Integrating Kielibuusti’s language PSP into Aalto University’s study and guidance practices

Aalto University has adopted the language PSP tool developed in the Kielibuusti project for study guidance. At Aalto University, the tool has been tailored to guide Finnish-language studies and is known as “Plan your Finnish language studies” (Suomi‑HOPS). It enables students to set goals for learning Finnish independently or together with teachers. For advisers, it is a tool for bringing up proficiency in the Finnish language as part of study and career planning. The tool aims to improve students’ opportunities on the job market and their integration into Finnish society. 

The "Plan your Finnish language studies" tool is divided into three steps: 

• Step 1: Where do you need Finnish? 
• Step 2: Plan your Finnish studies 
• Step 3: Enter your plan in Sisu 

The first step explores the student’s motivation to learn Finnish. The second step is a plan in which the student selects suitable Finnish courses and schedules them within their degree. The third step is to add the courses to the student’s personal study plan. This way the tool helps students plan and put their Finnish‑language studies into practice early in their degree. 

The "Plan your Finnish language studies" tool is tailored for Aalto students. 

- We have taken into account Aalto’s offering of Finnish courses as well as the campus environment and the resources it provides for language learning, state Verna Pelkonen and Milka Toikko, the developers of the tool.  

 "Plan your Finnish language studies" tool has been implemented in collaboration between Kielibuusti and The Technology sector Finnish project, which is co-funded by the European Union. It has been piloted in The Technology sector Finnish project and in the orientation programme for new students, and the needs for the guidance tool have been explored together with Aalto’s study advisers.

The "Plan your Finnish language studies" materials are available on Aalto University’s website.

More information

Milka Toik­ko 
Kielibuusti project | Aalto University Language Centre
milka.toikko@aalto.fi 

Verna Pel­ko­nen 
Technology sector Finnish project | Aalto University Language Centre
verna.pelkonen@aalto.fi