Language skills and preparing for exchange
Before your exchange, we encourage you to strengthen your language skills through TAMK’s language studies and to take advantage of Erasmus+ Online Language Support (OLS), which helps you assess and develop your language proficiency both before and during your exchange.
Exchange preparation also includes the compulsory International Experiences and Competences course, where you will explore the host culture and set goals for your exchange period, among other activities.
Studying languages and Erasmus+ Online Language Support (OLS)
Erasmus+ exchange students are able to use OLS, Online Language Support platform. It is an excellent opportunity for testing and developing language skills. Language training is not limited to the working language of the exchange or the duration of the mobility, but on the OLS platform you can study and test your language skills in all 29 languages there.
Erasmus + students will be invited via e-mail to participate to OLS programme.
In addition, it is possible for a TAMK student going for an exchange to receive 150 € financial support for language learning before the exchange begins or during the exchange, if the destination language is not taught at TAMK.
If a student completes language studies of their destination country before the exchange (e.g. in a civic college), they will be reimbursed the course fee, max. 150 €, after they have submitted a certificate of the completed course, a receipt of the course fee and a completed payment form from TAMK to International Office (outgoing.tamk [at] tuni.fi). Compensation can be received after TAMK has accepted the student’s exchange application.
Mandatory "International Experiences and Competences" course
All students heading abroad from TAMK complete a compulsory online course International Experiences and Competences (NN00CU60-3010). The fundamental purpose of the course is to help you to enjoy your experience abroad as much as possible and to give you tools for getting all the possible benefits from it. The contents include cultural orientation, setting objectives for the period abroad, and personal evaluation. The international period during your studies is valuable capital while considering your future careers, so an open and ambitious attitude towards this period will be an asset.
- Enroll yourself to the course International Experiences and Competences (NN00CU60-3011) in Pakki.
- Complete the tasks on the Moodle area.
- Enrolment key is international.
The course uses two blogs: Finnishness blog and Exchange blog. If you can't write in the blogs, please contact the coordinator of the course, Henri Annala (henri.annala [at] tuni.fi).
There are three sections in the course:
- Before the take-off
- During the exchange
- After the return
As the names of the sections imply, you should complete the first section before heading abroad, the second while you are at the destination, and the third after you have come back home.