. →
  3. Homework must be do every day. →
  4. Teachers should be pay more. →
  5. More lessons will teach online. →
  6. The rules has to be changed. →
4.4

Talk about it

Answer in detail. Use the modal passive.

  1. What should be taught at school that isn't taught now?
  2. What should be removed from the school curriculum?
  3. Should phones be banned in schools? Why?
  4. How were you taught at school? What was done differently from today?
  5. What can be learnt better online than in a classroom?
  6. How will children be taught in 2050?
5

Design the school of the future

8 min
5.1

Three schools

Compare the three schools. Which would you choose for your child (or would you have liked for yourself)? What should be taken from each one?

School A

The traditional

  • Uniforms, strict rules, lots of homework
  • Exams every term
  • Excellent university results
  • Students often stressed
School B

The free school

  • No grades, no homework
  • Students choose what to learn
  • Lots of projects and outdoor time
  • Some parents worry about exams
School C

The digital school

  • Every student has a laptop
  • Half the lessons online
  • AI tutors help with homework
  • Less time with friends
5.2

Your dream school

Describe it in detail using the passive where natural.

  1. What would be taught at your dream school?
  2. Would there be homework, grades and uniforms?
  3. How would teachers be chosen and paid?
  4. What would a typical school day look like?
6

Personal questions

10 min
6.1

Part I: Me

  1. What do you remember best from school?
  2. Did you ever cheat in a test?
  3. Did you wear a uniform? Did you like it?
  4. What is the most useful thing you learnt at school?
  5. Did you go to university? Was it worth it?
  6. What are you learning at the moment?
  7. Do you prefer learning online or in a classroom?
  8. Which teacher changed your life?
6.2

Part II: Other people

  1. Should children start school at six or seven?
  2. Is private education better than public education?
  3. Should university be free?
  4. Should parents help with homework?
  5. How did distance learning affect children in Ukraine?
  6. Should teachers be allowed to give homework at weekends?
6.3

Part III: Thinking deeper

  1. Will AI replace teachers?
  2. Is school preparing children for the real world?
  3. Should exams be abolished?
  4. Is a university degree still worth it?
  5. Should creativity be graded?
  6. What is the purpose of education?
7

Roleplay

10 min
7.1

The parent-teacher meeting

You

Parent

Your child's school wants to introduce a new rule (choose one: no phones at all, no homework, or a school uniform). At a meeting with the head teacher, give your opinion:
  • say what you think about the new rule and why
  • give examples from your child's life or your own school
  • suggest how it should be done
  • find a compromise
Speak for at least 3 minutes in total. Use the modal passive (should be..., must be..., can be...).
Your teacher

Head teacher

Defends the rule and says things like:
  1. Other schools have done this successfully.
  2. The children will get used to it.
  3. We've thought about this carefully.
  4. What would you suggest instead?
7.2

The education minister

You

Minister of education

You are the new minister of education. Present three big changes to the school system:
  • what will be changed and why
  • how it will be done
  • what parents and teachers will have to do
  • what students will gain
You do most of the talking. Use: ... will be introduced · ... should be taught · ... can be done... · The education system needs to...
Your teacher

Journalist

Asks tough questions, for example:
  1. Who will pay for this?
  2. Are teachers ready?
  3. What about exams?
  4. Won't children be confused?
8

Debate

7 min
8.1

Agree or disagree?

"Homework should be banned."

Ideas for

Children need time to play, rest and be with family. Homework increases stress and inequality. Finland gives little homework and had great results.

Ideas against

Homework helps students practise and remember. It teaches discipline. Without it, children would spend even more time on screens.

Round 1: give your real opinion for 1–2 minutes. Round 2: defend the opposite side for 1 minute. Use: Homework should be... · Children can be taught... · When I was at school... · On balance...

9

Homework

at home

Your homework score

Do all four exercises, then press Check all homework. Correct answers will appear next to your mistakes.

– / 30
H1

Complete with a word

curriculumhomeworkmemorisecritical thinkingstrictcheatdropped outtuition fees
  1. Art and music should be part of the .
  2. We got too much at school.
  3. I had to the whole poem.
  4. Children need to learn to spot fake news.
  5. Our head teacher was very .
  6. It's wrong to in exams.
  7. She of college after a year.
  8. University in some countries are very high.
H2

Modal passive: choose the correct form

  1. Phones in class.
  2. English online.
  3. The essay by Friday.
  4. More exams online.
  5. Teachers more.
  6. This better.
  7. Uniforms compulsory.
  8. Critical thinking .
H3

Correct or incorrect?

Decide if each sentence is grammatically correct.

  1. Phones should be banned in class.
  2. English can be learn at any age.
  3. Homework must be done on time.
  4. Teachers should be pay more.
  5. More lessons will be taught online.
  6. The rules has to be changed.
  7. This problem could be solved easily.
H4

Match the two halves

  1. When I was at school,
  2. Children should be taught
  3. Phones should be
  4. What I liked most about school was
  5. I wish school had taught me
  6. The education system needs to
  7. My mum started university at 50.

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© Yevheniia Kolesnykova, Academy of Languages. All rights reserved. No copying or reuse without written permission.