Scand 302 Intensive Elementary Finnish 2.

Scand 302 picks up where 301 left off. We continue with the textbook Kuulostaa hyvältä, and aim at achieving the following proficiency goals:

Talk and write about hypothetical things (i.e., use the Finnish conditional).

Talk about things in the plural.

Refer to actions without naming the actor (i.e., use the passive voice);

Talk about things that have been or had been (i.e., the perfect and pluperfect);

Invite people to do things with you (i.e., Let’s go!).

We work concertedly at learning colloquial alternatives to standard Finnish forms. We also continue to sing songs each week but begin reading Selkouutiset news digest pieces. As our familiarity with more complex vocabulary and grammar grows, we work gradually toward standard newspaper and blog texts. We work to develop active listening comprehension of standard and colloquial Finnish as heard on the radio. In terms of vocabulary building, we learn common names for animals, trees, and terrain, words for typical pastimes and activities, and other topics of interest identified by the students in the class. Students research and make presentations on aspects of Finnish history.  We generally cover another 12-14 chapters of Kuulostaa hyvältä.