Learning Finnish

The Inari Adult Education Centre (Inarin kansalaisopisto) organises an annual Finnish language course called "Basic Finnish for foreigners." More advanced Finnish language studies are possible through the TE Office or online studies.

There are many Finnish courses for different levels available online. You can browse through the courses, for example, by visiting the Finnishcourses.fi -service maintained by InfoFinland. You can also utilize self-study materials or mobile applications such as Duolingo for language learning. Some materials for studying Finnish independently can be found from e.g. Moninet or InfoFinland webpage.

Knowing Finnish language improves your chances of finding work significantly. The Te Office organizes intensive language training for unemployed jobseekers. If you already have a job, you can also improve your language skills at the workplace. Your employer can apply to TE services for support for employees’ Finnish lessons. For example, The Työpaikkasuomi training is a Finnish language course for people with a foreign background that is tailored to a particular profession and work tasks. The employer pays part of the cost (30-50%) and the remaining part is covered by the Labour Mobility in Europe -project. More information about the training can be found on the Ely Centre website: Työpaikkasuomi (in Finnish).

The best way to learn a language is to take every opportunity to speak it and use the language in everyday situations. Ask people to speak Finnish to you even though you don't understand every word. It is worthwhile studying Finnish even if you do not intend on staying in the country for long. Even though Finns generally speak English quite well, knowing Finnish can be very useful in understanding the culture and local community.