Finnish Language and Culture (3cr)

Evaluation scale

1-5

Content scheduling

- During the course, students submit the assignments and tests and write study journals
- Study journals can be submitted after the course

Objective

Students know basic vocabulary, grammar and phrases of the Finnish language. They are able to tell and write about themselves using simple expressions and to communicate in simple everyday situations. Furthermore, the students are acquainted with Finland as a country and also have a better understanding of the Finnish way of life.

Content

This course provides students with an introduction to Finland and the Finnish language and culture:
- greetings and basic phrases
- numbers
- introducing and telling about oneself (name, address, age, country, nationality, language skills), family members and housing
- some expressions of time (weekdays, months, seasons, telling time)
- weather
- simple everyday situations, e.g. shopping and asking prices
- grammar, e.g. personal pronouns, possessive construction, verb conjugation, question and negative sentence, partitive case, genitive, local cases
- main features of the spoken language
- basic information about Finland and Finnish culture

Materials

Material on the Moodle platform
Suomi taskussa https://suomitaskussa.eu/#
A Tast of Finnish http://tasteoffinnish.fi/
YLE: Supisuomea https://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2015/12/15/supisuomea

Teaching methods

Written, spoken and listening online exercises, written and spoken assignments, presentation, becoming familiar with the presentations of course mates

Exam schedules

The exams will take place at the end of the course.
After the exam, there are two retakes for those who failed the exam.
After the retakes, there is one grade improvement option

Student workload

Toral workload 81h
The language part of the course 50 h
Country and the culture part of the course 30 h

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The student knows some of the vocabulary and the polite phrases learnt during the course. He can use simple constructions, but mistakes can impede comprehension. The student can communicate in some everyday situations when helped. Other languages strongly influence the pronunciation. The student can tell only a few main facts about the country and its culture. The student has shortly dealt with some topics of the culture presentations in the study journal.

Attention! The assessment criteria for presentations will be provided at the beginning of the course.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The student knows the most of the vocabulary and the polite phrases learnt during the course. He can use simple constructions almost without mistakes. He manages independently in most everyday situations. The pronunciation is understandable. The student knows detailed facts widely - although some false information might appear. The student has dealt with all the presentation topics in the study journal.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The student knows the vocabulary and the polite phrases learnt during the course. He can use simple constructions making hardly any mistakes. He manages independently and fluently in everyday situations. The pronunciation is close to that of a native speaker. The student knows precise and detailed facts aabout the country and its culture. The student has dealt with all the presentation topics thoroughly and extensively in the study journal.

Further information

To gain the credits, the student must accomplish all the parts of the course:
- submit the tests and assignments
- submit a presentation
- submit a study journal
- take an exam
- take a spoken exam