Occupational Finnish for Nurses 1 (5 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

The student
- pronounces Finnish well.
- dares to use Finnish at his own level to get information passed on.
- can tell and describe his environment.
- is able to communicate both orally and in written on everyday matters and is motivated to learn the vocabulary of nursing.

- understands simple speech and simple messages about everyday things.
- he understands simple texts in his field with a standard vocabulary.
- is able to write short texts and catalog descriptions of familiar things and events.
- is active in the Finnish language in various everyday situations. He
- has adopted meaningful ways of learning Finnish and also uses Finnish outside the classroom

Content (course unit)

- Developing text type awareness by getting acquainted with professional texts.
- Finnish language environment in different communication situations.
- Developing reading and listening and communication strategies, eg the use of circular expressions.
- Continue to become acquainted with the professional vocabulary and communication situations in nursing.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

The student has completed all course assignments. He/She can tell about the intended content, but the expression is still incomplete and there are errors in the structures. To have a discussion in Finnish is still a bit difficult. There is still need for improvement in pronunciation.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

The student studies Finnish with activity and does his / her course assignment according to the schedule. The discussions included in the course are already well understood by him/her. He/She is able to write short texts related to his/her environment and future profession. Pronunciation goes well.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

The student has a positive and active attitude towards language learning. He/She pronounces Finnish clearly and is able to use appropriate, alternative expressions in his/her interaction and form grammatically correct sentences. He/She is able to take part in discussions on the topics covered during the course by telling, asking and answering naturally. He/She is able to write descriptions or narrations and actively utilize the words and phrases he/she has learned in new contexts.

Location and time

The meeting time and place will change every week. Please, check out your calendar in order to see the new meeting information.

Course meetings do not take place during the clinical training.

Exam schedules

Final exams will take place on 18th and 19th of April. The renewal exam will take place the 2nd of May.

Assessment methods and criteria

You will take part in two final exams in the course, spoken exam and written exam. and pass those exams. Regular class participation is highly recommended.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

The course is, first and foremost, designed 22TOKASA students. Please, contact our Finnish language counsellor Ella Hakala (ella.hakala@tuni.fi) to hear about other options. The language use of this course is approximately on the B1 level.

***

We will have classroom meetings, and put a lot of focus on speaking, vocabulary, grammar, and writing practices. The goal is to use Finnish language in versatile, interactive ways, and integrate nursing study topics in Finnish language practices. The course includes a lot of independent exercises as well.

Learning materials

You will receive the study material in the form of handouts and online material.

You do not need to use a study book in the course but if you want to have more self-study, I recommend that you purchase or borrow the study book Hoidetaan suomeksi by Mustonen, Sippola and Tuononen.

Student workload

2-4 x 45 min. lessons a week + independent work at home + exams

Content scheduling

Not available.

Completion alternatives

Not available.

Practical training and working life cooperation

Not available.

International connections

Not available.

Further information

Not available.

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

The student will not pass the course in the following situations:

- The students did not take part in both final exams.
- The student's performance in the final exam did not meet the minimum criteria (i.e., grade 1-2 criteria).

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

The student will receive the grade 1 or 2 when they could not reach the level 3 or higher in the final exam. The student might, for example, still struggle with forming fluent, complete sentences in Finnish or understanding every day Finnish speech.

However, on level 1-2 grade, the student needs to show that they have a basic proficiency in nursing Finnish (e.g., required vocabulary and most common structures), and that they can get their message across in Finnish, even if their communication style and expressions did not meet all the expectations of fluent, grammatically correct Finnish.

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

The student will receive the grade 3 or 4 when they could not reach the level 5. The student might, for example, still struggle with individual aspects of Finnish communication (e.g., pronunciation, knowledge in word forms and verb tenses, formation of longer sentences).

However, on level 3-4 grade, the student needs to show that they have a solid proficiency in nursing Finnish (e.g., required vocabulary, most common structures, and passive writing style), and that they can have interaction with another person without too many struggles and interruptions.

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

The student will receive the grade 5 when they have reached an excellent level in the final exam. The student is able to produce fluent, comprehensible, and relevant information both in spoken and written Finnish.

The student has a solid proficiency in nursing Finnish (e.g., required vocabulary, most common structures, and passive writing style), and, additionally, does not have any major issues with understanding other people's speaking or writing. Based on the exam evaluation, the student would be able to handle most common work assignments in nursing with the language skills they have.