Study Guide

Objective

The students gain a sufficient oral and written level of Finland's second official language (Swedish or Finnish as a second language) specified in the Universities of Applied Sciences Decree (1129/2014, §7) and required for work in their field. The students are able to communicate orally and in writing in their own work environment and as members of a multidisciplinary work community in Swedish, taking into account the cultural and linguistic starting points in Finland and the Nordic countries. The students’ oral and written communication skills (Swedish) reach at least the level of B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The students are able to acquire information about their professional field from various sources and communicate such information in writing and orally, making use of any appropriate technology and digitalisation in their work. During their studies, the students will develop an ability to take responsibility for the development of their language and communication proficiency and an ability and motivation to improve it.

Content

• The course content is determined on the basis of each degree programme separately, consisting or oral and written exercises relevant to each field of study.
• The key international and domestic-international interaction situations: individual and group communication
• Key concepts and terms used in the field
• Professional organizations, work environments, assignments, processes and tools
• Self-assessment of language and communication skills and development of learning strategies

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The students can communicate in the most typical general and field-specific professional situations in working life. The students can produce simple texts with some incoherencies. The errors may affect getting the message across. The students take part in simple interaction, but often need help from the conversational partners. The students are comfortable with everyday vocabulary and the vocabulary of their own field, but inaccuracies and the influence of other languages may make it difficult to get the message across. The students use the most common basic structures repetitively and sometimes incorrectly. The students can pronounce understandably but unlike natives, and the slowness of the rhythm makes it difficult to assess how well the message may come across.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The students can communicate in their everyday field specific language use situations related to their field of work reasonably well. They are able to write a coherent text that conveys the message and participate proactively in the interaction in the familiar situations in their field. They are able to use the basic vocabulary of their own field and everyday language moderately. Word choices may show inaccuracies and structural deficiencies that do not interfere with communication. They pronounce understandably, and the interruptions in the sentence rhythm do not interfere with conveying the message.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The students can communicate in versatile and demanding general and field-specific professional situations in working life. The students can produce a clear and detailed text in a way that takes into account the register and displays accurate language use for the situation. The students take an active part in interaction in a way that is appropriate in professional situations. The students speak fluently and effortlessly and take into account the other speakers. The students use general vocabulary and the vocabulary in their own field in a versatile way, making almost no grammatical errors. The students pronounce clearly and the speech rhythm sounds natural.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The students can communicate in the most typical general and field-specific professional situations in working life. The students can produce simple texts with some incoherencies. The errors may affect getting the message across. The students take part in simple interaction, but often need help from the conversational partners. The students are comfortable with everyday vocabulary and the vocabulary of their own field, but inaccuracies and the influence of other languages may make it difficult to get the message across. The students use the most common basic structures repetitively and sometimes incorrectly. The students can pronounce understandably but unlike natives, and the slowness of the rhythm makes it difficult to assess how well the message may come across.

Prerequisites

Level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

Further information

The course content is defined according to each degree programme and it is integrated in the context of the degree programme in the curriculum and in the professional studies. Oral and written communication are evaluated separately. The students, whose school education language is Swedish, will take the course Finnish as a Second Domestic Language.