Swedish at work (5 cr)

Objective

The student

• achieves the oral and written proficiency in the second national language (Swedish) required by the Finnish Higher Education Act (1129/2014, Section 7) for professional tasks in their field
• can communicate orally and in writing in Swedish in the work environment of their field and as a member of a multidisciplinary work community in both Finnish and Nordic contexts
• considers the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of those involved in the communication situation
• can acquire information from different sources related to their professional field and communicate information orally and in writing, using technology and the opportunities offered by digitalisation in their field of work
• is aware of their level of language and communication skills and develops them independently

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

Location and time

Contact teaching on campus, according to schedule

Materials

The teachers material, available before course start

Teaching methods

Contact teaching, different kind of activating exercises, listening and reading comprehension, activation of the spoken language in small groups

Exam schedules

Spoken language level check the second last lesson, written exam the last lesson, exam retake is possible twice

Student workload

contact teaching: 80% compulsory attendence, self studies, written task to be done outside lessons

Further information

At the beginning of the course, the teacher will provide guidelines on the use of AI. Using AI in assignments where it is explicitly prohibited constitutes academic misconduct. Similarly, insufficient citation of AI use is also considered misconduct.

Evaluation scale

0-5

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

The students can communicate in the most typical, field-specific professional situations in working life. The students can write simple texts with some inconsistencies. Errors may make understanding challenging. The students take part in simple interaction but often need support from other speakers. The students have a good command of the vocabulary of their own field and everyday language use, but linguistic inaccuracies may make it difficult to get the message across. The students use the most common basic structures in a one-sided way and sometimes incorrectly. The students can pronounce mostly understandably but not like a native, and the slowness of the rhythm can slow down communication. The students receive feedback and attempt to apply it to their written and oral assignments.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

The students can cope with everyday field-specific language use situations related to their field of work. They are able to write coherent text that conveys the message and participate proactively in the interaction in familiar situations in the field. The students have a reasonable command of basic vocabulary in the field and in general language. 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 getting the message across. The students are able to evaluate their own language skills and set development goals for themselves.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

The students are performing well with versatile and demanding general and field-specific language situations related to their professional field.They produce clear and detailed text that takes the register into account and is relevant. They are taking active part and interact in professional situations appropriately. Their speech is smooth and effortless and takes into account the interaction partner. They use the field-specific vocabulary, general language and structures almost flawlessly. They pronounce clearly and the rhythm of sentences is natural. The students develop their language skills in a goal-oriented manner.

Assessment criteria, approved/failed

The students can communicate in the most typical, field-specific professional situations in working life. The students can write simple texts with some inconsistencies. Errors may make understanding challenging. The students take part in simple interaction but often need support from other speakers. The students have a good command of the vocabulary of their own field and everyday language use, but linguistic inaccuracies may make it difficult to get the message across. The students use the most common basic structures in a one-sided way and sometimes incorrectly. The students can pronounce mostly understandably but not like a native, and the slowness of the rhythm can slow down communication. The students receive feedback and attempt to apply it to their written and oral assignments.

Assessment methods and criteria

ongoing evaluation, a oral test and a written exam in the end of the course

Qualifications

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) level B1

Further information

Oral and written language skills are assessed separately.
The students, whose school education language is Swedish, complete the course Finnish as a Second Domestic Language within the module Finnish at Work in Social Services .The students shall receive the following language clause in their diploma: The student has acquired such oral and written language skills in Finnish required of state officials functioning in a position corresponding to the Act 693/2016, Section 6, proficiency in the second domestic language used in bilingual public administration with a grade of good/ satisfactory for the oral skills and the scale of good/satisfactory for the written skills.

If the students are exempted from Swedish, they will complete the course Finnish as a Second Domestic Language in the module Finnish at Work in Social Services.