Work Placement and Language Internship 2: Professional Client Work in Social ServicesLaajuus (10 cr)

Objective

The student

• is able to apply their professional knowledge to promote well-being in diverse working environments
• recognises the importance of emotional work as part of professionalism
• is able to support empowerment in a client-oriented way in cooperation with different actors according to their language proficiency level
• understands the importance of documentation as part of client work
• is able to work as a member of a work community in the field of social services.

The language and language awareness objectives of the course (Finnish language) are selected according to the students’ level of language proficiency:

A2: The students actively participate in the discussion in Finnish in predictable and routine-like situations (greetings, asking for how one is, introductions, explaining, and describing). They recognise their own role in communication situations and are able to assess the situation with respect to the register (formal, informal) and are able to promote the goals of communication in different situations. The students take part in the professional discourse in Finnish and can produce simple text types in work life in writing (e-mails, releases, forms).

B1 - B2: The students are able to act appropriately in various workplace communication situations and actively and proactively participate in discussions at the workplace. The students identify the possible problems in communication situations and are able to adapt speech according to the recipient. The students can ask questions and ask for help if necessary.

C1 – C2 (also native Finnish speakers): The students can act appropriately in oral and written communication situations during the internship. They recognise the tones and nuances of language use and are able to take them into account in client meetings and client documentation. They know how to develop their language awareness and are able to monitor the potential challenges of the discussion. The students are able to adapt their communication according to the recipient and can also develop the language aware practices of the internship place if necessary. The students are acting independently supporting the language learner in the communication situations of the workplace.

Content

• Empowerment of individuals and communities

• Professional empathy, working with emotions

• Documentation in social services

The internship is conducted in an environment that enables social pedagogical client work. The internship can also be completed as part of an international exchange. Early childhood education students complete Internship 2 in an environment other than early childhood education. Students with excellent Finnish language skills (at least C1 proficiency level) can complete an internship in an international exchange. The language internship supports the student's language learning (at levels A2–B2) and language-aware working approach (at levels C1–C2). Students assess their Finnish language skills themselves using an assessment tool before and after the internship as part of the personal language study plan (PLSP).

Qualifications

The student has completed approximately 90 ECTS, including the courses Work Placement and Language Internship 1 – Social Services Work and Clients’ Everyday Life and Ethics and Challenges in Social Services Work. The student has completed the Finnish 3 course or has acquired equivalent language skills. For students with Finnish as a second language, completing the course requires participation in the Finnish for Social Services course, which lasts for the entire semester.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Framework of assessment is attached to the curriculum's description.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

Framework of assessment is attached to the curriculum's description.

Further information

Students on the ECEC path have to do the work placement somewhere else than in an early childhood education environment.