SIMHE Studies – Finnish, Swedish and English courses for immigrants

Finnish as a Foreign Language 1a: introduction, 2 ECTS  

CEFR Start level: 0 – No knowledge of Finnish 
CEFR Target level: A1.1 – Beginner, basics of language proficiency 

Are you an absolute beginner in Finnish? Start your studies with this course. You will learn how to introduce yourself and discuss and ask questions about everyday events.

Finnish as a Foreign Language 1b: basic knowledge, 3 ECTS

CEFR Start level: A1.1 – Beginner, basics of language proficiency  
CEFR Target level: A1.2 – Basics of language proficiency

Do you already know the very basics of Finnish such as introducing yourself and having simple everyday discussions? Continue your studies with this course. You will learn how to communicate in spoken and written Finnish in everyday situations related to for example housing and daily routines, and gain basic vocabulary in these areas.

Finnish as a Foreign Language 2a, 2 ECTS

CEFR Start level: A1.2 – basics of language proficiency  
CEFR Target level: A1.3 – You can manage simple everyday situations and write a little. 

If you already have completed Finnish 1a and 1b or have equivalent knowledge of Finnish, this course is for you. You will learn how to communicate about travel, sickness and health, leisure and hobbies, and will be able to actively use vocabulary related to these topics.

Finnish as a Foreign Language 2b, 3 ECTS

CEFR Start level: A1.3 – You can manage simple everyday situations and write a little.  
CEFR Target level: A2.1 – You can manage ordinary service situations. 

On this course, we will learn vocabulary related to nature, education and service situations, and practice communicating in various service situations in Finnish. After completing the course, you will be able to speak and write about your past, your studies, your future hopes and your career.

Finnish as a Foreign Language 3a, 2 ECTS

CEFR Start level A2.1 – You can manage ordinary service situations.
CEFR Target level A2.1 – You can manage ordinary service situations. 

Let’s start negotiating in Finnish! After completing this course, you can speak about matters related to work and leisure in Finnish. You will learn how to express your opinions and justify them. You know how to act in situations requiring negotiation.

Finnish as a Foreign Language 3b, 3 ECTS

CEFR Start level A2.1 - You can manage ordinary service situations.   
CEFR Target level A2.2 - You understand familiar topics fairly well. You write simple language. 

Let’s learn about work-related topics and language needed in job-seeking! This course prepares you to speak about your skills and matters related to your own field.  

Finnish as a Foreign Language 4, 5 ECTS

CEFR Start level A2.2 – You understand familiar topics fairly well. You write simple language.  
CEFR Target level B1.1 – Intermediate level. Moderate language proficiency in normal situations.

After completing this course, you will be able to communicate in spoken and written Finnish about your skills and express yourself in a convincing way, taking the audience into account. You will be able to search for information about companies of your field and compile a poster based on that information. You will be able to prepare documents for job applications, make a video CV and answer typical job interview questions. 

Swedish as a Foreign Language 1a, 2 ECTS

CEFR Target level: A1.1 – beginner, basics of language proficiency 

Are you an absolute beginner in Swedish? Start your studies with this course. After completing the course, you will know how to introduce yourself and share basic information about yourself, your family and hobbies in Swedish.

Swedish as a Foreign Language 1b, 3 ECTS

CEFR Target level: A1.2 – basics of language proficiency 

Do you already know the very basics of Swedish such as introducing yourself? On this course you will learn more basic Swedish within themes like everyday life, travelling and culture. After finishing the course, you can read simple texts, share your opinions and use appropriate language in e.g. a shop situation in Swedish.

Swedish as a Foreign Language 2a, 2 ECTS

CEFR Target level: A2.1 – You can manage ordinary service situations. 

Let’s learn more Swedish for service situations, everyday conversations and writing simple messages. After completing the course, you can use appropriate language in a shop and restaurant situation, talk about the weather and tell about something that happened to you in the past.

Swedish as a Foreign Language 2b, 3 ECTS

CEFR target level: A2.1 – You can manage ordinary service situations. 

After completing this course, you can talk about your body, common sicknesses and book an appointment to the doctor in Swedish. You can also share opinions, make comparisons, give road directions and read and write short texts about familiar matters.

Swedish as a Foreign Language 3b, 3 ECTS

CEFR Target level: A2.2, You understand familiar topics fairly well. You write simple language. 

After finishing the course, you can write a job application, and discuss, write and read about work and economy. In addition, you will gain the core knowledge about Finland-Swedish and Swedish culture.

Business Communication in Swedish, 5 ECTS

CEFR Target level: B1–C1.

Upon completion of the course, you will have the basic knowledge of structures and key vocabulary of the Swedish language to be able to communicate about topics related to your field of study.

English 1: Basic, 5 ECTS

CEFR Start level: 0 – no knowledge of English
CEFR Target level: A1.2 – basics of language proficiency

Are you an absolute beginner in English? During this course you will learn the very basics: how to introduce yourself, how to ask and answer questions, how to speak and write produce simple sentences and how to understand and use everyday expressions. 

English 2: Basic, 5 ECTS

CEFR Start level: A1.2 – Basics of language proficiency
CEFR Target level: A2.1 - You can manage ordinary service situations. 

Let’s continue with the basics! After completing this course, you will be able to communicate about travel, leisure and hobbies, and ask for help in emergency situations. You will understand frequently used expressions related to you and your family, employment, daily routines, shopping, etc. You can write a short, simple message, for example holiday greetings.

English 3: Pre-Intermediate, 3 ECTS

CEFR Start level: A2.1 - You can manage ordinary service situations. 
CEFR Target level: A2.2 - You understand familiar topics fairly well. You write simple language. 

During the course, you get to practice and expand your vocabulary related to occupations, work experience, education, etc. The course includes discussions about work-related topics and traditions of various cultures and festivals.

English 4: Pre-Intermediate, 2 ECTS

CEFR Start level: A2.2 
CEFR Target level: A2.3

During the course, you will practice and expand your vocabulary related to work, life events, office activities, traveling, etc. The course offers the opportunity to practice speaking, listening, reading and writing skills so that you can become an independent user of English.

Strengthen Your English Skills

CEFR Start level: A2.3
CEFR Target level: B1.2

This course is for those who want to revise their English skills and further build them in for use in university studies or professional life. We practice reading, writing, listening and speaking to ensure you become an independent user of English. 

Should I study Finnish, Swedish or both?

It depends on your career and life plans. Both Finnish and Swedish are official languages in Finland. If you have the time to invest for both languages, it is definitely an asset in the job markets. In Finland in general, Finnish is the majority language. However, Swedish is widely spoken in the Ostrobothnia region where 50,6 % of the population is Swedish-speaking.

Why is attendance and active participation required?

The learning activities are designed so that you get a lot of practice with your peers. The more you attend the classes the more you get to practice and the more you learn. The lessons are not recorded.

Do I need to buy a book or other materials for the course?

Usually not, we mostly use online materials. You will receive more information about the materials from the teacher after you have been accepted to the course. Literature can be borrowed, for example, from Tritonia Academic Library.

These are not the right courses for me. Where can I find more options?

You can find information about language courses and self-study resources from the Welcome Office webpage.

What is the difference between SIMHE courses and Linguavaasa courses?

SIMHE language courses are open for all internationals living in Finland – you don’t have to be a student to enrol. The courses are targeted especially for those who don’t have the opportunity to study the languages as part of degree studies.

Linguavaasa courses are offered only for students at the following universities: Hanken School of Economics, Vamk University of Applied Sciences, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Åbo Akademi University, University of Helsinki (Vaasa unit) and University of Vaasa.

I have been selected to a course. How can I access Moodle?

See further instructions about Moodle.