SIMHE Studies – Finnish, Swedish and English courses for immigrants

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.

Online group from 29 October to 28 November 2024. Application opens 13 August 2024.

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.

Online group from 14 January to 11 March 2025. Application opens 12 November 2024.

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.

Online group from 25 September to 27 November 2024. Application opens 13 Agust 2024.

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.  

Online group from 18 March to 15 May 2025. Application opens 14 January 2025.

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. 

Online group from 15 January to 2 April 2025. Application opens 12 November 2024.

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.

Online group from 9 September to 9 October 2024. Application opens 13 August 2024.

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.

Online group from 21 October to 9 December 2024. Application opens 13 August 2024.

Swedish as a Foreign Language 3a, 3 ECTS

CEFR target level: A2.2 – You understand familiar topics fairly well. You write simple language. 

After finishing the course, you can discuss, write and read about feasts, traditions and the world’s nations. You will also learn the core knowledge about Swedish literature, Sweden’s and Finland’s brief history and the Nordic welfare model, and different cultural phenomena in the Nordic everyday life.

Online group from 13 January to 12 February 2025. Application opens 12 November 2024.

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.

Online goup from 3 March to 12 May 2025. Application opens 14 January 2025.

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. 

The timetable and application period for this course will be announced later.

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.

I don't have the Finnish personal identity code, how can I apply for the courses?

The courses are intended to people who live in Finland. Unfortunately we cannot accept participants without the Finnish personal identity code due to funding-related reasons. 

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.