#49 English Language In Finnish Schools

I Don't Own The Music

Do you remember your first time studying English in school? Was it a second language for you or your first? Did you already know how to speak the language, when you started or was it hard because you had no clue on what was happening? What type of school where you in, have you actually gained something from studying English in school. What if you didn't? Did you learn it yourself, or are you using Google to translate what I am writing? Just think about it for a minute, before you start reading. 

I still remember when I went to the entrance exams to Komeetta School, when I was about to finish kindergarten. I had to take a Finnish test and an English test, to see where both of my languages were at. Of course, at this point, grammar was not the main point of the test, but to see if I actually knew English enough to succeed in the English class. When I finally did make it to the school, we started like any other school, and when we had English lessons we went through grammar, and also read books. I had myself already read books before, but when I started reading in Komeetta I started from level zero because I didn't know how to write the word "all". But through my time in primary school, I got a really good base for the English language, and it helped me transition to middle school. The only problem that ended up occurring was then the lack of grammar studying when I got older so in fifth and sixth grade. From there onwards, we've concentrated on everything else, which would be really hard for someone who doesn't have the base, which you get from an English school.

"Today's lesson went really well. We did trot and canter work on circles. The horse was really nice and relaxed to ride, and moved well throughout his whole body." 

From what I have heard, from my friends who have gone to a pure Finnish school, they usually start learning English only in fourth grade. Which makes the learning of the language harder, even though now they hear English nearly everywhere they go, but it doesn't really help if they don't know what it means. And they never really get the base, that they would need to transition away from a Finnish school, in middle school since they haven't had enough time to study the grammar, and it takes them a lot longer to learn English. So then when they end up going to middle school, they still continue with the grammar, even though they should already know the basic grammar and be able to speak and write English. In most Finnish schools at least in Espoo and Helsinki, they have to do a National English test, which does affect their English grade. The test they have to take is quite hard, and most of my friends who did it, barely passed and I myself got a good grade, just because the teacher made mistakes while marking. So why should the schools make students take a test, which they will most likely fail, just because of their lack of knowledge?

I have friends who have now for high school decided to transfer into a Finnish school for many different reasons. They don't only have a problem with learning the terms in Finnish for their lessons, but also "downgrading" their English skills to match the level where the rest of the class is. I remember listening to my friends’ say how their grades have dropped sometimes, just because they have a wider vocabulary than what even the teacher has. Since they know more words, they'd rather use the fancier words that they know instead of using the words that they are learning. Since the teacher doesn't know the word, or they are not "allowed" to know the specific word yet it is marked wrong. But is this right towards the students that know more, or should the English lessons step up their game, and let the students who know more use their knowledge.

"During today's lesson we did a lot of work on circles, trying to get the horse to flex, and we also did some leg yield.At the end, we cantered for a while, which went well, even though I was a little nervous at the beginning."

I don't really know what to say about this except that the idea of Finnish people not knowing how to speak English in high school horrifies me. I'm just sort of scared that the people who don't know how to speak English will be stuck working in Finland since not knowing English closes a lot of doors. But you can see how much it actually affects your future, especially if you don't know how to speak English. It wouldn't take that much effort to just start teaching English in first grade. Or would it? But not knowing English well enough does close doors for many people, and how many of the Finns are stuck in Finland just because they didn't learn English in first grade. Finland is quite a small country, how long do you think you can progress in your work, till you realise that you need English. 

Finns who understood everything that I wrote, be proud of yourself and leave a comment on your personal experience of studying English in Finland. 

#48 You Are The One For Me

I Don't Own The Music

Things have been rough again, and it feels like life has been testing me again. Trying to see at what point will I break. I have reached my breaking point, and the only thing I want to do is hide, from all the things that are happening. Especially from school, I have a long list of things that I need to get done during the weekend, and I don't really know if I can do them. I'm just not sure if I'm capable of doing everything, but I have to try, because I only have a week till ski break, and I'm planning on only working my math. 

But I am so happy though, I got to see my little boy again and he was really nice, and didn't seem that pissed off, even though I had been away for over a week.  And I got to ride him too, and the last time that I rode him was about three weeks ago. Because things haven't been really going our way, but today at least everything seemed quite fine. Which made me really happy, and I had already forgotten how nice it is to ride him. I just for the time I was riding him all the things going on in my mind, and I just concentrated on him. I haven't had that feeling in a while, and after today being a crappy day, it was exactly what I needed. I swear he knows each time, what he needs to do when I come and see me to make me happy. Even when he is being a bitch, he makes me smile, it just takes a little longer, but then I forget everything that is going on in my mind. I don't even know what to say about him, except that he has taught me more than what I could ever possibly learn. He is an exact mirror image of me, and reflects exactly what I am feeling, and I love him for that. 

My little winner <3

#47 You and I Together Forever

I Don't Own The Music

You are everything to me, and there is nothing that I would not do for you. You are not just a horse to me you are the horse, I don't even always see you as a horse, because you are my best friend, my everything.  You are my life, and everything that I do is to keep you safe, and with me as long as possible. And I'm glad you have been my friend for these years, because I have had the time of my life.  

          

I'm glad that I have been able to share these good moments with you, because you mean everything to me. Every time I see you, I smile because you make me so happy. Everything you do makes me happy, but when you don't seem happy it gets to me, and I start to wonder where have I gone wrong, because I wish that I could also make you happy.

 The way you see life is so different. You don't mind what happens, a bomb could explode next to you and you wouldn't move unless I did. You are not a horse, and I know that, because you act like a dog. You are loyal, and you never betray me. You are the best person to be around, but you have to be able to choose yourself who is around you.

#46 We Have Had The Time of Our Lives

Change is good right?

Because I don't know really, at first it feels good. But after a while, it doesn't feel good anymore. So is change bad then. What if you are the one who has controlled the change. The one who has decided that there has to be change, knowing that the change is not good. That the change will not have a positive impact on your life, but you still had to choose that change, because it was the right thing do to. What if you later decide that you want to go back in time, and reverse the change. Go back to normal, or at least what you thought of as normal before. What if you just want to go back and change everything, do everything differently, because you can't deal with the change anymore. I'm on the verger of a breaking point, because I don't know what to do. Do I want the change, or not. I've had a lot of change in the past year, and I don't know if I can stand more change. I know that the change could maybe be the right thing, but I don't really know. Is it. I'm more scared of me regretting the change that I choose. And I could never go back in time again, it would be done, and you couldn't turn back and decide that you don't want that to happen. What if that happens? Will I be able to live with myself after that anymore. I don't think so. Will I ever be able to go back to who I was before the change. Because this will impact my life so much, I don't know is it good or is it bad. I'm not sure about any of it. I wish I was, because it would make me life 100 times easier, if I could fast forward in time, and see if the change is good, or is the change bad. Because then I could actually choose, then I would know, and I would know that I would not have to live in regret ever again. I've gone through similar situations before, but those times it hasn't been my choice, my decision to change something that should not be changed. Those times it has been easier, there hasn't been any regret, because it hasn't been my choice. I've had no power over those changes, I've had no control over them, I've just over time had to learn to accept the change, and live with it. 

#45 Why Do I Miss Everything?

I Don't Own The Music

Why do I end up missing everything that I thought that I would never feel like missing anymore. There is nothing that I would change in where I am now, but I still somehow miss all the things I used to have before. I miss all the fun I used to have with all my friends. All the stupid things we did when no one was watching. I just miss everything, all the things I thought that I would never miss again I miss. I just wish that I could go back to where I was before. 

My life was full then, I had everything I was living a dream, but not anymore. Till two days ago I thought that my life was full and I had everything that I need, but it's not true. I'm missing so much. I really just wish that I could go back to where I was before. I miss all the competing, I miss the everyday training, being able to be alone going to the stables, and just being with him. The one that I care about, but now all of that is gone. I don't have anything anymore. I just have him, but it doesn't feel like he is mine, because he is so far away. I miss show jumping, I miss it more than anything, I just wish I could go back. I can't do what I love anymore, and I feel like quitting. I just don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to share my horse with everyone, because he's mine. I'm fine with sharing him with my mother, but others I don't want to share him with. I want to be with him everyday, and if I can't why do I even do this. There is no point in doing something I love, if I don't care about it anymore. Especially, when everyone else is having fun training with their friends and I'm stuck at a small stable alone, not being able to do the things that I love. It's not fair. I just want to quit, my horse is sick I need to listen to people tell me that I should buy a new horse, but what if I don't want to, because it will never be the same. I just hate all of this. I've had enough of people lecturing me how my horse should be put down and that I should buy an new horse. I don't want a new horse, I just want to quit. I've had enough this is driving me insane. I want to put him down and quit for good, never come back again. I see no point in anything anymore. I just don't want to do this without him, I want to keep him, but according to other people it's time to put him down, so why don't I just do that and then give up. I see no point in trying again, because I know that I will fail again, as a person, and as a rider, and I don't know what to do with that anymore. I'll just listen to other people talking shit about me. I don't want to do any of this anymore. I just quit. There's no point in continuing, especially if I'm no good at what I do. I see no point in wasting my life with this, because I will never get anywhere. All of this was just a phase in my life, and it disappeared like everyone told me at one point, it will go away so there is no point in trying to build your whole life around it, because you will no be doing this for the rest of your life. 

I quit!

#44 Sorry For The Long Wait

I Don't Own The Music

Viime postauksesta on kolme kuukautta. En edes tiedä mihin kaikki tämä aika on hävinnyt. Tuntuu siltä että koulu olisi vasta alkanut. Lokakuu meni hujauksessa. Hihs tuli ja meni, minun syntymäpäivä tuli ja meni. Kavereiten syntymäpäivät myös, sekä kaikki muut koulu hommat ja hevonen. Ainiin ja 10 päivän syysloma. Ja uusi kamera ja putki, koska vanha yritti sanoa itseään irti kolmen vuoden jälkeen.

Tänne minun puolelleni kuuluu hyvää Lare on todella hyvä nykyään ratsataa ja hoitaa, siinä ei ole mitään ongelmia, kaikki toimii todella hyvin vaikkakin joudutiin siirtymään pellolta kentälle. Ollaan silti mahduttu todella hyvin. Unohdinko mainita että ensi lumi satoi tänään etelä suomeen, ei kyllä ollut yhtään ikävä.

(c) Inka

Koulusta ei edes tarvitse keskustella, sillä siellä ei tapahdu mitään koska en tee mitään, ja kun olis 55 minuutin ruoka tunti jolloin normaalit ihmiset syö, minä istun lattialla mietimässä mitä oikeasti teen elämälläni tai pelaan puhelimella. Siinä olisi oiva aika postauksien kirjoitamiseen tai kouluun panostamiseen, muttei vaan mitenkään enää jaksa. Hihsistä tulee oma postaus sillä olin expossa kolmena päivänä töissä ja yhtenä päivänä minulla oli ihan liput ja menin katsomaan näytöksiä. Pitää vain saada kuvat käytyä läpi ja editoitua. Sama on alku syyslomasta jolloin olin perheeni kanssa Dubaissa, josta on jossain vaiheessa marraskuuta toivottavasti tulossa oma postaus ihanien kesäisien kuvien kera. Ja nyt pitää iskeä naama takaisin oppikirjoihin jotta pysyy jotenkin vielä opinnot hallinassa.

(c) Inka

Kannattaa muuten seurata sosiaalisessa mediassa jos haluaa realiaikaisi kuvia ja päivityksiä.
Snap Chat: air0000
Instagram: _mc_claren_ ja alice_reinius

#43 I love You To The Moon And Back

It's now been two years since you became mine, and from that day on I have loved you, hated you and had both feelings at the same time. But right now I love you more than words can describe. I'm proud of you and I trust you. I trust you more than what I have ever before. I don't know why, but I don't care either, the main point is that I still have you and you are still here with me. We have had a really rough patch and I hope it would end and you could come back home. I just hope that you would get better and stay better, so that I could keep you till the day you die. But if you don't I know that the only right decision is to let you go. I just don't want to think of it that way, but that's the only way that I've been thinking of. I'm scared of loosing you, but I'm also scared of keeping you.