Unveiling the Success of the Free Basic Finnish Language Summer Camp - 2023

** Hansika: Empowering the Indian Community Through Finnish Tutoring by a High School Student **

Greetings, language enthusiasts and curious minds! After a promising pilot camp in June 2023, the stage was set for an even more enriching and immersive experience for young learners aged 7-12 years old. We’re excited to share the resounding success of the 5-week intensive Basic Finnish language summer camp that was completely free of cost. The camp was organized by TCAF Ry as a community service during July-August 2023 in Espoo, Finland.

Under the expert guidance of the passionate Finnish instructor, Ms. Hansika Velagapudi, our young learners embarked on a linguistic journey like no other. The camp provided an hour long daily Finnish language classes from Monday to Friday, ensuring a comprehensive and continuous learning process. To keep the learning engaging and diverse, Fridays were dedicated to 2-hour long exciting activities such as baking, creating a dynamic blend of language learning and hands-on baking experience, which encouraged students to communicate the recipes in Finnish. Hansika’s idea behind implementing these activity based learning is to promote students to effectively communicate in their daily lives.

Mrs. Anuradha Dande

Hansika conducted Finnish classes very professionally. There was every day homework, follow up, tests conducted on weekly basis and feedback given regularly. Friday baking sessions was the best part. My daughter, Rishitha enjoyed these Finnish lessons thoroughly and I noticed improvement in her Finnish skills. Thank you very much Hansika! Great work!

Seamless Communication and Engagement

Modern challenges call for modern solutions, and Ms. Velagapudi ingeniously utilized technology to foster effective communication. Through a dedicated WhatsApp group, parents, students, and the instructor could seamlessly connect, address queries, and clarify the doubts. This platform proved instrumental in distributing homework assignments, enhancing both writing and speaking skills, and facilitating a smooth flow of information on a daily basis.

Mr. Raveendra Padmaraju

Tons of thanks for your initiative on this. Kids learnt and improved a lot. Hansika has excellent teaching skills. She do have patience to understand everyone mindset, properly prepared homework sheets, timely asked speaking homework and weekly revision with exam. Kids take bit serious to go through the concepts which they have learnt. Much appreciated.

Mrs. Kalyani Mallempalli

Thank you Hansika.. It was very nice training.. i appreciate your efforts..😍 Laasya feeling more comfortable at finnish language after this training..

Tracking Progress Through Assessments

Continuous assessment is key to gauging progress, and this summer camp was no exception. Weekly exams were held, covering topics from the previous week’s lessons. These assessments, evaluating reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills, were then meticulously graded, akin to traditional schools. What set this apart was the signature requirement from parents on weekly exam papers, allowing them to actively engage in their child’s learning journey.

Mrs. Yogalakshmi Vasanthakumar

Thank you Hansika for your amazing teaching and efforts for preparing question paper, homework, listening and reading comprehensions, and clarifying their doubts :)

A Comprehensive Curriculum

Over the course of these 5 intensive weeks, the syllabus encompassed all the material from the text book Suomen Mestari-1. But the learning didn’t stop there! Ms. Velagapudi delved deeper into Finnish grammar and additional topics, ensuring a holistic understanding of the language, which in turn gave confidence to the youngsters.

Mr. Srinivas Nagaboina

Thanks Hansika for all your excellent teaching skills and patience with all the kids. Vaishnavi much improved after your classes and hope it’s same for all kids. You put a lot of efforts to complete this course and once again big thanks and all the best for your next acedemic classes too !! You rock it

The Grand Finale: Graduation Ceremony

Course Completion Certificate Presented by Chairman of TCAF, Mr. Sudheer Chiluveri

The journey culminated in a momentous graduation ceremony, where students, parents, and TCAF core team members came together to celebrate the achievements. The ceremony was inaugurated by the esteemed TCAF core members and featured motivating speeches from TCAF Ry Chairman, Mr. Sudheer Chiluveri; Vice-Chairperson, Dr. Vidya Velagapudi; Treasurer, Dr. Srikanth Bandi; General Secretary and the instructor Ms. Hansika Velagapudi. The highlight of the day was the distribution of well-deserved diplomas, a testament to the students’ dedication and progress and also delicious chocolate brownies baked by the students.

Looking Ahead

As one chapter ends, another begins. The graduation ceremony also served as a platform to discuss future plans. The unanimous enthusiasm paved the way for brainstorming new batches and courses. With hearts full of gratitude, the event concluded with a vote of thanks and a glimpse into the possibilities that lay ahead.

The 2023 Basic Finnish Language Summer Camp stands as a shining example of how dedication, innovation and passion can come together to create a transformative learning experience. The memories made, the skills acquired, and the friendships formed are sure to resonate in the hearts and minds of the young participants for years to come. Until next time, stay curious and stay tuned for further updates on upcoming Finnish language lessons!