Study Guide

Objectives (course unit)

The course provides the basics of the Finnish language (estimated level A1.2)

After completing the course, the students will be able to:
• pronounce Finnish quite correctly
• understand and use short and simply structured expressions that concern basic
situations related to everyday life (introducing oneself and one’s family, simple shopping and food)
• learn to build up their vocabulary
• learn to use the basic structure of Finnish
• know, use and understand simple spoken and written expressions connected to
everyday life.

Content (course unit)

• study book Suomen mestari 1, chapters 1–4, 8:
o pronunciation exercises
o vocabulary exercises
o structural exercises
o conversational and drama exercises
o listening comprehension exercises
o reading comprehension exercises
o written exercises.

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

Students have been able to complete all the assignments acceptably and attended contact lessons at least 80 %. They can exchange greetings/farewells, introduce oneself and name a few objects. It is hard for them to attend a simple conversation or create a short text. Their pronunciation causes difficulties to understand meanings of produced speech.

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

Students have been able to complete all the assignments acceptably and attended contact lessons at least 80 %. Students have an active attitude towards studying Finnish language showing that by completing tasks according to the schedule. They are able to cope in the most common simple everyday situations. Students can use typical grammatical structures e.g. basic verb conjugation, possessive structure and partitive in simple sentences. They can write brief texts and pronounce Finnish quite clearly.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

Students have been able to complete all the assignments acceptably and attended contact lessons at least 80 %. They have a positive and active attitude towards learning language. They can pronounce Finnish distinctively and are able to use suitable and varied expressions in everyday situations using grammar almost correctly. Students can participate in a conversation asking and responding to questions about topics studied in the course. They can write simple texts and recombine words and phrases into new sentences.

Location and time

The course meetings will take place in TAMK on Mondays 12.15-1.45 PM and Thursdays at 9.30-11.00 AM. The meeting places will be added in the calendar in the beginning of the autumn.

Exam schedules

The final exam will take place on the 11th of December.

The renewal exams will be held in the winter 2024.

Assessment methods and criteria

- The final exam (weight 75 %)
* listening and grammar exercises
* evaluation basis: exam points
- The course assignments and general course work (25 %)
* evaluation basis: active participation in the course meetings and success in the course assignments

Additionally, you are required to attend 80 % of the course meeting time to pass the course.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

- Classroom meetings.
- Independent work.
- Course assignments.
- Final exam.

Learning materials

- the study book (Suomen mestari 1, chapters 1-4)
- material from the teacher

Student workload

- 2 x 1,5 h of classroom work in a week
- 1,5-3 h of independent work in a week

Content scheduling

We will discuss this in the beginning of the course.

Completion alternatives

Not available.

Practical training and working life cooperation

Not available.

International connections

Not available.

Further information

If you are not certain if this is the right course for you, please, contact the Finnish language counsellor Ella Hakala (ella.hakala@tuni.fi).

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

Student can fail the course for one or both of the following reasons:
- Student receives less than 38 % of the maximum points in the final exam, and can not compensate for the exam result with the overall course work.
- Student misses more than 20 % of the classroom time (either by being absent or unavailable in the classroom meetings).

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

Grade 1 in the final exam:
- 38-49 % of the maximum points

Grade 2 in the final exam:
- 50-61 % of the maximum points

Grade 1 criteria for overall work:
Student
- has at least a rudimentary participation in the course work
- shows recurring inability to take part in the general classroom discussions
- keeps submitting assignments after deadline
- has missing assignments and/or a low performance in the course assignments
- meets the attendance requirement

Grade 2 criteria for overall work:
Student
- has at least a rudimentary participation in the course work
- shows occasional inability to take part in the general classroom discussions
- submits the course assignments on time
- has a low performance in the course assignments
- meets the attendance requirement

Your final grade will depend on your exam results and overall course work. For example, if your final exam grade is somewhere between 1 and 2, your overall work in the course can determine whether your final grade is 1 or 2.

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

Grade 3 in the final exam:
- 62-76 % of the maximum points

Grade 4 in the final exam:
- 77-88 % of the maximum points

Grade 3 criteria for overall work:
Student
- has mostly an active and focused participation in the course work
- is able to take part in the general classroom discussions when needed but might struggle with individual topics
- submits the course assignments on time
- has a solid performance in the course assignments
- meets the attendance requirements

Grade 4 criteria for overall work:
Student
- has an active and focused participation in the course work
- is able to take part in the general classroom discussions when needed
- submits the course assignments on time
- has a great performance in the course assignments
- meets the attendance requirements

Your final grade will depend on your exam results and overall course work. For example, if your final exam grade is somewhere between 3 and 4, your overall work in the course can determine whether your final grade is 3 or 4.

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

The grade 5 in the final exam:
- 89-100 % success in the final exams

Grade 5 criteria for the overall work:
Student
- has active and focused participation in the course work
- is able to take part in the general classroom discussions when needed
- submits the course assignments on time
- has a great or excellent performance in the course assignments
- meets the attendance requirements

Your final grade will depend on your exam results and overall course work. For example, if your final exam grade is somewhere between 4 and 5, your overall work in the course can determine whether your final grade is 4 or 5.