Finland has recently become a popular destination not only for recreation, but also in terms of education and career development. However, in order to achieve some success, you will need to master the language of this country. Let's be honest, the Finnish language is very difficult to learn, and although you can try to master it on your own, it is better to pay attention to language courses in Finland. First, this is first-hand knowledge and communication with native speakers; secondly, the courses offer a program tailored to the individual needs and capabilities of the student.
Types of programs
The choice of program depends on why and how quickly you need to learn the language. The goal can be simple communication, studying at a university, working in a specialty, obtaining citizenship, etc. In all these cases, knowledge of different levels is required.
The main types of curricula for the study of the Finnish language differ little from the generally accepted categories:
- General Finnish is a general course that is suitable for beginners and those who already speak conversationally. It takes about 20 hours a week. These can be regular activities or conversation clubs - it all depends on the level of the group. Tuition will cost from € 395 per week. Suitable for those who live in Finland.
- Finnish for foreigners is a semester or one-year course. Education here is conducted mainly in English, although you can find courses with Russian as the language of instruction. This is also group lessons, with 20-30 lessons per week. The cost of training is relatively inexpensive - from € 280. They are more suitable for those who do not even have basic knowledge and are starting to learn the language from scratch.
- YKI Prep Course is a course aimed at successfully passing the YKI exam. This is a general language test, a certificate of passing which is required to obtain citizenship or official employment for a position in a reputable company. The course provides for 20-24 hours of lessons per week for € 120 (and more), however, knowledge of the basics of the language and speaking skills are required.
- Business Finnish is more expensive, as it has a certain specialization: it includes the study of business vocabulary and training in drafting documents. Classes in small groups will cost from € 420 per week with a load of 20-30 hours.
- Education + accommodation - students (1-3) live in the teacher's family and master the language not only in the classroom, but also in everyday communication. Allows you to combine learning with rest. The intensity of the classes ranges from 10 to 30 hours per week. Together with accommodation, a weekly course will cost € 950 and more. Suitable for learning a language from scratch.
- Summer camps - this means not only children's summer camps with language learning, but also summer schools for adults, which are often held under the auspices of universities and colleges. There are even special summer universities - for example, in Kuopio, in Tampere.
Of course, individual lessons are also not excluded. Their cost is from € 75, the level of difficulty, the intensity of the material depends on the student.
Finns organize free courses for expats and inexpensive ones for foreign students. In many companies, the employee qualifications program includes learning English or improving Finnish.
How to get to a language school
If you do not live in Finland and do not study there, but only plan to attend language courses, you need to apply for a Schengen visa. In the case of choosing a short program (up to 3 months), a visa to Finland is issued quickly and without delay.
To obtain it you need:
- Passport issued no more than 10 years ago, and its photocopy.
- Copy of passport and identification code, for children - birth certificate and parents' documents.
- Receipt of payment of visa fee.
- Application form, the form of which can be obtained at the Visa Application Center. It is better to fill it in English.
- Color photograph 36 x 47 mm.
- Bank statement confirming solvency.
- Medical insurance.
- An invitation from a language school (you need to contact her in advance).
The visa is issued in about two weeks, you can speed up the process for a separate fee - € 70.
If you plan to not only study the language, but also earn extra money, you will need a national visa. True, you can work on it no more than 25 hours a week.
Many language schools prepare the necessary documents themselves, but these services are paid for separately. Summer universities do not provide such a service, but they are much cheaper. To study in them, you need to apply for a national visa.
You can choose a decent school for learning languages in Finland on the Internet, after carefully reading the reviews about them. There are two options:
- international schools for the study of foreign languages with representations in different countries;
- Finnish educational institutions: Summer University in Helsinki, Language Center of the University in Helsinki, Evening Gymnasium in Turku. They are cheaper, but you will have to draw up all the documents yourself.
Which city to choose for training
Of course, most of the language courses and schools are in large cities of the country: Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Oulu, Kuopio. However, most of the Finns living in them speak English more often, so there is a possibility that you may not even hear what real Finnish sounds like. It takes courage and patience to practice language practice, as your efforts to utter a few phrases in Finnish can elicit condescending smiles from those around you, which not everyone will like.
In Helsinki, the capital of Finland, the standard of living is very high. If you do not deny yourself anything (within reasonable limits), living there will cost a maximum of € 800 per month.
In addition to well-known language schools, the language in the capital can also be studied in conversation clubs and university courses, which are relatively inexpensive, although they are taught by real specialists. In addition, in the capital, you can easily find individual teachers and tutors for yourself.
Education in Helsinki for unemployed immigrants can be generally free - that is, there are special municipal courses, to which the Employment Service will help to get. If there is work, the employer can send him to the courses.
Students and applicants will always be helped by programs and summer schools from universities, for example, Helsinki. Almost in no way inferior to the capital Tampere, Oulu and other cities striving to create the most comfortable conditions for learning.
What gives training on the courses
Mastering a new language contributes to the development of mental flexibility, helps to understand someone else's mentality, and just learn more about the world. Knowledge of the Finnish language has other benefits as well. For example, upon returning home, possession of a rather rare foreign language will allow you to successfully engage in translations, become an indispensable person in the company, which, of course, will have a positive effect on salaries. The new language will help in finding business connections and negotiating, which means it will contribute to the success of the entire enterprise.
In addition, having learned the language and successfully passed the exam, you can go the other way - go to a university in Finland and stay in the country for a long time. This country is famous for its high quality education, so you can find a decent job with a Finnish diploma in most European countries. Read about how to become a student in the article “Admission to the University of Finland”.
It will be useful to study this unusual language if you like to travel, especially in ecologically clean places, because Finland is a real paradise for tourists. And to obtain citizenship, the Finnish language is simply necessary.
How to learn Finnish on your own
If you can't afford the courses in Finland yet, you can try to learn the language on your own. This will take time, special applications / programs, books, movies with subtitles and your desire. Resources to help you:
- www.languages-study.com - there are many links not only to courses and dictionaries, but also to linguistic games, vocabulary by topic, forums, etc .;
- a section for learning Finnish on the LinguHouse website - here you will find online lessons, dictionaries, and even a chat;
- Finnish for immigrants - in English;
- For the entry level - a site from the recommendations of the Finnish embassy, also in English;
- Easy reading texts;
- Films - translated into Finnish or with subtitles;
- Verb forms - to search, you need to write the word in the initial form.
Sites exclusively in Russian:
- Up to level A1 for 7 lessons - you can with a teacher, you can do it yourself for free;
- Course from Wikipedia;
- www.suomesta.ru - includes grammar information, links to textbooks and texts.
You can also install apps like Mondly or Duolingo on your smartphone. Nothing is impossible - there would be a desire.
Finally
Although the Finnish language is not as widespread as English, German or French, there are many advantages to learning it, especially in Russia, since Finland is its closest neighbor. There are very few Finnish language specialists, so they are worth their weight in gold, not to mention the opportunity to travel freely around this charming country, giving themselves a plus for a rare skill. The downside is that the material to study is not easy, and there is nowhere to practice - except that you will attend courses in Finland itself. Then there are no downsides.
