Language Centre courses suitable for non-Finnish speakers 2023-2024

The instruction belongs to the following themes

By selecting a degree programme you are able to see the general content as well as the possible degree programme-specific content. You do not have to select a degree programme to see the Open University's instructions.

On this page you can find the Language Centre courses suitable for non-Finnish speakers. Course descriptions and the selection of courses offered by the Language Centre are available online on the Languages and courses at the Language Centre page for everyone to see. Language Centre’s teaching programme for the academic year 2023–2024 has been published in Sisu. Information on upcoming teaching and examinations is also available in the Courses section.

In order to register for courses online, students need a valid university user ID. If you are an exchange students, you can find instructions on how to register for courses in Sisu on the Sisu instructions: Study plan for exchange students page.

NB! The elementary level teaching is given and study materials e.g. books are mainly in Finnish. At the more advanced level courses teaching and materials are in the language in question.

Chinese

  • KK-KII004 Introduction to Chinese Characters Online Course, 2 cr
  • KK-KII005 Elementary Chinese 1, 4 cr
  • KK-KII006 Elementary Chinese 2, 4 cr
  • KK-KII007 KiVANET: Chinese and Chinese Characters 1 - online course, 5 cr
  • KK-KII102 Elementary Chinese 4 (CEFR A1), 3 cr
  • KK-KII103 Elementary Chinese 3 (CEFR A1), 3 cr
  • KK-KII104 Elementary Spoken Chinese (CEFR A1), 3 cr
  • KK-KII106 KiVANET: Chinese and Chinese Characters 3 – online course (CEFR A1), 5 cr
  • KK-KII202 Intermediate Chinese 2 (CEFR A2), 3 cr
  • KK-KII204 Intermediate Chinese 4 (CEFR A2), 3 cr
  • KK-KII207 Intermediate Chinese 1 (CEFR A2), 3 cr
  • KK-KII208 Intermediate Chinese 3 (CEFR A2), 3 cr
  • KK-KII209 Intermediate Spoken Chinese (CEFR A2), 3 cr
  • KK-KII301 Advanced Chinese 1 (CEFR B1), 4 cr
  • KK-KII302 Advanced Chinese 2 (CEFR B1), 4 cr 

English

For exchange students:

  • KK-ENG403 Intercultural Communication: Tools for Understanding Culture (CEFR B2), 2 cr
  • KK-ENG404 Intercultural Communication: Themes to Explore Culture (CEFR B2), 2 cr
  • KK-ENG405 Academic Writing Online for Exchange Students (CEFR B2), 2 cr

NB! Exchange students are not allowed to attend any other of the English courses offered by the Language Centre.

For degree students:

  • All degree students are welcome to take any of the English courses offered by the Language Centre. If you are a degree student and sign up for a degree-requirement Academic and Professional Communication in English (1&2) course, remember to choose a course that is specifically aimed at your own faculty. If you are interested in doing more advanced-level work, you may sign up for Advanced courses, but only after you have taken a degree-requirement course.

Finnish

The Finnish language courses are organised by the Bachelor’s Programme in the Languages and Literatures of Finland  (Faculty of Arts).

French

  • KK-RAN004 French Pronunciation, 1 cr 
  • KK-RAN005 French for Beginners 1, 4 cr
  • KK-RAN103 Refresher Course in Basic French - Tutorassisted (CEFR A1), 2 cr
  • KK-RAN105 French for Beginners 2 (CEFR A1), 4 cr
  • KK-RAN204 Refresher Course in French - Tutorassisted (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-RAN205 Revise and communicate in French (CEFR A2), 3 cr  
  • KK-RAN208 Intermediate French 3 (CEFR A2), 3 cr 
  • KK-RAN209 Vieille école – French the Traditional Way (CEFR A2), 2 cr 
  • KK-RAN212 ALICE - Academic Language and Intercultural Exchange (French - Finnish/Swedish) (CEFR A2)
  • KK-RAN302 La France qui bouge - Intermediate French 4 (CEFR B1), 4 cr 
  • KK-RAN306 Atelier d'écriture sur mesure - Intermediate written skills in French (CEFR B1), 2 cr
  • KK-RAN307 Expression orale - Oral Skills in French (CEFR B1), 2 cr
  • KK-RAN308 Grammaire en ligne 1 - French Grammar Online on Advanced Level 1 (CEFR B1), 2 cr 
  • KK-RAN309 Grammaire en ligne 2 - French Grammar Online on Advanced Level 2 (CEFR B1), 2 cr 
  • KK-RAN311 CLARA (Cours de Langue en Autonomie pour Réactiver son Apprentissage) - French Course in Autonomy (CEFR B1), 2 cr
  • KK-RAN312 KiVANET: French 6 (CEFR B1),  3 cr
  • KK-RAN402 Français pluridisciplinaire - Oral and Written French on Advanced Level (CEFR B2), 4 cr 
  • KK-RAN403 Politique et société à travers les médias - Media Based Course in French (CEFR B2), 3 cr
  • KK-RAN404 KiVANET: French for EU and international law (CEFR B2), 3 cr

German

  • KK-SAK002 German for Beginners 1, 4 cr   
  • KK-SAK004 German pronunciation - online course, 1 cr
  • KK-SAK102 German for Beginners 2 (CEFR A1), 4 cr  
  • KK-SAK103 German Grammar 1 - Online Course (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-SAK104 Let's speak German! (CEFR A1), 2 cr
  • KK-SAK105 Refresher Course of Basic German (CEFR A1), 2 cr 
  • KK-SAK201 German Grammar 2 - Online Course (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-SAK202 German Vocabulary (CEFR A2), 2 cr 
  • KK-SAK203 German Course with Cultural Theme (CEFR A2), 2 cr 
  • KK-SAK205 Intermediate German 1 (CEFR A2), 4 cr 
  • KK-SAK212 ALICE - Academic Language and Intercultural Exchange (German - Finnish/Swedish) (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-SAK216 A touch of Austria and Switzerland - a regional studies course (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-SAK217 Intermediate German 2 (CEFR A2), 4 cr
  • KK-SAK301 Online Wortschatzkurs - German Vocabulary - Online Course (CEFR B1), 2 cr
  • KK-SAK303 Textkurs: Lesen, Diskutieren und Schreiben - German Reading Comprehension (CEFR B1), 4 cr
  • KK-SAK304 Deutsch im Berufsleben - Professional German (CEFR B1), 3 cr
  • KK-SAK306 IDEAL - Individuelles Deutsch Autonomes Lernprogramm - Autonomous German learning course (CEFR B1), 3 cr 
  • KK-SAK307 Konversation 4 - Discussion in German 4 (CEFR B1), 2 cr
  • KK-SAK309 Land und Leute - German Regional Studies Course (CEFR B1), 4 cr
  • KK-SAK310 Hören und Verstehen (Selbstlernkurs) - German listening comprehension independently (CEFR B1), 1 cr
  • KK-SAK312 Virtuelle Schreibwerkstatt (CEFR B1), 2 cr
  • KK-SAK313 Konversation: Mensch und Gesellschaft – conversation for advanced learners of German (CEFR B1), 2 cr
  • KK-SAK314 Deutsch als Wissenschaftssprache (CEFR B1), 2 cr
  • KK-SAK315 KiVANET: German 6 (CEFR B1), 3 cr

Italian

  • KK-ITA102 Italian Conversation for Beginners (CEFR A1), 2 cr 
  • KK-ITA204 Practical Italian (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-ITA206 ALICE - Academic Language and Intercultural Exchange (Italian - Finnish/Swedish) (CEFR A2), 2 cr 
  • KK-ITA301 Corso di espressione orale - Italian Oral Skills (CEFR B1), 2 cr 

Russian

  • KK-VEN001 Get Started Learning Russian Language - Online Course, 1 cr
  • KK-VEN002 Russian for beginners 1, 4 cr 
  • KK-VEN101 Russian for beginners 2 (CEFR A1), 4 cr
  • KK-VEN103 Russian Grammar 1 - Online Course (CEFR A1), 2 cr
  • KK-VEN102 Intermediate Russian 1 (CEFR A1), 4 cr
  • KK-VEN201 Intermediate Russian 2 (CEFR A2), 4 cr 
  • KK-VEN202 Advanced Course in Russian 3 (CEFR A2), 4 cr
  • KK-VEN206 Russian Grammar 2 - Online Course (CEFR A2)
  • KK-VEN207 Russian listening comprehension and vocabulary - online course (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-VEN301 Tšitat, pisat i obsuždat - Spoken and Written Russian (CEFR B1), 3 cr
  • KK-VEN302 Tšitat, pisat i obsuždat - Spoken and Written Russian (CEFR B1), 4 cr
  • KK-VEN303 Ustnaja kommunikatsija - Oral Skills in Russian (CEFR B1), 2 cr 
  • KK-VEN305 Novosti po-russki - Current Topics (CEFR B1), 2 cr 

Spanish

  • KK-ESP002 Spanish Pronunciation,1 cr
  • KK-ESP103 Speaking Spanish 1 (CEFR A1), 2 cr
  • KK-ESP104 Refresher course in basic Spanish (CEFR A1), 4 cr
  • KK-ESP201 Intermediate Spanish 1 (CEFR A2), 3 cr
  • KK-ESP203 Intermediate Spanish 2 (CEFR A2), 3 cr 
  • KK-ESP205 Practical Spanish with a focus on culture - activación oral 2 (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-ESP206 Intermediate Spanish 3 (CEFR A2), 3 cr
  • KK-ESP208 Spanish grammar 2 (CEFR A2), 3 cr
  • KK-ESP209 Understanding spoken Spanish - Online Course (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-ESP210 ALICE - Academic Language and Intercultural Exchange (Spanish - Finnish/Swedish) (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-ESP211 KiVANET: Spanish 4 - Spanish Course for Ongoing Exchange Students (CEFR A2), 3 cr
  • KK-ESP212 Independent project in intermediate Spanish (CEFR A2), 2 cr
  • KK-ESP301 Política y sociedad - Politics and Society (CEFR B1), 3 cr
  • KK-ESP302 Curso de escritura - Written skills in Spanish 1 (CEFR B1), 2 cr
  • KK-ESP304 Curso de comprensión de textos - Spanish reading comprehension (CEFR B1), 2 cr
  • KK-ESP305 Curso español sobre el medio ambiente - Environmental Spanish (CEFR B1), 3 cr
  • KK-ESP309 Curso oral sobre cultura y actualidad de los países latinoamericanos - Culture and Current Issues in Latin American Countries (CEFR B1), 4 cr
  • KK-ESP312 Curso de continuación 4 - Intermediate Spanish 4 (CEFR B1), 4 cr
  • KK-ESP401 Curso de Redacción - Written skills in Spanish (CEFR B2), 3 cr 
  • KK-ESP403 Curso oral - Oral Skills in Spanish (CEFR B2), 4 cr
  • KK-ESP404 Curso sobre el Lenguaje Académico - Aspects of Academic Language (CEFR B2), 3 cr
  • KK-ESP405 Proyecto individual de nivel avanzado - Independent project in advanced Spanish (CEFR B2), 2 cr

Swedish

  • KK-RUO001 Swedish for Beginners 1, 3 cr 
  • KK-RUO101 Swedish for Beginners 2 (CEFR A1), 3 cr
  • KK-RUO201 Intermediate Swedish 1 (CEFR A2), 3 cr 
  • KK-RUO301 Intermediate Swedish 2 (CEFR B1), 3 cr
  • KK-RUO412 Creative Writing in Swedish (CEFR B2), 2 cr
  • KK-RUO413 Avancerad skrivkurs i svenska - Advanced Writing Course in Swedish (CEFR B2), 2 cr
  • KK-RUO417 Bilingual Course (Swedish - Finnish) in Oral Skills 2 (CEFR B2), 2 cr
  • KK-RUO419 Skönlitteratur på egen hand - Independent Studies on Literature (CEFR B2), 2 op

Especially for international students

ALICE - Academic Language and Intercultural Exchange (2 ECTS)
The basic idea of ALICE courses is to provide two language learners who speak different native languages the opportunity to learn about each other’s language and culture in an interactive way.

Language Centre Course Assistant Programme for International Students
Course assistants are University of Helsinki’s international exchange or degree students. They assist Language Centre teachers in language courses and act as native peers for local students learning their native language. The Course Assistant Programme is a course. International students can gain 1-4 ECTS credits for their work as an assistant and a certificate of completion.