Curricula

Objectives

After completing the course, you are able to mainly communicate understandably in speech and writing in simple and routine work tasks and other situations.

After completing the course, you can tell about yourself and your skills when, for example, applying for a job. You are able to perform in Swedish in the communication and interaction situations of working life and in your central field-specific work duties, such as appointments, guidance, field-specific emails, and customer service situations. You are able to assess your language skills in Swedish and have motivation to further your skills based on the principles of life-long learning. You act responsibly and abide by established agreements.

Communication and Team-working: You are able to function effectively in a national and international context and you are able to cooperate effectively with specialists in your own field as well as with other groups of professionals.

Content

During the course, you will study the following contents:
- studies and applying for a job
- oral and written communication situations in working life, for example appointments, small talk, customer service, telephone conversations, emails, and opinions
- producing formal written Swedish, such as reports, instructions, or summaries
- central field-specific terminology
- a field-specific, advanced part carried out as a workshop, a project, a portfolio, a report, or familiarization with working life

Learning materials and recommended literature

Teacher’s material will be used on the course.
Support material is provided by the teacher during the course if needed.

Teaching methods

This distance learning implementation starts on January 29th 2024 and ends on April 30th 2024.
You will find this distance learning implementation in the Moodle learning environment no later than on January 29th.

There is NO face-to-face learning in the distance learning implementation, but there are 3 webinars during the course: on Tuesday January 30th at 12.00, Tuesday February 20th at 12.00 & on Tuesday March 19th at 12.00. The adress of the webinars is: https://jamk.zoom.us/j/6664089196. Participation in these online meetings is voluntary.

In the distance learning implementation, your device is required to be compatible with the Moodle learning environment. You must have a good command of the learning environment and different presentation tools, e.g. Zoom. You need a headset, a web camera, and a working internet connection.

The distance learning implementation includes both oral and written exercises, and learning assignments (oral and/or written) which are assessed. You mostly work independently during this course, but you will also do some group work. You cannot do group assignments alone. The oral learning assignments can be e.g. recordings, videos, or online meetings. You are required to use a web camera and prove your identity while doing oral assignments and in oral exam.

All assignments of the course must be done between January 29th and April 26th 2024 (excluding re-takes).
All assignments in Moodle learning environment are compulsory (if not adviced otherwise) and they divided into three sections which are open as follows:
- section 1 open 29.1.-18.2.2024
- section 2 open 19.2.-17.3.2024
- section 3 open 18.3.-7.4.2024

Oral exams are being held via Zoom application. Enrollment at Moodle learning environment before midnight on Sunday April 7th 2024. Exam time is 30 minutes, use of dictionaries and other support materials is not allowed.
You can participate in the oral exam on following dates & times:
- Monday April 15th at 11.30 or at 12
- Tuesday April 16th at 12, 12.30 or at 14
- Wednesday April 17th at 13 or 13.30
- Monday April 22nd at 12 or at 12.30
- Tuesday April 23rd at 12, 12.30, 14 or at 14.30
- Wednesday April 24th at 13.30 or at 14
- Thursday April 25th at 11 or at 11.30
Use of web-camera is compulsory.

Written exam is being held at Rajakatu campus. Enrollment at Moodle learning environment before midnight on Sunday April 7th 2024. Exam time is 2h, for students with individualised learning support the time is longer (inform the teacher as soon as possible if you require a longer exam time). Use of dictionaries and other support materials is not allowed.
You can participate in the written exam on following dates & times:
- Wednesday April 24th at 8.45 (class room G202)
- Thursday April 25th at 13.15 (class room G202)
In case the time of the written exam above are not suitable, the student may take the exam in an Exam-studio. Contact the teacher for more information or see these: https://oppimateriaalit.jamk.fi/examstudio/ & https://e-exam.fi/exam-tenttivierailu/.

Retake of the oral exam will be held in Zoom.
Retake of the written exam in Exam-studio.
Please contact the teacher about the arrangements.
The possible retake/-s need to be taken no later than during the autumn semester 2024.
The student can retake both exams twice if needed.
The student can also retake a passed exam once.

Exam dates and retake possibilities

Oral exams are being held via Zoom application. Enrollment at Moodle learning environment before midnight on Sunday April 7th 2024. Exam time is 30 minutes, use of dictionaries and other support materials is not allowed.
You can participate in the oral exam on following dates & times:
- Monday April 15th at 11.30 or at 12
- Tuesday April 16th at 12, 12.30, 14
- Wednesday April 17th at 13 or 13.30
- Monday April 22nd at 12 or at 12.30
- Tuesday April 23rd at 12, 12.30, 14 or at 14.30
- Wednesday April 24th at 13.30 or at 14
- Thursday April 25th at 11 or at 11.30
Use of web-camera is compulsory.

Written exam is being held at Rajakatu campus. Enrollment at Moodle learning environment before midnight on Sunday April 7th 2024. Exam time is 2h, for students with individualised learning support the time is longer (inform the teacher as soon as possible if you require a longer exam time). Use of dictionaries and other support materials is not allowed.
You can participate in the written exam on following dates & times:
- Wednesday April 24th at 8.45 (class room G202)
- Thursday April 25th at 13.15 (class room G202)
In case the time of the written exam above are not suitable, the student may take the exam in an Exam-studio. Contact the teacher for more information or see these: https://oppimateriaalit.jamk.fi/examstudio/ & https://e-exam.fi/exam-tenttivierailu/.

Retake of the oral exam will be held in Zoom.
Retake of the written exam in Exam-studio.
Please contact the teacher about the arrangements.
The possible retake/-s need to be taken no later than during the autumn semester 2024.
The student can retake both exams twice if needed.
The student can also retake a passed exam once.

Student workload

- online meetings 0 - 10 h
- studying of material, exercises, learning assignments, and oral group work 70 - 80 h
- preparing for exams 5 - 10 h
Total 108 hours (one credit equals 27 hours of student work). The course lasts 13 weeks, hence the work load per week is 8 hours.

Further information for students

Your oral and written language skills are assessed separately (grading scale 0 - 5).

The assessment is based on continuous assessment and feedback, learning assignments, oral group work, and oral and written exam(s).

Evaluation scale

0-5

Evaluation criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

1 You can mainly communicate understandably in speech and writing in simple and routine work tasks and other situations although your language use is at times slow and incoherent. You understand the central content of clear speech and text dealing with familiar topics. You have a sufficient command of the basic structures and vocabulary for the delivery of the message. The level of your pronunciation is sufficient for the delivery of the main content of your message. You act responsibly and abide by established agreements.

2 You are able to communicate understandably in speech and writing in familiar and routine work tasks and situations although your language use is at times slow and incoherent. You understand clear speech and text dealing with familiar topics. You have an adequate command of the basic structures of the language. Your vocabulary is sufficient for everyday situations and reasonably adequate for basic field-specific situations. The level of your pronunciation is sufficient for the delivery of the content of your message. You act responsibly and abide by established agreements.

Evaluation criteria, good (3-4)

3 You can manage well in speech and writing in your work tasks and other everyday situations. You are able to write a text with coherent content. You understand speech with a normal tempo but unusual topics and speech deviating from standard use cause difficulties. You can understand even demanding written content related to your field although some details may remain unclear. You can use the grammatical structures of the language in a versatile way, and their mistakes do not hinder communication. Your command of the vocabulary of the language is sufficient for communicating the central content in different work tasks and situations. Your pronunciation is understandable. You act responsibly and abide by established agreements.

4 You are able to communicate fluently in different situations and produce clear and fluent language with adequate style. You have no difficulty in understanding and producing speech and writing needed in working life although expressions deviating from the standard use of the language cause problems to some extent. You have a good command of the language and its use, but occasional problems may arise. You act responsibly and abide by established agreements.

Evaluation criteria, excellent (5)

5 You are able to communicate with great fluency and active participation in demanding working life situations. You also portray versatility and an appropriate sense of style in your ability to apply the learning content of the course to demanding working life situations. You have no difficulties in understanding different kinds of language users although fine nuances and speech deviating significantly from standard language can sometimes be challenging. You can understand and produce demanding content in both speech and writing. Your language use is practically flawless. You act responsibly and abide by established agreements.

Prerequisites

Level A2 or B1 in the European Framework of Reference.

This means that you are able to communicate understandably in speech and writing in familiar and routine situations when the course starts. You also understand clear speech and text dealing with familiar topics, such as introducing yourself and others and discussing studies and work. You have a sufficient command of the basic structures of Swedish, such as the use of personal pronouns, the use and inflection of nouns and adjectives, the verbs tenses, and the word order of main and subordinate clauses. Your vocabulary is sufficient for everyday situations. The level of your pronunciation is sufficient for the delivery of the content.

Further information

Act 6.6.2003/424 on the language skills required from personnel working in general government offices.

Oral and written language skills are assessed separately.