FAST Program Background and Requirements The FAST Area Studies Program The United States of America, United Kingdom, Canada and Finland Department of Translation Studies, University of Tampere

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Who May Earn a FAST Minor?   ::   How is the Program Structured?   ::   How Does One Start?   ::   Examples of FAST Minors
Credits From Other Departments   ::   Registration of FAST Credits

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What Is the FAST Area Studies Program?

The FAST Area Studies Program (Foundations in Area Studies For Translators) is an English-language minor option for Tampere University students who desire a knowledge of intercultural area studies focusing on the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Finland. The FAST curriculum is based on an examination and comparison, from the perspective of Finland, of the language(s) and literature(s) of the U.S. and U.K. as the cornerstones of world English, the cultural, political and educational institutions by which they are known, and the communications structures and technologies through which they convey information worldwide in English.

The FAST Program emphasizes core area studies components of the U.S., U.K., Canada and Finland and a professional expertise in communicating knowledge about these countries. The Program is student-centered, to accommodate individual interests and capabilities. There is an emphasis on academic writing in English, the development of academic and professional research skills, and the use of information and communications technologies (ICT). Students who have completed the FAST program will have a basic expertise in area studies of the primary English-speaking countries and certified academic research and writing competence in English.

The FAST core program consists of English-language courses from the English Section of the Department of Translation Studies. All core courses are financed by the regular Department budget, thus enabling a stable, integrated curriculum in which students benefit from personalized, flexible instruction by instructors who can work with them throughout the program. FAST students earn minors that attest to their understanding of social, cultural, political and linguistic issues in the leading English-speaking cultures, and their ability to communicate effectively in the main varieties of English.

The 25 ECTS-credit FAST minor can be completed during a two-year period. In addition to core Translation Department courses, a variety of other English-language courses which supplement the FAST curriculum are offered each term elsewhere in the university; Independent Projects are available for registered FAST students. The FAST Curriculum uses on-line technologies for class communication, for archiving and linking to instructional materials, and for telematically-mediated distance cooperation.

Who May Earn a FAST Area Studies Minor?

The FAST Program is open to all Tampere University students who are interested in the Program's interdisciplinary nature and topical appeal. The FAST Program is designed primarily for Tampere students of translation and interpreting, whose professional work and research require an intimate knowledge of the intercultural dynamics of the English language. Such students may thus take a minor which expands their major in Translation Studies.

The FAST Program is also open to degree students from other study programs in the university, if their proficiency in spoken and written English is adequate for the requirements of FAST courses. The program can also host JOO and international students who have been accepted by Tampere University to pursue a FAST minor (bearing in mind the two years normally needed to complete the minor). Students must be physically present for FAST basic courses, although Independent Projects and some advanced courses may be done partly by distance work.

What Does One Need to Do to Start FAST Basic-Level Courses?

To begin FAST studies, in principle all one needs to do is sign up for the basic-level courses, which are open to all Tampere University degree students. At present, no testing is required to join FAST basic courses. The courses themselves provide continuous language testing; only students who have demonstrated their competence in the courses will be able to continue to subject-level studies.

However, two points should be kept in mind:

1. FAST courses are designed for students with a near-native fluency in English; the program emphasizes the ability to write in English at a high academic level. Thus students from majors other than English Translation or English Philology who have not lived in an English-speaking country or had equivalent experience may first wish to consult program instructors about their English proficiency before beginning courses, and to take only one or two courses initially to check whether they are likely to cope in the others;

2. Class sizes in some FAST basic courses are limited. In such cases, enrollment priority will be given to English Translation degree students. FAST students from other subjects at Tampere University will be admitted to basic-level courses in second priority, on a space-available basis. JOO and international students who will not complete degrees in Tampere will have third priority, if there is space remaining. Thus while many FAST basic courses are repeated each term, admission cannot be guaranteed in a particular term. Teachers have final authority on admission to their courses.

   Once basic-level courses have been completed, registered FAST students will have equal priority with English Translation students for enrollment in intermediate-level courses and Independent Projects.

How is the FAST Program Structured?

The FAST Program is divided into Basic Studies, which are compulsory for all students, and Advanced Studies, a selection of which may be tailored to individual student needs. Students should first complete the six required Basic Studies courses, which provide foundation skills in American and British (or Canadian) Studies and in the ICT, Citation and Documentation skills necessary for subsequent FAST courses.

FAST Basic-Level Courses

BIE-1 Intro to British & Commonwealth English (Luke/von Wolff), 2 ECTS credits BIE-2 British Society and Culture (Luke/von Wolff), 2 ECTS credits (and/or) BIE-3 Irish Society and Culture (Luke), 2 ECTS credits (and/or) BIE-3 Anglophone Canada (von Wolff), 2 ECTS credits US-1 Introduction to American English (Hopkins), 2-4 ECTS credits* US-2 U.S. Institutions Survey (Hopkins), 2 ECTS credits TRENPK5 Digital Literacy and Academic Knowledge Mgmt (Hopkins), 2 ECTS credits TRENPK6 Academic Citation and Documentation (Hopkins), 2 ECTS credits (* Where credits are listed with variable numbers, such as with US-1 above, the lowest number is the standard credit for the course, and the higher numbers reflect additional credit for extra student work, such as writing a paper in addition to the course exam.)

Four of the six Basic Studies courses, BIE1-3 and US1-2, give number grades; TRENPK5 and TRENPK6 are Pass/Fail. In order to continue toward a FAST minor, students must (a) pass all six courses and (b) have achieved an average weighted grade of 3.5 or higher for the four graded courses. Students who have achieved the required grade and wish to continue FAST studies would then complete the Minor Student Registration Application. Once the application has been accepted, students may commence FAST Advanced courses.

FAST Advanced (Intermediate-Level) Courses

United States (American) Studies US-3 Virtual Colloquium, 2-4+ ECTS credits US-4 U.S. Government and Political System, 2-4+ ECTS credits US-5 U.S. Education System, 2-4+ ECTS credits US-6 U.S. Mass Communications, 2-4+ ECTS credits US-7 United States Popular Culture, 2-4+ ECTS credits US-8 American English II (Power, Pride and Politics), 2-4+ ECTS credits Irish and Canadian Studies BIE-3 Irish Society and Culture (and/or) BIE-3 Anglophone Canada (either/both if not taken as Basic Studies) Finland and Independent Studies FIN-1 Finnish Institutions Research Paper (Hopkins), 6-10 ECTS credits FIN-2 Finland Studies II (Various), 6 ECTS credits FAST G-1 Visiting Lecturer Series (Hopkins), 2-4 ECTS credits USA/FIN/BIE Independent Projects (supervisor[s] for each project) 4-8 ECTS credits NB: The courses above are all offered via the English Translation curriculum. Courses taught in other departments which may also be used toward the FAST minor (see below) are not listed here.

FAST Research Paper Requirements

The FAST Program emphasizes the development of student research skills in the cultures of the United States, Britain, Ireland/Candada, and Finland, academic writing ability, and proficiency with digital communications technologies for academic and professional purposes. Thus each FAST student is required to write and prepare in HTML format for digital publication at least three English-language research papers.

One paper each must be written on the three major FAST 'areas' — the United States, Britain and Ireland/Canada ('Ireland' through 2009 and again in 2012), and Finland. Papers may be done as part of regular course requirements or as Independent Projects, and must follow FAST and English Translation citation and layout standards. At least two papers must be done at the Intermediate-studies level.

[NB: due to changes in the curriculum since 2009, students who have written papers for the Ireland, Canada and Finland courses between 2009-2012 may substitute the Canada paper for a U.S. paper if needed, on the condition that the three papers have been assessed by different instructors.]

Examples of Courses Which Would Comprise a FAST Minor

Two illustrations are linked below which how students could complete a FAST minor through different course selections. The first illustrates procedure for students whose major subject is not English Translation, since their course selection would simpler. The second is for students of English Translation and Interpreting, for whom some of the FAST core courses have also been required by their Translation degree studies.

Using Credits From Other Departments Toward FAST Requirements

In addition to the FAST core course and independent project options shown above, students may also apply certain credits earned in other departments toward FAST requirements. Such credits may come from:

1. Other Tampere University courses in U.S., British, Canadian or Finnish studies taught in English by native speakers. Courses in United States Studies are available each year via Fulbright or other visiting lecturers in the History Department's 'NAM' entity. Courses in American and British literature are also offered regularly by the English Philology and Literature departments.

   Such courses will receive credit under the code of the sponsoring department, but can be applied toward FAST requirements as long as they are not also used toward another degree requirement. Please see John Hopkins if there are questions about which courses may qualify.

2. Approved courses at other institutions in Finland, or courses taken while studying abroad in the United States, England or Canada, or qualifying university courses taught by native-English instructors in other countries; see John Hopkins for questions or details.

Limits on Acceptable Credits From Other University Departments

1. Courses from other departments must be taught in English, preferably by native speakers of English. A maximum of three credits may be received for courses taught (in English) by non-native English speakers;
2. For English Translation students, no more than ten credits may come from courses taught by other departments; for students from other majors no more than five credits may come from other departments;
3. Book-exam credits may not be used toward FAST requirements.

Registration of FAST Course Credits and the FAST Minor

Credits for FAST courses from the English Translation curriculum will be registered under their 'TREN' code; e.g. FAST-FIN-1 will be registered as TRENAK1. Courses taken in other university departments which qualify toward FAST credit will be registered under the codes of those respective courses.

Upon completion of all requirements, students should submit a Minor Completion Application to John Hopkins, specifying which courses, credits and grades are being applied toward the FAST minor.

When the application has been approved, the designation "FAST Area Studies Minor", with the total credits and a grade based on an average of all graded courses, will be registered on the student's transcript.