Jenni Alisaari

Jenni Alisaari works in the School of Applied Educational Science and Teacher Education, where her main job is teaching the Master’s Degree Programme in Early Language Education for Intercultural Communication. She also teaches other students on the topics of linguistically responsible pedagogy, language awareness, language pedagogy and multilingual learners.

Previously, Alisaari has worked as a university lecturer of Finnish at the University of Stockholm, as a special researcher in sociology at the INVEST research centre at the University of Turku, and as a teacher trainer at the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi. Alisaari has also provided professional development training for teachers on linguistically and culturally responsible teaching for several years. Linguistically responsible teaching takes into account, among other things, the dimensions of language in the school context and the link between language and culture and identity. It also supports the development of language skills and promotes the use of multilingualism as a resource for learning. Culturally responsive teaching takes into account all dimensions of cultural identities, such as ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and socio-economic background, and their relationship to learning.

Alisaari’s main research interests are related to linguistically responsible pedagogy, multilingualism and language learning. She has also studied the teaching and guidance of newly arrived students and students studying Finnish or Swedish as a second language and literature. Alisaari’s doctoral thesis dealt with learning Finnish by singing, listening to songs or rhythmically reciting song lyrics.