Students learn about language in general, literature, as well as culture. In doing so, students learn to appreciate the unique nature of the Finnish language and its culture, and thereby acquire the means to understand other cultures. Writing, reading and speaking are processes, which is why their study is approached in a creative, many-staged manner. Each area of native language study overlaps and is connected, which is why it is possible, for example, to use a fragment of text as a departure point for all kinds of creative expression. Students are taught to work at their own levels in ways that encourage them to seek information and evaluate it critically.
Teaching methods make use of both independant study and cooperative learning.