Aleksandra’s Blog: “Learning the language”.
Blog article by Aleksandra Motorina
When you are planning to find an internship or work in Finland, it is worth considering studying the Finnish language. Knowledge of the national language/s will increase your chances and expand the opportunities that the labor market offers. Finnish is called one of the difficult languages, but that shouldn’t scare you! If you study it regularly and diligently, then everything will be possible. The crucial condition is not to lose motivation and know the ways how to keep it at a high level. Following are some tips to help you maintain your routine while learning a language.
1. Vocabulary. Often, when you start to learn a new language, vocabulary plays a more important role than grammar, so pay attention to new words and constantly replenish their number in your head. Stickers posted on things in your apartment or flashcards with a word, its translation and forms could be a good way to memorize new.
2. Observe. If you are now experiencing language immersion while being in a country there is nothing more fun than looking at store names, translating signs and finding patterns in street names. The city speaks to you in the language of the country and even a beginner can find familiar phrases. Try to pay attention to the opening hours of shops, days of the week, parking signs, names of parks and churches.
3. Follow the news. Try to read and translate easy news or watch a video. This will help you get used to reading texts, add new words and constructions to vocabulary, as well as allow you to get used to the sound of the language and make it easier to perceive information in the future. The easiest way to find news in Finnish is on the website of the Finnish state television company Yle (yle.fi/selkouutiset).
4. Every day. Be consistent and regular in your language learning. Knowledge is built brick by brick in your head like a wall and all the bricks must be in place. Distribute the load evenly and listen to your inner self – sometimes there are days for entertaining material, and sometimes you need to do serious grammar. Schedule language learning a couple of days in advance – this will make it easier to keep yourself in line and control the process.
5. Ears and eyes. Watch and listen to what you like. Radio, music, TV shows or movies – choose the one that’s right for you. Movies are shown in cinemas with Finnish and Swedish subtitles, so it’s a good idea to go to a movie you’ve seen before or a new one and follow the translation. Watching TV shows in the evenings can also become a little more useful. If you like detective stories, for example, Karppi (2018-2021) series has received good reviews and is available on popular streaming platforms such as Netflix. And since it is almost December here, I advise you to also check the Christmas radio (Jouluradio.fi).
Be creative, keep learning, have fun and good luck with finding a job!