Finnish Language and Culture (3cr)

Evaluation scale

1-5

Content scheduling

- During the course, students submit spoken assignments and tests and attend the contact lessons.
- Presentations during the course.
- The exam at the end of the course.
- 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

Course material on Moodle
Web material e.g.
- A Taste of Finnish http://tasteoffinnish.fi/
- Visit Finland http://www.visitfinland.com/
- This is Finland http://finland.fi/public/default.aspx?nodeid=37592&contentlan=2&culture=en-US

Teaching methods

Contact lessons, independent studies, online learning, written, spoken and listening comprehension exercises and assignments, presentation

Exam schedules

The final exam will take place during the last contact lesson of the course.
After the exam, there are two retake options for those who failed the exam.
After the first retake, there is one option for grade improvement.

Student workload

81h, incl. contact lessons 28h
53 h independent studies

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 and pass all the parts of the course:
- submit the tests and assignments
- submit and keep a presentation
- submit a study journal
- take an exam (written and spoken)