Finnish 1 (5 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

In this course you will study basics of Finnish language. Estimated level is A1.3.

Objectives
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
• learn to build up their vocabulary
• learn to use the basic grammatical structures 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:
• alphabet and numbers
• introducing oneself
• telling about one’s family and background
• simple description of things and people
• telling about the weather
• shopping and food
• grammatical structures: basic sentences and questions, verb conjugation (positive and negative verbs), partitive, genitive, KPT-change, I have -structure

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

Students have been able to complete all the assignments acceptably. 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. 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. 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 meeting time and place will change weekly. Please, check out the latest schedule at Tuni Lukkarikone Notice that you have to search your group's name (e.g., 25TOKASA) to see the schedule.

The site link:
https://lukkarikone.tuni.fi/#/schedule

Exam schedules

We will go through this in the beginning of the course.

Assessment methods and criteria

Your course grade will be determined by the final exam that you will take in the end of the course. You can not pass the course without passing the course.

In addition to this, you need to meet the following requirements in the course:
- Your need to have a sufficient attendance in the course meetings. We will discuss later what this attendance requirement will be.
- You need to submit all the required course assignments.

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

In the course, you will learn the basics of Finnish language. We will utilize various learning methods and approaches: mini lectures, group conversations, grammar exercises, text reading, online games, listening practice, and so on.

Course meetings will offer you an introduction to new study topics and chance to discuss those topics with the teacher and other course students. However, a big portion of the learning will happen outside the course meetings, and you need to prepare for regular self-studying.

Learning materials

In the course, we use different types of study material:
- teacher's material
- online material
- a study book (Suomen mestari 1)

Suomen mestari 1 will be used as one of the main sources for homework and self-studying. Acquiring the book is highly recommended but not mandatory. If you want to use the book, you need to purchase it in a store or borrow it in a library.

Student workload

In the course, you need to prepare for the following time usage:
- Course meetings: 2-4 x 1,5 h / a week
- Homework: 2-4 h / a week
- Other independet work: 2-10 tuntia viikossa (tavoitteista riippuen)

Notice that it is difficult to pass the course without any independent work. Moreover, if you have any higher goals than passing the course (e.g., the scholarship exam), you need to prepare for regular language use.

Content scheduling

We will go through this in the beginning of the course.

Completion alternatives

Not available.

Practical training and working life cooperation

The course can prepare you for the language use in the practice and work places.

International connections

The course is aimed for international students who have Suomen kieli 1 in their study curriculum.

Further information

Please, enroll in this course only if you are a 25TOKASA student.

If you study in another TOKASA group and want to enroll in this course, please, contact the course teacher (maiju.paldan@tuni.fi) and your tutor.

If you are not a TOKASA student, search for your own group's Finnish course. If you can not find your group's Finnish course, contact TAMKs Finnish language tutor Ella Hakala (ella.hakala@tuni.fi).