ESP Biography



NORA RÄSÄNEN, World History PhD Student



Major: WOrld History

College/Employer: Northeastern University

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of Nora Räsänen

Brief Biographical Sketch:

Hey! My name is Nora Räsänen. I was born in Helsinki, Finland, and my exposure to Finnish from an early age has spurred a love of languages, which to date include, besides English and Finnish, Latin, Arabic, Dutch, Anglo-Saxon, and Japanese.

This year I'm teaching two sessions of "Introduction to the Finnish Language." Last year my students had great fun, plus, I'll be teaching the carrot song again! It'll be great times, I promise.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

H5364: Introduction to the FInnish language in Splash! 2011 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2011)
Tervetuloa! Mistä tulet? Puhutko suomea? Did you understand that? No? Excellent! In this class you'll learn the basics of the Finnish language. As part of the Finno-ugric language family, Finnish is unlike almost any other language spoken today. In this class we'll start with the a,b,c's and by the end you will understand and be able to answer the questions at the beginning of this paragraph. Impress your friends with one of the most difficult languages in the world!


H3995: Suomen Kieli: Introduction to Finnish! in Splash! 2010 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2010)
Finnish is one of the few languages in the unique Finno-Ugric language family, and only spoken by about 5 million people in the world. Come learn the basics of Finnish! By the end of the class, you'll be able to correctly pronounce Finnish words, introduce yourself, ask questions and count. If we have time, we will learn one children's song.


H3997: What is art? in Splash! 2010 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2010)
What is art to you? See the ways in which professionals in various fields have addressed this question, and whether or not you agree with them. As students, we will discuss art from cultures around the world and try to come up our own answer to this age-old question.


H4003: Alternative Lifestyles throughout the Ages in Splash! 2010 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2010)
For ages people have been railing against any form of sexuality other than heterosexual monogamy. With the recent suicides regarding bullying, it is important to understand that sexuality has always been more diverse than simply straight. In this class we'll discuss alternative sexualities, such as gay and lesbian, in various historical contexts, from the philosophies of the Ancient Greeks, to medieval Japanese paintings, to what the Bible REALLY has to say.


X4005: Spice Advice! in Splash! 2010 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2010)
Cumin, bay leaves, coriander and much, much more! There are so many spices available to use - but which ones are which? Is it okay to use cinnamon with coriander? How can you tell cumin from fennel seeds? By the end of this class you'll be able to tell most major spices by sight and smell, and walk away with a couple recipes to test your new-found knowledge on!