Background
The Finnish government has long emphasized the importance of international skills and manpower. The Talent Boost action programme aims to make Finland an internationally attractive place for work, study and research. The programme also focuses on the integration of international students and researchers in Finland.
About the project
The aim of the Language Centre’s Gateway to Finland – Finnish for Workforce Integration project is to develop a course in Finnish for international degree students at Åbo Akademi University. The course will provide students with the skills in oral and written Finnish that are required in Finnish working life and thus promote student integration. The course will also increase students’ cultural awareness of Finnish working life.
As part of the project, a digital pedagogical game will also be produced and integrated into the course.
The Gateway to Finland project is part of Åbo Akademi University’s Talent Boost programme.
About the course in Finnish
The course consists of a number of study modules that are worth 1 credit each. The modules’ themes are related to Finnish working life, e.g. Finnish work culture, working life communication, entrepreneurship in Finland, finding a job in Finland. Three of the modules are compulsory, the remaining are optional. Students will choose two elective modules in addition to the three compulsory modules (a total of 5 credits), i.e. students tailor their course as a whole and choose the modules that best correspond to their own needs for language learning and integration.
The teaching methods vary from group teaching to workshops, flipped teaching and self-study. The digital pedagogical game is used continuously during the course as a central element that supports students’ learning.
The starting level of the course is A2 according to the European Reference Framework for Languages, i.e. the course is suitable for students who have basic knowledge of the Finnish language. The target level of the course is B1.
The course was piloted in the autumn of 2022.
Project group
- Mia Panisse (project owner)
- Zara Wessberg (project coordinator)
- Dan Holm (external IT expert)
- Laura Vahtera (project planner)
- Marit Vest-Sjöholm (project planner)