Professional English for Social Work (3 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

Students:
-can describe their work experience
- can give detailed instructions to clients without offending them
-can interview clients and probe necessary information in a sensitive way for successful treatment or actions
-master the special terminology pertaining to their chosen client group so that they can understand professional texts.
-can write a work related report

Content (course unit)

- guidance and counselling, interviewing a client
- social benefits
- practical training report
-

Assessment methods and criteria

The student has to be present on at least 80% of the lessons. The grade is based on oral competence (presentation, oral exam, discussion tasks) and written competence (formal text, word test, written exam).

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

Classroom teaching, group and pair work, e-learning.

Learning materials

Saarinen & Saarinen: Way to Welfare
Electronic materials on the course Tabula area

Student workload

Classroom teaching 9 x 4h, independent study 42h

Completion alternatives

Language portfolio (instructions in Tabula)

International connections

Exchange students in classes if/when possible

Further information

Prerequisites
English for Social Services

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

The student
- cannot communicate orally, because he/she has difficulties in producing his/her own speech and/or in understanding others' speech
- pronounces so that it is difficult to understand him/her
- has a very limited vocabulary, which is not enough to manage in different situations. He/she repeatedly uses inappropriate words and phrases
- has an inadequate command of the basic linguistic structures
- cannot manage in written communication situations in an appropriate way
- cannot produce understandable text
- cannot find information from texts that discuss familiar topics

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

The student
- can give simple oral, and if needed, written instructions to his/her clients/groups
- asks the client about necessary information related to his/her current and earlier health status or life situation and records the answers provided by the client correctly to ensure successful care/service or further procedures
- can produce mostly understandable writing
- understands the main points of a normally paced conversation about a familiar topic, when the message is repeated if needed
- can pronounce in a way that is mostly understandable
- can find the information he/she is looking for in texts that discuss familiar topics
- uses the basic professional vocabulary so that the essential message is communicated
- uses basic grammatical structures
- uses the most easily available aids, such as free dictionaries

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

The student
- can give and justify individually tailored instructions to his/her clients/groups in common counselling situations
- asks the client about information related to his/her current and earlier health status or life situation, asks in-depth questions if needed, records the answers provided by the client correctly to ensure successful care/service or further procedures, and provides answers to questions posed by the client
- can produce quite fluent and clear writing
- understands speakers who have various accents when the topic is familiar
- can pronounce fairly fluently and clearly
- understands the main points and most details of various texts
- can express things using other words if needed
- understands and uses the professional vocabulary fairly accurately
- uses grammatical structures mostly correctly and self-corrects his/her errors if they have led to misunderstandings
- can utilise different sources and dictionaries

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

The student
- can interview and counsel his/her clients/groups skilfully, adapting his/her style of communication to the situation and client, also in demanding and unexpected service situations
- can produce fluent, appropriate writing with only a few errors
- understands speakers who have various accents relatively easily
- can pronounce fluently and clearly
- understands the main points and details of a demanding professional text and can adapt the information
- can express things using other words and bridges the gaps in his/her vocabulary in a discreet way
- understands and skilfully and accurately uses the professional vocabulary and the terminology of his/her own specialisation
- uses complex grammatical structures mostly correctly
- usually finds the terms he/she needs by utilising different sources