Time: Students can start their studies approximately within a week after enrolling on this course. The estimated time for completing this course is two months. Please notice that the first nonstop start is on 27 January 2025.

Please notice that Xamk’s lecturers do not assess completed courses nor enter the course assessments in Xamk’s record of credits (Peppi) during their non-teaching periods. Completed courses will not be assessed between 2 June and 17 August 2025.

Place: Online studies
Extent: 3 ECTS credits
Target group: Everyone interested in the topic

Please notice that from September 1, 2024 onwards, only students with a Finnish social security number (i.e. a personal identity code) can start their studies on Xamk Pulse’s courses. You can read more here.

Required previous skills: This course is intended for students who have completed the course Beginners' Finnish 1 (2 ECTS) or who have corresponding skills. Attending the course requires English skills enabling academic studies, as well as some IT skills. Additionally students are expected to have good independent study skills.

Course is completed independently.

Credited in degree at Xamk: All bachelor level degrees
Area of competence mentioned in Curriculum: Optional studies
Enrolment by: 14th December 2025. This is a nonstop start and students can start their studies approximately within a week after enrolling on this course.
Price: Free of charge

Note that you can enrol for Open UAS studies at the maximum of 50 ECTS credits per semester. One person’s enrolments exceeding 50 ECTS credits are deleted in the enrolment order. Paying attention to this is important when planning your studies.

Please also notice that
Xamk degree students can enrol on this course only via Peppi or Tuudo.

Path students enrol at Peppi or Tuudo only for study courses included in path studies. Check your invitation letter for more detailed instructions for your own path study.

Learning outcomes:

After the completion of the course:

  • you are able to communicate in Finnish in various basic everyday situations.
  • you can use appropriate phrases and vocabulary.
  • you are familiar with the key features of the Finnish language, grammar and culture.
  • you can apply your skills in practice, both orally and in writing.
  • you are able to independently expand your vocabulary resources and improve your Finnish skills using different sources.

Contents and methods:

  • telling times 
  • months, seasons and weather 
  • family and friends 
  • daily activities and verb conjugation 
  • food  
  • simple communication, conversations and writing tasks related to e.g., activities and service encounters (e.g., shopping and eating out) 
  • essential grammar themes related to the communicative content of the course.

The course is carried out by means of independent online studies. In each section of the course, there are assignments to complete. Moreover, there is an online exam and and other written and/or oral tasks at the end of the course. The assessed tasks are completed independently. Completing the course successfully requires completing the assignments within the given schedule.

The course covers 3 ECTS credits, totalling 81 hours of independent student work. The number of hours is theoretical and varies according to student effort.

Study material:

The study material used in the course is: A Taste of Finnish. 2015. University of Helsinki, chapters 4–6. Available at: http://tasteoffinnish.fi/. The other study material is available in the Learn online learning environment.

Assessment: Accepted/Failed

The Transcript of records will be delivered automatically by email in PDF form. You can read more about the The Transcript of records on: Information on Open UAS, Xamk Pulse studies.

This course is based on the curricula of Xamk's degree programmes and the Finnish credits are fully compatible with the ECTS.

Additional information on enrolment:
Xamk Pulse, email: openstudies@xamk.fi.

Terms of cancellation: 
If you are not able to participate in the course, please let us know as soon as possible by email openstudies@xamk.fi.

Before the course starts, you'll receive an invitation by email to this course.

Please note that there can be changes in the course details in terms of the timetable and teachers, for example.

Logo of Finnish Education Evaluation Centre

South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences is audited by the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre (FINEEC).