Jenni Alisaari

About me

I work as a Lecturer in Finnish language in the Department of Slavic and Baltic Studies, Finnish, Dutch and German. My courses mainly handle Finnish grammatic. Previously I have been working as a teacher educator in the universities of Turku and Åbo Akademi in Finland. Then my teaching was related to the pedagogy of Finnish as a second language, multilingual pedagogies, linguistically and culturally responsive pedagogy and sociology of education.

My main areas of research include learning and wellbeing of multilingual learners, linguistically and culturally responsive teaching, advocating multilingualism, language learning, and especially language learning by singing. 

Some of my publications:

Alisaari, Jenni (2016). Songs and poems in the second language classroom - The hidden potential of singing for developing writing fluency. Dissertation. Turun yliopiston julkaisuja, Annales Universitaris Turkuensis, B: 426. 

Alisaari, Jenni (2020). Case study 5. Language sensitive curriculum and focus on language awareness in Finland. In Emmanuelle Le Pichon-Vorstman, Hanna Siarova & Eszter Szőnyi (Eds.) The future of language education in Europe: case studies of innovative practices NESET Analytical Report (78–85). Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. doi: 10.2766/81169.

Alisaari, Jenni & Heikkola, Leena Maria (2016). Increasing fluency in L2 writing with singing. Studies in Second Language Learning, 2, 271–292. Available at: https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=411481

Alisaari, Jenni & Heikkola, Leena Maria (2020). Kielellisesti vastuullista pedagogiikkaa ja oppilaan tukemista - Suomalaisten opettajien käsityksiä kielen merkityksestä [Linguistically responsible pedagogy and student support – Finnish teachers’ perceptions of the role of language]. Kasvatus – The Finnish Journal of Education 51(4), 395–408.

Alisaari, Jenni & Heikkola, Leena Maria (2020). Should all teachers teach language? Teachers' beliefs regarding language learning. Apples - Journal of Applied Language Studies. 14(2). https://doi.org/10.47862/apples.99138 

Alisaari, Jenni & Heikkola, Leena Maria (2017): Songs and poems in the language classroom: Teachers' beliefs and practices. Teaching and Teacher Education, 63, 231–242. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2016.12.021

Alisaari, Jenni, Heikkola, Leena Maria, Acquah, Emmanuel Opoku & Commins, Nancy (2019). Monolingual ideologies confronting multilingual realities. Finnish teachers’ beliefs about linguistic diversity. Teaching and Teacher Education 80, 48-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2019.01.003 

Alisaari, J., Hurme, T.-R., Heikkola, L.M., & Routarinne, S. (2021). Finnish teachers’ beliefs about students’ home language use. Critical Multilingualism Studies, 9(1), 46–76. ISSN 2325–2871. https://cms.arizona.edu/index.php/multilingual/article/view/223/317 

Alisaari, Jenni, Kaukko, Mervi & Heikkola, Leena Maria (2021). The Joys of Teaching.
Working with multilingual learners in Finnish classrooms. Scandinavan Journal of Educational Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2021.1897877 

Alisaari, Jenni, Sissonen, Salla & Heikkola, Leena Maria (2021). Teachers’ Beliefs Related to Language Choice in Immigrant Students’ Homes. Teaching and Teacher Education 103, 103347 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103347 

Alisaari, Jenni, Turunen, Tiina & de Luca, Sara (2021). Alakoululaisten suomenoppijoiden opetusjärjestelyt ja kielitaidon tason yhteys luetun ymmärtämiseen [Primary school Finnish language learners’ teaching arrangements and language proficiency associated with reading comprehension]. Oppimisen ja oppimisvaikeuksien erityislehti NMI-Bulletin [Special issue of learning and learning difficulties] 1/2021. 

Alisaari, Jenni, Turunen, Tiina, Kajamies, Anu, Korpela, Maria & Hurme, Tarja-Riitta (2018). Reading comprehension in digital and printed texts. L1 - Educational Studies in Language and Literature 8, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.17239/L1ESLL-2018.18.01.15 

Alisaari, Jenni, Vigren, Heli & Heikkola, Leena Maria (2019). How can inclusion be promoted through a linguistically responsive pedagogy? In S. Hammond & M. Sangster (Eds.). Perspectives on Educational Practice Around the World (pp. 57–63). Bloomsbury. ISBN: 9781350076334 

Alisaari, Jenni, Vigren, Heli & Mäkelä, Marja-Liisa (2019). Multilingualism as a resource: Policy changes in Finnish education. In S. Hammer, K.M. Viesca, & N.L. Commins (Eds.) International Research on Content Teachers Working with Multilingual Learners: Policy, Perspectives, Preparation, Practice (pp. 29–49). Abingdon: Routledge.

Heikkola, Leena Maria & Alisaari, Jenni (2018). Laulun sanoja lausumalla taitavaksi ääntäjäksi [To become competent in pronouncing language by the means of reciting song lyrics]. AFinLA-E: Soveltavan Kielitieteen Tutkimuksia, 10, 18-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30660/afinla.73122 Available in: https://journal.fi/afinla/article/view/73122 

Heikkola, Leena Maria & Alisaari, Jenni (2020). The Effects of Songs on L2 Proficiency and Spoken Fluency: A Pedagogical Perspective. Teoksessa Pekka Lintunen, Maarit Mutta & Pauliina Peltonen (Toim.) Fluency in SLA (s. 166–185). Bristol: Multilingual Matters.

Heikkola, L. M., Alisaari, J., Vigren, H., & Commins, N. (2022). Linguistically responsive teaching: A requirement for Finnish primary school teachers. Linguistics and Education, 69, 101038.

Heikkola, Leena Maria, Alisaari, Jenni, Vigren Heli & Commins, Nancy (2022). Requirements Meet Reality - Finnish Teachers’ Practices in Linguistically Diverse Classrooms. Journal of Language, Identity and Education

Viesca, Kara, M., Teemant, Annela, Alisaari, Jenni, Ennser-Kananen, Johanna, Flynn, Naomi, Hammer, Svenja, Perumal, Ratha & Routarinne, Sara (2022). Quality content teaching for multilingual students: An international examination of excellence in instructional practices in four countries. Teaching and Teacher Education, 113, 103649. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103649. 

Vigren, Heli, Alisaari, Jenni, Heikkola, Leena Maria, Acquah, Emmanuel O. & Commins, Nancy L. (2022). Teaching immigrant students: Finnish teachers' understandings and attitudes. Teaching and Teacher Education, 114, 103689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103689.