Finnish for Foreigners (5 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

After successful completion of the course students will be able to pronounce Finnish quite correctly, understand and use short and simply-structured Finnish expressions that concern some of the most common matters and situations related to everyday life (introducing oneself and one’s family, telling the time, buying and paying, timetables, asking and answering, possessing, place and location, food and menu, location and moving, working, asking and telling a way, commanding and requesting…). They will also be able to describe some of the most important things about themselves, their families and the immediate surroundings, and to understand descriptions of such topics.

Content (course unit)

- basics of the Finnish language

- structural exercises

- pronunciation exercises

- conversational and drama exercises

- listening comprehension exercises

- reading comprehension exercises
- written exercises.

Exam schedules

Will be announced in the beginning of the course.

Evaluation methods and criteria

Continuous assessment based on classwork (activity, presence, completed exercises), passed smaller tests and the final examination. One personal blog text of Finnish culture. A report of a communication project with Finnish students. To pass the course minimum attendance 80 % is required, active participation (to pass the course minimum attendance 80 % is required)

Teaching methods

contact teaching, study conversation, cooperative learning, exercises, diary, project diary, work diary, video made by student, exam, e-learning

Learning materials

Textbook with exercises: Satu Heikkilä - Pirkko Majakangas: "Hyvin menee! 1"
Materials made by the teacher and e-materials linked in course-Tabula.

Student workload

Contact lessons 42 hrs: 3 hrs every Friday in autumn semester. Net based learning 2 credits. Much independent work is needed to learn the basics properly!

Content scheduling

The contents according to the textbook, but quite much oral exercises all the time.

Completion alternatives

May be discussed.

Practical training and working life cooperation

No.

International connections

The whole group is international!
Finnish students available as assistant teachers!

Further information

The first contact lesson 19.8. at 9.15. Get the textbook from a bookstore or a library and take it with you.

Assessment criteria - fail (0) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

Uncompleted exercises and/or absences more than 20 %.

Assessment criteria - satisfactory (1-2) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

A student has completed all the assignments acceptably and attended contact lessons at least 80 %. She/he is able to tell a few things about oneself in Finnish comprehensively.

Assessment criteria - good (3-4) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

A student has an active attitude towards studying Finnish language and culture showing that by completing written tasks according to the schedule. She/he is able to cope in most common everyday situations: shopping, travelling, and visiting people. A student is able to write brief messages (e.g. e-mail, text message, and post card) in Finnish and is able to pronounce Finnish clearly enough. Student’s mother tongue has an effect in pronunciation and/or sentence structure.

Assessment criteria - excellent (5) (Not in use, Look at the Assessment criteria above)

A student has a positive and active attitude towards learning language and she/he is genuinely interested in Finnish culture, and brings it up by comparing Finnish to her/his own culture. She/he can pronounce Finnish distinctively and is able to use suitable and varied expressions in everyday situations using grammar almost correctly. A student is able to write brief texts in Finnish which are mostly correct.