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Learning materials and courses
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Language learning tips
- Assess your language skills
- Plan your Finnish learning
- Language tips
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Learn Finnish at work
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Myths about Finnish
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Become a language learning catalyst
- Follow the media and learn Finnish
- Language cafes and learning with a friend
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Language tests and integration
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Culture and society
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Finnish language learning materials produced by Kielibuusti
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Learners' stories
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Learners' experiences
- Suzanne Innes-Stubb: Why is it beneficial to learn Finnish and/or Swedish as an international professional in Finland?
- Aleksei: A bold plunge into a Finnish-language work environment helps in learning the language
- Tomy: Speaking Finnish in professional life requires courage
- Daniela: How to learn Finnish in an English-language work environment?
- Elämää suomeksi podcast
- Texts by learners in Finnish
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Learners' experiences
Tips for listening and speaking
Language tip
All levels
- Watch Finnish-language films or TV series with Finnish subtitles e.g. with Yle Kielikoulu.
- Follow Finnish youtubers and influencers on social media.
- Watch a TV show and repeat words, phrases and expressions you hear. Imitate the tone of voice, expressions and gestures.
- Learn words by listening to music e.g. with the Lyrics training app.
- Record important phrases on your phone for different situations, such as cafés, the library or at work. Then listen to the relevant phrase, for example before ordering coffee, and repeat it to the barista. When you have learned the phrases, record new ones.
- Play Alias, i.e. the game where you explain words. Look at a picture and explain the word in Finnish. You are not allowed to say the word itself or a part of it. The other person guesses what the word is.
- Ask your colleagues to speak Finnish with you every day for 5 to 10 minutes in the break room. You can also try chatting with AI!
- Always ask about any words you don’t understand: “Sorry, what does joulupukki mean?”
- Ask Finns to use Finnish with you: “Puhuttaisko suomee?”