Language and Cultural Awareness of the Host CountryLaajuus (2 cr)

Objective

The focus will be on learning about the culture and daily life in the host country as well as the basic vocabulary and phrases, which form a solid base for the orientation to the new culture

You will be engaged in cross-cultural experiences during the study unit. You will experience the uniqueness of not only the culture of the host country, but that of fellow international students as well. Consequently, you broaden your perspective on communication and gain awareness of cultural differences and similarities, which enhances your understanding and prevents misunderstandings.

After completing the study unit, you can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases. You can also ask and answer to basic questions. You are able to tell about yourself and use polite phrases and greetings in everyday situations, e.g. meeting friends, asking about price and ordering.

Content

The course includes:
- basic facts about the Finnish culture and customs
- Finnish alphabet
- pronunciation
- sharing personal information: e.g. name, nationality, language skills, family, hobbies, studies
- numbers and expressions of time
- basic grammar: e.g. conjugation of basic verbs and common interrogatives