Vastasaapuneet ja osallisuuden rakentuminen yhteisissä ja erillisissä luokkahuoneissa

This article examines the ways in which newly arrived pupils are integrated into the school community and how pupils are supported in adopting the language of instruction. We see language learning as a socialization process: language is for interaction, and through language we situate ourselves in social reality. The article draws on two data sources: a survey of preparatory education teachers in Finland and research project publications drawing on ethnographic data collected in preparatory classes. The survey responses indicate that in some schools, the basis for the integration of newly arrived pupils has been built into the school culture; in others, structures such as group size and spatial arrangement challenge the creation of functional practices. The classroom studies suggest that in the early stages of language learning, learners benefit the most from the linguistic model of their peers, while later, when learning subject- specific content, teachers’ support is crucial for them.