Syllabus for Qualifying Course in Swedish as a Foreign Language (Level 2)

Learning outcomes

After completing the course students will have gained sufficient Swedish language skills and knowledge of Swedish culture and Swedish society to meet the eligibility requirements for the course Swedish: Term Two.

After completing the course students will:

a) have the ability to communicate orally and to follow and participate in conversations and discussions

of well-known and less well-known subjects and events, and to describe diverse events, opinions and experiences

b) have the ability to give presentations on factual topics using accordingly-developed language and vocabulary

c) have developed pronunciation skills to the degree that oral communication is not impeded

d) be able to apply the basic rules of Swedish grammar in speech and writing

e) be able to analyse and reflect upon the basic rules of grammar in texts

f) be able to understand what is said on the radio and television (for example, while watching the news and entertainment programs, as well as some factual programs)

g) be able to read magazine articles and other everyday Swedish texts

h) be able to read fairly long texts quickly

i) be aware of the differences between spoken and written language, especially at the academic level,

and be able to use the right style of communication at the correct time.

j) be able to comment in writing about various facts and opinions, and to explain in writing about one's own opinions and experiences

k) be able to give an account of factual topics in writing

l) have gained knowledge about Swedish society and culture

Content

The course's three parts (Oral Presentation and Listening Comprehension, Writing and Reading) are a coherent unit in which the learning of skills and knowledge acquisition are integrated into the study of diverse topics. The courses are all taken at the Department of Scandinavian Languages.

These courses provide practice in the Swedish language and the skills to expand one's vocabulary in a logical way, as well as the skills to advance one's knowledge of the phonology of the Swedish language, its grammar, semantics and pragmatics. Students will also practice the key syntactic rules of the language, especially in writing; they will also focus on grammatical 'pit-falls' which can cause particular problems. The course will also provide knowledge about Sweden: the course is organised around themes through which the students can increase their knowledge about Sweden and studying at Swedish universities.

Instruction

The course instruction will consist of lectures and group exercises. Students will also work individually, in pairs and in small groups with different types of tasks. The tasks are mainly problem-based. The reports are presented in writing and/or verbally, individually or in groups. Practice in pronunciation takes place in the Language Lab. Students are also expected to engage actively in individual-study.

Assessment

Oral Presentation and Listening Comprehension, Writing, and Reading:

Examination will be carried out continuously throughout the course, as well as through oral and written final exams. In order to write the final exam students are required to have completed the other tasks during the course.

The final grade for the entire course will be either 'Pass' (godkänd) or 'Fail' (underkänd).

A re-test (within a reasonable period after the first exam) will be organised for students who fail the exams. Students who have failed an exam twice even have the opportunity (after a consultation with the Prefect) to request a change of examiner or form of examination.