Study Guide

Objective

The student manages professional situations requiring language skills both orally and in writing. The student masters the central vocabulary of his/her own specific field and is able to apply information from sources available in English. The student has the language skills required by the internationalising working environment.

Content

The contents of the study module are based on communication situations occurring in working life. Main topics:
- Education and applying for a job: students are able to tell others about themselves and about their education and work experience
- Working environment and business life: students can communicate in a customer-oriented way in the working environment of their own field and pass information on their job, tasks and the field-specific functions as part of the surrounding society.

Materials

Teacher's material in itslearning
Material chosen by the students

Teaching methods

Learning by doing
Completing tasks and studying the material in itslearning

Exam schedules

No exams, no re-sits

International connections

Flipped classroom
Learning by doing

Completion alternatives

No options for passing the course.

Student workload

Pre-class work
Assignments (graded on a scale 0-5)
Other tasks

Content scheduling

The aim of the course is to activate and develop the students’ field-relevant English language and communication skills. The students gain professional skills in various spoken and written communicative situations encountered in working life and society. In addition, they learn to utilize tools and techniques to further develop their skills in authentic, field-specific contexts.
Upon completing the course, the students have acquired sufficient skills to communicate at level B2 of the European Framework of Reference for Languages which states that at level B2, students should be able to produce clear, coherent and well-structured texts, present detailed descriptions related to their field of interest, express and exchange opinions using fluent language, follow complex argumentation, and read longer articles and reports.

The course focuses on professional communication skills in English.
The course includes the following topics:
- Communicating with Style, using correct register
- Professional emails
- Meetings
- Professional reporting
- Innovations and Trade Fairs
- Professional Presentation Skills
- Discussion Skills
- Work Safety
- Field-specific terminology and vocabulary will be studied and practiced in context with the above-mentioned topics

Further information

Itslearning
Email (piia.pesso@turkuamk.fi)

The students are expected to take part in the lessons by answering questions, asking and commenting. Active participation is required.

The course starts on Thursday, January 18 according to the timetable. Participation in the opening lecture is highly important.

Evaluation scale

H-5

Assessment methods and criteria

Task-based assessment, no exams. The course is assessed on a scale of 1-5 based on the following criteria:

The scale of 1-5 per assignment:
1 Professional Email
2 Online Meeting
3 Professional Report
4 Presentation

The final evaluation: the average of assignments 1-4 and active participation in lessons + completion of pre-class work and other course tasks on time (+/-)

All assignments must be done even if they are returned late before any credits can be gained. If an evaluated assignment is not accepted when returned, it must be done again at the latest by the end of the course.
In addition, active attendance and participation in lessons is required due to the nature of the studied subject (some lessons are obligatory). Absences cannot be compensated with extra work and there are no exceptions to deadlines.
If the student passes the course, it is not possible to raise the score (and the grade) by redoing some of the assignments (as stated in the degree regulation).

Assessment criteria, fail (0)

Evaluated assignments not completed.
Many absences from lessons.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2)

All assignments not completed on time, average 1.5 from the other assignments (grade 2) or at least 1 (grade 1).
Pre-class work not completed and/or many absences from lessons.

Assessment criteria, good (3-4)

The average from the assignments at least 3.5 (grade 4) and 2.5 (grade 3).
Active demonstration of skills in lessons and pre-class work completed (grade 4). Attendance in lessons.

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

All assignments and tasks completed on time and the average at least 4.5.
Active demonstration of skills in lessons and pre-class work completed on time. Active attendance in lessons.