This paper discusses sufficient academic qualifications for successful teacher studies in a second language. Language proficiency is generally regarded as an undisputed prerequisite for university studies. Following the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR, 2001), most Finnish universities require certified CEFR level B2 as the entry level in Finnish degree programs. However, according to the Finnish Decree on Qualification Requirements for Teaching Staff (Finlex 986/1998), teachers in basic and pre-primary education are required to have “excellent language proficiency”, which has been interpreted as the highest C2 level in CEFR. Similar requirements are used in other European countries as well (e.g. Fuková, 2025, 157). It is therefore noteworthy that as a language proficiency threshold, B2 is low in relation to legislation and alreadyincludes the assumption that the students’ language proficiency will accumulate to level C1 or even C2 during academic studies. Accepting students with B2 level can thus be seen as a sign of educational optimism from the society. It also reflects the value of universalism in education (see Schwartz et al., 2012). 

Recently, the acute need for qualified teachers has increased aspirations for teacher education internationally (Boström et al., 2025). In Finland, the shortage concerns specifically teachers in early childhood education and care (ECEC). As one solution, Finnish universities are allocated temporary funding for experimental programmes with language support. These programmes are aimed at students with elementary knowledge in the language of instruction, for improving language skills in the language of instruction (Finnish/Swedish) and simultaneously studying some of the key contents of their future field of study. This study was carried out in a 10-month-long language-supported pilot program in ECEC teacher studies. The studies included both Finnish language and contents of basic studies in early childhood education qualification. During the 10 months ofstudy, the students complete basic studies in early childhood education (25 ECTS credits), and 20 credits ofFinnish language. The participants who have no previous Finnish secondary level degree, will also execute theNational Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) test, and their aim is to achieve a score of 4 (B2) in all four subtests.

This case study aims to structure the concept of sufficient academic language skills for university studies in education. Language skills are measurable – such as syntactic and morphosyntactic understanding, speaking fluency, writing skills, or vocabulary width (e.g. Juan & Flor, 2006) – but on the other hand, language proficiency also consists of a set of strategic skills that are harder to define and measure (Macaro, 2006). Strategies include for example the ability focus, ask for targeted support, and rely on the affordances available. In addition, academic language skills for ECEC studies may be something that we do not fully perceive at the starting point of the study.  

Our research question is twofold: How do the programme educators versus programme students assess the participating students’ ability to succeed in academic studies? How does the students’ self-assessment relate to the results of syntactic analysis made from their texts, and from the result of the YKI test? Our goal is to find and highlight differences between the educators’ and students’ views. We also compare the assessments made by human participants and the authorized testing tool, YKI.

The results are interpreted in a framework that is formed between the abovementioned three factors: the value-based idea of accessibility of higher education, the evidence-based fact of teacher shortage, and the legislation-based (high) threshold for language proficiency for teaching profession. The results also relate with the phenomenon of immigrant optimism (Kao & Tienda, 1995) and general faith in education.

The data collection for this case study is carried out in a pilot program over a period of 10 months in the University (pseudonym). The participants of the study are two teachers and 18 students who aim to enter the Early Childhood Education programme in the University. The material for this study is collected as ethnographic data during the pilot programme. Two researchers of this study participated the pilot as educators, and they became participant observers during the fieldwork (Bernard, 2017, 347), whereas the third researcher is an observing outsider. The participant observers have a double role as educator informants and researchers. In the end of the programme, both also wrote a free evaluation of each of their participating students’ academic skills for academic teacher studies. Regarding the participating students, we provide background information about students’ previous schooling, time spent in the country, and working experience. For analysis, we chose four written texts and one spoken product they prepared during the 10-month long pilot course: - the entrance test, one text-based academic essay after 2 months of studies, - one writing test after 8 months of studies, - a self-efficacy reflection after 10 months, and - one simulated teaching session after 10 months. In addition, and the final YKI results of the participating students. As an analytic tool to examine and illustrate the students’ views about their own academic skills, we use thematic content analysis. The researcher who was not participating the pilot course, also analysed the participating researchers’ final evaluations through thematic content analysis. Moreover, the students’ texts were analysed also syntactically, to observe how the clause type variation and length develops over the study period. Concerning sources of information, our setup is deliberately asymmetrical, as the participating educators’ and students’ views are viewed as parallel to the syntactic analysis and the test results of the YKI system. The human participants are expected to produce holistic questioning and layered reflections, whereas the YKI test provides a summative evaluation of language proficiency in four predetermined areas, two of which measure language production (writing and speaking), and the other two measure language reception (reading and listening comprehension). The comparison is interesting, since the non-human party YKI is authorized to have the final word: without an approved B2 grade in all four sections of the test, individuals are not eligible to apply to study in the program of Early Childhood Education.

Through thematic content analysis, the case study discusses students' views on their own academic skills and development. Second, the result of content analysis is compared with the result of ten-month longitudinal material of their syntactic development. In addition, we will be comparing the assessments made by the trainers with the students' self-assessments, and in the end, with the results of the YKI test. We hypothesize that during the pilot period, the students' capabilities for “realistic” self-reflection have increased. In other words, the lectures, discussions and study materials in the University have exposed them to the discourse about linguistic demands set to them. We also assume that their own views of their academic study skills may still be slightly more positive than the educators’ views and clearly more positive than the result of the YKI test. Participant observation ethnography contributes to discussion of learning potentials. The trainers have perspectives, for example, about the learning ability of different individuals, having followed them from the entry level until the end of pilot period. They also have observed, how study strategies were adopted, and how the individuals' language use developed during the period and thus are able to evaluate the factor of learning potential also. Through educators’ and students’ voices, the study illuminates the anatomy of teacher’s language proficiency. It also enhances discussion on the role of values in entry level testing, and how the values relate to the societal fact of teacher shortage, and on the other hand to the legislation demanding highest CEFR level for all teachers.

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