Professional English for Social Work (3cr)

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
-

Exam schedules

written exam Mon 21st October, at 10-12
oral exam: week 41
independent assignments

Assessment methods and criteria

written exam Mon 21st October, at 10-12
oral exam: week 41
independent assignments

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

contact teaching, independent work

Learning materials

Saarinen and Saarinen: Way to Welfare English for Social Services. Keuruu:Otava
Electronic materials on the course Tabula area

Student workload

The student has to be present on at least 80% of the lessons. The grade is based on oral competence and written competence.

Further information

The course begins on Monday 2nd September, at 10-12

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

- is unable to participate in spoken communication because of his/her difficulties in spoken production /or in understanding other speakers
-pronunciation is difficult to understand
-can control a very narrow vocabulary which is not enough in order to deal with production or interaction. Uses inappropriate words and phrases repeatedly
-shows a limited control of a few simple grammatical structures
-is unable to deal with written communication in an appropriate way
-cannot produce clear and coherent text.
-has problems to find relevant information in texts on familiar matters

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

The student
- manages simple conversations
- usually reacts in some way to what's being said to him/her
- is somewhat conscious of the stylistic requirements of various types of text
- 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
- manages conversations on professional topics quite fluently
- usually reacts appropriately to what is being said to him/her
- usually communicates using an appropriate style in various situations
- 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
- manages conversations on professional topics fluently
- reacts quickly and appropriately to what's being said to him/her
- communicates using an appropriate style in various 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