From Practice to Proficiency: Navigating the Finnish Language

Before arriving in Oulu, I had of course downloaded Duolingo and built up quite a large streak, continually practising ‘velho’ (wizard) and ‘undulaati’ (parakeet) every day, hoping those words would come in handy. Unfortunately, it isn’t very often some of the vocabulary taught on there is used in real life, however there are basic patterns learnt through the app that are useful when you start more formal language education.

After arriving, I began with the University of Oulu’s ‘Kickstarter’ course offered for new International Students. This course built on the patterns seen on Duolingo, teaching key grammar rules and offering speaking and listening practice with supportive teachers. Alongside the language learning, it was a great way to meet other new students and build a support network when first arriving in Finland too.

Courses are great for fundamentals, but I have found that immersion is key. The number one biggest thing I have found that has helped me get a grasp of the language is finding music that appeals to me and playing it on repeat. There are a wide range of genres and artists to be discovered who sing in Finnish, and some very catchy tunes you can find yourself humming away to quite quickly.

I found that having a playlist of some of my favourite Finnish music and playing it on repeat, quickly helped me to pick up key phrases and begin to recognise how the Finnish language sounds. Before I knew it, I was front row at concerts singing my heart out in Finnish, even when I didn’t quite know what every word meant yet! Curiosity normally does get the better of me and I search for the translated lyrics which then gives me more and more exposure to different vocabulary.

Pronunciation is often something that new learners find intimidating but having favourite songs to reference back to and play in your mind when trying to decipher how to say a ‘y’ versus how to say a ‘u’ has been a key factor in developing my confidence when speaking Finnish. There is also an app that incorporates music and language learning together called LingoClip that can give you a good place to start when finding music and lyrics to learn.

Another way I help grow my understanding is by watching TV and movies dubbed or subtitled in Finnish. Some of my favourite films are available on different streaming platforms with Finnish dubs, and most can have Finnish subtitles playing alongside the English audio. I have found this another fundamental tool in picking up new vocabulary and becoming more aware of how Finnish sounds, the flow it takes and how words can bend and change depending on the context of the sentence. I often find myself in my classes bringing up my favourite movie scenes or lines of dialogue that help me build connections with the language and I love sharing new Finnish series I have enjoyed with my language learning friends.

Whilst yes, the Finnish language isn’t going to be learnt in one or two months, it is surprising how quickly you can start to understand more and more when you surround yourself with the language. If you are looking to learn Finnish, find a way of doing it that brings you joy and you won’t even realise you are studying it.