The Finnish Education System (Upper-Intermediate ESL Lesson Plan)

ESL/EFL Level: B2/C1 (Upper-Intermediate)
Lesson Topics: education, Finland, teaching
Skill Focus: Reading, Speaking, Vocabulary
Approximate Class Time: 1.75 hours
Lesson Plan Download: finnish-education-upper-intermediate-032025.docx

  • The lesson begins with a quotation from Benjamin Franklin about education. Students discuss the quotation and three other warm-up questions about education.
  • The reading passage is 228 words in length. It describes the merits of the Finnish education system, focusing on his teaching methods and culture.
  • The passage is followed by comprehension and follow-up questions.
  • Next, students review the ten vocabulary items by matching them to their corresponding definitions.
  • After vocabulary matching, students form discussion questions with the target vocabulary.
  • As a speaking activity, the lesson has two debate prompts: one about whether education should be free and the second about separating boys and girls in classes.
  • This is followed by two roleplays. In the first, a concerned parent discusses his child's academic performance with his teacher. In the second, a husband tries to convince his wife to move his family to Finland to take advantage of their superior education system.
  • Finally, the lesson ends with a review of vocabulary and collocations before presenting some final discussion questions.
  • Note: This lesson was originally published in 2014 but was revised and expanded in March 2025.

An image of students learning in Finland (AI-Generated)

UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2/C1) Lesson on Education

Warm-up-Questions

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” - Benjamin Franklin

  1. What does this quotation mean? Do you think it’s true?
  2. Who was your favorite teacher when you were in school? What did you like about him or her?
  3. Which teacher did you dislike? Why?
  4. What is the purpose of school? Make a list of its objectives with a partner.

Membership is required to view this post. Please support EnglishCurrent by becoming a member today. Members, please log in.

Comprehension Question Answer Key

  1. ...
  2. Finnish teachers must have a Master’s degree, and only about 10% of applicants are accepted into training programs. Teaching is considered a prestigious profession.
  3. 4-5 hours per day.
  4. Numbered grades are not introduced until the 5th grade.
  5. Finland has very few private schools.
  6. Parents believe they, not schools, are responsible for their children’s education.
  7. ...
  8. …

Vocabulary: 1-d, 2-f, 3-c, 4-g, 5-a, 6-h, 7-b, 8-e

Collocations 1- a, 2-e, 3-d, 4-c, 5-b

[1] https://info-ted.eu/sleeping-beauty-and-the-future-of-teacher-education-3/

[2] https://yle.fi/a/74-20012581

[3] https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/education-rankings-by-country

7 comments on “The Finnish Education System (Upper-Intermediate ESL Lesson Plan)”

  1. Patty Mendoza (Posted on 6-23-2014 at 06:29) Reply ↓

    Love it!! It get the students involved, and makes it easier for them to give their opinions!

  2. fairouz (Posted on 1-19-2015 at 14:39) Reply ↓

    i like it

  3. Rohan (Posted on 2-24-2015 at 08:28) Reply ↓

    Thanks again, brilliant.

  4. okan (Posted on 3-1-2015 at 10:48) Reply ↓

    ı consider its good topic for ıntermadiate students. this topic will improve our english case

  5. Diego (Posted on 12-10-2017 at 22:53) Reply ↓

    Wonderful!

  6. Juliya (Posted on 2-11-2020 at 03:42) Reply ↓

    Thank you so much for sharing! It made me feel inspired!!!!

  7. Marham Jupri Hadi (Posted on 6-18-2021 at 03:03) Reply ↓

    I am very excited with the ideas presented here. Thank a bunch

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *