EduJyväskylä launches Language Café pilots
EduJyväskylä will start Language Café meetings for Health and Social Services students and professionals in April. This pilot project encourages participants to use Finnish in daily conversations.
The Language Café provides a relaxed and supportive environment to practice and improve Finnish language skills. Meetings are open to anyone wanting to strengthen their Finnish, with English as a backup. The pilot supports international students in their studies, internships, and employment. Staff and experts can also practice guiding international students in English.
What is the Language Café?
At the Language Café, we focus on using Finnish in everyday situations in functional and practical way. We bring together students and professionals from Health and Social Services to practice language skills and encourage interprofessional communication. Language cafés are popular worldwide and receive great feedback. Our Language Café is a relaxed community where participants are not assessed.
Starting in April, we’ll operate the Language Café at the cozy environment of Puistokoti at Jamk. Puistokoti also has a simulation room where you can practice patient interactions related to activities of daily living. Puistokoti can hold up to twenty people.
The Language Café will be held on Wednesday afternoons and is bilingual using both Finnish and English. It’s open to all students and professionals in Health and Social Services who want to improve their language skills and meet new people. You can discuss health and social welfare topics, current events, cultures, and everyday issues. We also have weekly simulation exercises on various topics related to Health Care and Social Services.
Internationally experienced instructor
The Language Café is led by Annina Kangas-Niemi, a Health Care professional who is currently the project manager of the Living Lab. Previously, Annina has worked in the sector in international positions in Japan and Sweden, so she has learned to do her job in two foreign languages in addition to her mother tongue. Therefore, Annina has an understanding of using foreign languages that enables her to bring a variety of perspectives to the Language Café and support multilingual interaction in the working environment.
The meetings are free of charge and no registration is required.
You are warmly welcome to join us!
To whom: EduJyväskylä students and staff, as well as those who want to strengthen their practical language skills in the field of Social Services and Health Care in a non-classroom context.
Where: Puistokoti, Jamk (Puistokatu 35)
When: On Wednesdays from April 9th at 14:00–15:30
Led by: Annina Kangas-Niemi
Dates and topics:
- Wed April 9th 2025 14:00–15:30 Communication situations
- Wed April 16th 2025 14:00–15:30 Communication in daily situations
- Wed April 23th 2025 14:00–15:30 Communication in daily health related situations – waking up, going to bed
- Wed May 5th 2025 14:00–15:30 Communication in daily healthcare situations – transitions and hygiene
- Wed May 14th 2025 14:00–15:30 Communication in daily healthcare situations – nutrition
- Wed May 21st 2025 14:00–15:30 Communication in daily healthcare situations – recreational activities
- Tue May 27th 2025 14:00–15:30 Visit of the international coordinator of the wellbeing services county of Central Finland