Beginners' Finnish (5 cr)

Evaluation scale

H-5

Schedule

The classes will be on Mondays and Wednesdays at 12.30–13.30. NB! Because of the covid-19 situation, the course will be taught in Zoom on Mondays and in a classroom on Wednesdays for now. If the situation changes for better, there might be more classes in Pasila campus later during the spring.

The course is an introduction to Finnish language and culture, and themes handled during this course are me and my everyday life.
Pronunciation
Greetings, basic small talk phrases
Introducing oneself and telling about oneself
Numbers, prices
Weather, seasons, months, telling the time
Asking questions and giving basic information in routine everyday situations
Conjugation of some basic verbs
Vocabulary and key phrases for everyday needs
Describing people and objects in a simple way

Implementation methods, demonstration and Work&Study

Course includes both 1) contact hours and 2) independent studies:
1) Oral and written exercises individually and in pairs, group work, tests
2) Homework and preparation for lessons, exams and assignments

Recognition of prior learning (RPL):
The students who start their studies in BITE programme and already know some Finnish, can pass the course and gain the credit points by attending a level test. Written and oral parts of the test are organized during the orientation weeks in August or January. The RPL test can only be taken once.

Materials

Gehring, S. & Heinzmann, S. Suomen mestari 1. Finn Lectura. Helsinki. Chapters 1 - 5. (required) NB! The new, year 2020 edition of the book will be used.
Finnish-English-Finnish dictionary (recommended)
Other material provided by the teacher

Teaching methods and instruction

Contact hours (4 h / week): oral and written exercises individually and in pairs, group work
Independent studies (6 h / week): homework and preparation for lessons, exams and assignments.
The class will provide students the opportunity to practice new vocabulary and grammatical structures through in-class discussion of assigned activities and readings. To succeed in this course, you must actively participate and you will be expected to attend class regularly, prepare for class daily, and speak as much Finnish as possible.
Through the communicative approach I hope to achieve a high degree of interaction in the classroom and make your learning of Finnish language and culture interesting and fun. We strive for a learning atmosphere that challenges you your skills in a supportive way. There are no wrong answers, only good attempts.
Target level A1. Level descriptions can be found at http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/resources/european-language-levels-cefr

Working life connections

Learning Finnish language and culture will give students skills and readiness to work in a Finnish speaking working environment.

Exam dates and re-exam possibilities

The final exam will be arranged on the last week of the course.
If a student does not come to the final exam or does not pass it, there are two possibilities to re-take the exam in autumn term 2021. Check MyNet for the general re-exam days for Finnish courses.

Enrollment for the re-examinations begins five weeks before the exam day and ends at noon on the Monday preceding the exam week.

Internationality

International students. Differences between Finnish and other cultures.

Completion alternatives

RPL The students who start their studies in Bite programme and already know some Finnish, can pass the course and gain the credit points by attending a level test. Written part of the test is organized during the orientation weeks in August or January and the oral part later in the 1st/4th period according to a separate schedule.

Learning assignments

The goal of this course is to introduce you to the fundamentals of the Finnish language and culture. The course will provide you with tools to function and communicate in everyday context. After successfully completing the course, you can
introduce yourself, give basic information about yourself and ask simple questions
can understand and use basic expressions and simple sentences in routine everyday situations
are able to deal with everyday social situations and handle simple shopping situations
are aware of the basic characteristics of the Finnish language, culture and habits is able to use the surrounding language environment to develop your language skills.
Emphasis will be given to all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
The assignments will be given during the course. All of the daily homework assignments will be posted on the class website on Moodle after the classes.

Assessment methods

Quizzes, texts and/or other assignments 20 - 30 %
Exams 70-80 %

Active participation is crucial to your progress. Coming in time, being prepared, doing activities, answering questions and speaking Finnish as much as possible are all important.