Language is a tool for thinking and communication. Through language, cultural diversity and social relations are constructed and expressed. The effective use of language enables learners to think and acquire knowledge, to express their creative abilities and identity, as well as feelings and ideas, to interact with others and to manage their own living worlds.

The First Additional Language level assumes that learners do not necessarily have any knowledge of the language when they start school. The curriculum in the first school years aims to develop the learner's ability to speak and understand the language - basic interpersonal communication skills.