Study Guide

Objective

You are able to express yourself in Finnish in the most common everyday situations both orally and in writing.
You have a command of simple phrases, basic clauses and vocabulary (CEFR level A1.1-A1.2) needed in situations such as introducing yourself and in service encounters.
You are familiar with the most essential grammatical features, like vowel harmony, present tense of the verb types and partitive singular case, and can manage with the pronunciation and spelling.
You are also able to expand your vocabulary and knowledge of language usage independently using different sources.
You become more familiar with the Finnish culture.

Content

What kind of language is Finnish compared with other languages you know? What are the special features of Finnish?
Which phrases and what kind of knowledge of Finnish language and culture are needed in everyday communication?
Which sources and tools can you use in order to learn elementary Finnish during the course and independently?
How to pronounce and spell in Finnish?

Materials

Gehring, S. & Heinzmann, S. 2020. Suomen mestari 1. Suomea aikuisille. Uudistettu laitos. Helsinki: FinnLectura.

Note! Edition 2020 or newer.

Teaching methods

Scheduled track:
Classes on Mikkeli Campus. There are contact lessons twice a week and working independently included in the course. It is required to attend the lessons actively and complete the assignments and exams successfully.

Blended track:
Instead of Finnish 1, choose an online course Finnish for beginners.

Employer connections

This course builds general working-life competences by reinforcing language skills.

Exam schedules

There will be two exams in the course. Both exams must be passed. It is possible to (re)write a non-written or not passed exam twice. The dates will be given at the beginning of the course.

All the assignments must be submitted following the given schedule, by the end of the course, at the latest.

International connections

This course suits well for international, exchange and double degree students.

Student workload

135 hours (= 5 x 25 h) of student's work (60 contact lessons, 75 h independent studying).

Evaluation scale

1-5

Assessment methods and criteria

Assessment bases on active participation in the lessons and
assignments completed successfully. There will be two exams in the course. Both exams must be passed.

Qualifications

Prior skills in the Finnish language are not a requirement, but attending the course requires English skills enabling academic studies.