Showing posts with label Study tips - Opiskeluvinkkejä. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Study tips - Opiskeluvinkkejä. Show all posts

Friday, December 5, 2025

Study Finnish in 2026

I’ve been thinking about organising group courses in the spring. As much as I like teaching in the morning, I think most people prefer courses in the evening. My question is: Millaisille kursseille haluaisit osallistua keväällä?

What kind of Finnish courses would you like to attend in the spring?


  • Selkokirjakurssit, joilla keskustellaan selkokirjoista. – Selkokirja courses where we read and discuss an easy Finnish book that I’ve chosen

  • Hiljaiset selkokirjakurssit, joilla vain kirjoitetaan. – Silent courses where we only write about the book that we're reading

  • Kurssit edistyneille opiskelijoille. – Courses for advanced students (B2 and up. Reading a novel in standard Finnish and talking about it, and other topics as well)

  • Kurssit, joissa matkustetaan yhdessä Tallinnaan tai Tukholmaan. – Courses where we travel together to Tallinn or Stockholm. This has been my dream for a long time. :)

Leave a comment or email me at hanna.mannikkolahti@gmail.com. 


  • If you are interested in private lessons, check out my website www.privatefinnishlessons.com and book a free introductory lesson. It is always nice to meet new people and talk about learning Finnish. 





Me and all my books in easy Finnish
 
in November 2025


Kiitos, kun luit! Jos pidit postauksesta, voit jakaa sen eteenpäin.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it. 
– Hanna

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

Last chance to sign up for the online Finnish course in May

If you follow this blog or my other social media accounts, you might have noticed that I have an online course in May. :) We'll read 'Numeroruuhka' by Eve Hietamies, adapted into easy Finnish by me. 

Read more in https://randomfinnishlesson.blogspot.com/2025/03/luetaan-numeroruuhka.html and sign up by emailing me at hanna.mannikkolahti@gmail.com. 

I'd love to help you read a book in easy Finnish!




Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it. 
Kiitos, kun luit! Jos pidit postauksesta, voit jakaa sen eteenpäin.
– Hanna

Sunday, February 23, 2025

Finnish teacher's update – February 2025

Have you listened to my new podcast episode yet? You can listen to it

  


Topics of the podcast episode


 
I will have a guest in the next episode, but I also like to record these kinds of 'what's going on right now' episodes. Hopefully, the new book will be published in the summer of 2026!


About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new. If you want to subscribe to my newsletter, you can do it here.  

Thursday, December 12, 2024

Different news broadcasts in Finnish

No matter how busy you are, you can always squeeze in some news in Finnish! 

Uutiset ja ajankohtaisohjelmat Yle Areenassa is the main page for news broadcasts on Yle Areena. (If you cannot watch it in your country, try VPN.)

These are the news broadcasts and how long they usually last: 


  • 7.30 / 7.30 am (7 minutes)

  • 9.00 / 9.00 am (11 minutes)

  • 17.00 / 5 pm (6 minutes) 

  • 18.00 / 6 pm (12 minutes)

  • 20.30 / 8.30 pm (25 minutes)

  • 21.45 / 9.45 pm (3 minutes) I like to call this Pikku-uutiset. :)


  • suositellut - recommended
  • uusimmat - the most recent
  • suosituimmat - the most popular
  • tulossa - coming


A-Studio


  • If you want to dive deeper into contemporary topics, there's A-Studio.


News for children 



My favourite: Regional news from different parts of Finland



News in easy Finnish




About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.  If you want to subscribe to my newsletter, you can do it here. 

Thursday, September 12, 2024

Improve your Finnish pronunciation

My friends and collagues Mari Nikonen and Päivi Virkkunen will organize a pronunciation course starting on September 30. I asked Mari to write a short introduction about their course, "Tuutsä mukaan?"



Read more on the course page.


"Moikka! My name is Mari Nikonen and I’m excited to be a guest writer on Random Finnish Lesson!

Like Hanna, I’m a Finnish teacher, and some of you might already know me from my blog or my social media as Ask a Finnish Teacher.

In my years of teaching Finnish to adult learners, I’ve often noticed that there are two important things that are often a bit neglected or even missing altogether in Finnish courses: pronunciation and spoken language. These are both vital for both speaking fluently and easily understanding what you hear.  

I’m excited to announce a new course on Finnish pronunciation and spoken Finnish, which I’m organizing together with Päivi Virkkunen, a pronunciation expert from Ääntämisklinikka. If you've ever found yourself hesitating before speaking Finnish or wishing you could sound more natural in conversation, this might be just the course for you.

This course is all about building confidence in speaking Finnish, and we’ll focus on everything you need to know about Finnish pronunciation, from the trickier sounds that don’t exist in many other languages (I’m looking at you, ö and y) to the rhythm and melody of real spoken Finnish. Also, we’re using real-world dialogues from our brand-new e-book, Tuutsä mukaan. Everything you learn in class will be immediately useful in your everyday life.

Who is this course for?

Whether you're a beginner who's got the basics down (A1) or an advanced learner looking to fine-tune your pronunciation, this course will be helpful. All the classes will be taught in English, so learners at all levels will always have the support you need to fully understand the material. The goal is to help you speak Finnish more fluently and confidently, regardless of where you are on your language journey.

What can you expect?

We’ll meet every Monday from 12:00 to 13:00 (Finnish time), starting on 30 September 2024. Over the course of 10 ive Zoom sessions, you’ll learn the key aspects of Finnish pronunciation but also get practice in using them right away with the dialogues, recordings and pronunciation exercises from Tuutsä mukaan.

The best part?

The e-book is included in the course price, so you’ll have everything you need to keep learning and practicing, even after the course ends. You'll have access to all the course materials for at least three months after our last session, so there's no rush—take your time to review and practice at your own pace.

Meet the teachers


Päivi Virkkunen is a phonetician, and an expert in teaching Finnish pronunciation. I, Mari Nikonen, am a Finnish teacher specialized in speaking, spoken language and listening comprehension. Together, we will guide you through each step of the learning process, helping you improve your Finnish in a supportive and encouraging environment.

The details

  • Price: 127 € (including VAT)

  • Language of instruction: English and Finnish

  • Level: CEFR levels A1-C1

  • Schedule: 10 live Zoom sessions, Mondays 12:00-13:00, starting 30 September 2024, ending 2 December 2024

  • Bonus: Access to course materials for 3 months after the course ends

If you’ve been looking for a way to boost your confidence in speaking Finnish and improve your pronunciation, I would love for you to join us! You can find more information and sign up on the course page."


Kiitos kirjoituksesta, Mari ja Päivi!

 

About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.  If you want to subscribe to my newsletter, you can do it here. 

Monday, August 5, 2024

Mitä uutta elokuussa? What's new in August?

Here are three things that I'd like you to know about in August: 

You can now buy easy Finnish books directly from me



Listen to 'Kielen elämä' audiobook







About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 


My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new. 

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Finnish pronunciation workshop in June

Come practice Finnish pronunciation with me and my colleague Päivi Virkkunen! Päivi is specialized in phonetics, so she is really good at teaching Finnish pronunciation. 

Time, place and price: 





Content of the workshop:


  • The vowels y,ö and ä
  • Finnish h (a little different depending on the other sounds around it)
  • Finnish l (surprisingly tricky)
  • The ŋ sound (hiding in nk and ng!)
  • No aspiration! (k, p, and t are just k, p and t.)
  • Duration (long and short vowels and consonants)

How does it work?


  • Päivi and I will first model the pronunciation and explain how it's done, and then the students can practice with their microphones off. After that, you can ask questions, and then we'll move on to the next topic.
  • We will speak Finnish, but the slides are in Finnish and in English. 
  • If you want, you can be completely silent and anonymous during the workshop, but you can also have your camera and microphone on and participate in the conversation.

Tervetuloa työpajaan! Welcome to the workshop!



Useful links:



About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.  

Monday, May 6, 2024

Opeton and Opetonbot (AI language learning apps for practicing Finnish)

I have a new episode on my podcast! I interviewed Patrik Holopainen about his language learning app Opeton. For freestyle Finnish practice, there's Opetonbot.

Opeton


The idea of Opeton is that the student and the AI teacher chat (actually talk) in the app about various topics. You can try out Opeton for free for 30 minutes (at once or in segments, and you can choose from different languages) and then subscribe for a month (approximately 10 €) or a year (approximately 60 €) if you want to continue with it. I use for my own language studies, and it's so much fun!

First, you choose a language, a level, and a daily goal in minutes. Then you choose the conversation you want to have with Opeton, and give them a call. You can read the same line that Opeton says, but if you don't understand, you can listen to the line again or read the translation. If you have no idea how to reply, there is an example button, and you can just read aloud what Opeton suggests. It is so much fun. 

I was so excited about the topic that I forgot my podcast is supposed to be in easy-ish Finnish. Sorry about that! However, I've included the questions in the episode description, so hopefully they'll help you understand. 

My podcast is also on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.


I asked Patrik these questions:


  1. Kuka olet ja mitä teet? Who are you and what do you do?
  2. Mitä olet opiskellut ja missä asut? What have you studied and where do you live?
  3. Miten päädyit kehittämään Opeton-sovelluksen? How did you end up developing the Opeton application?
  4. Milloin aloitit Opetonin kehittämisen? When did you start developing Opeton?
  5. Miten Opeton eroaa muista samantyyppisistä sovelluksista? How does Opeton differ from other similar applications?
  6.  Millaisia algoritmeja ja tekniikoita Opeton käyttää puheentunnistukseen ja kielen ymmärtämiseen? What kind of algorithms and techniques does Opeton use for speech recognition and language understanding?
  7. Muistaako Opeton, mitä minä olen sanonut? Does Opeton remember what I've said?
  8. Kertooko Opeton toisille käyttäjille, mitä minä olen sanonut? Does Opeton tell other users what I've said?
  9. Millaista palautetta olette saaneet käyttäjiltä? What kind of feedback have you received from users?
  10. Millaisia tulevaisuudensuunnitelmia tai tavoitteita Opetonilla on? What kind of future plans or goals does Opeton have?




Opetonbot









About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

What's inside of the Finking Cap Club?

Tämä postaus on kaupallinen yhteistyö Finking Capin kanssa. Jos opiskelija liittyy Emmin klubiin linkkini kautta, saan pienen korvauksen.

This post is a collaboration with Finking Cap. If a student joins Finking Cap Club club through my affiliate link, I will get a small percentage.

-  -  -  -  -  - -  -  -  -  -  - -  -  -  -  -  - -  -  -  - 

Do you remember the Finking Cap Club? Emmi made a new video where she is showing what's inside of her Finking Cap website:



You can join the club one month at a time or purchase a longer membership

  • One month: €19,90
  • Six months: €99,90 
  • A year: €179,90 

Read more about Emmi and her club



About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.

Friday, September 1, 2023

A list of Finnish links to save on your bookmarks

These are my favourite blog posts for any Finnish learner. There's always time to read, watch, listen or sing for a little bit! 




Sekalaisia kirjoja suomenopiskelijoille



About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.  

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Finnishcourses.fi

Are you aware of this website where you can search for different Finnish courses?  At the moment, the website has courses in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, Turku, Tampere, Oulu and online. My trade name was jus accepted as one of the training providers, and my silent morning courses are among the available online courses. I hope you'll find something useful for you!


https://finnishcourses.fi/


About the author of Random Finnish Lesson 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.


Friday, January 6, 2023

Finnish teaching channels on YouTube

There are so many great YouTube channels that teach you Finnish! I also have a channel, but these ones are really great for studying Finnish: 


Learn new things



Learn Finnish with Finking Cap


Suomea Jarnon kanssa

  • Language learning videos and daily vlogs in Finnish. Also grammar and vocabulary videos in English.


Nauti kuuntelusta - Enjoy listening



Finnished


Suomea suomeksi - Finnish in Finnish



Satu Lahtonen

  • Finnish for beginners in Finnish. Very relaxed pace.


Napaketku suomi

  • Finnish grammar explained in Finnish.

Ope Jori

  • Finnish grammar explained in Finnish.


Gimara Oy




Kiitos, kun luit! Jos pidit postauksesta, voit jakaa sen eteenpäin.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, feel free to share it. 
– Hanna

Friday, November 4, 2022

An intensive day course in Finnish, 29.4.2023 in Helsinki

Here's something that Mari Nikonen and I have been planning for a while: an intensive Saturday course in Helsinki. 

Basic information about the course


  • Time: Saturday 29.4.2023 from 10 AM to 6 PM
  • Level: B1–B2 (intermediate) 

  • Group size: 6 students

  • Venue: Botta, Museokatu 10, Helsinki

  • Teachers: Mari Nikonen and Hanna Männikkölahti


Price (including VAT 24 %)


  • Early bird price 360 € (Before 9.3.2023)

  • Regular price 420 € 


The course includes 


  • A full day of Finnish instruction and speaking Finnish (See the program below)

  • Personal feedback on your work during the day 

  • Study materials 

  • Morning coffee and a light Finnish style breakfast (bread, cheese, cold cuts and fruit)

  • A three course lunch at restaurant Manala

  • Afternoon coffee served with a sweet pastry

  • A short Zoom session (15 minutes) with the teachers before the course 


About the instruction


  • Speaking and writing themes will be tailored according to the students’ needs and wishes

  • Some grammar explanations will be in English for speed and clarity, but otherwise the aim is to spend all day speaking Finnish


Preliminary program


  • 10.00–10.30 Morning coffee and introductions
  • 10.30–11.15 Pronunciation and speaking practice 
  • 11.15–12.00 Spoken language grammar. Tools and strategies for understanding everyday conversations in Finnish. 
  • 12.00–12.30 Writing practice
  • 13.00–14.00 Lunch in Finnish at restaurant Manala (in the same building)
  • 14.00–14.45 Vocabulary and grammar session, tailored according to the students’ needs and questions
  • 14.45–15.30 Conversation practice 
  • 15.30–16.00 Afternoon coffee with a sweet pastry
  • 16.00–16.45 Novels and non-fiction books in easy Finnish, reading and discussing
  • 16.45–17.30 Personal feedback for your writing (15 minutes per student. Meanwhile, the others will continue with previous exercises.)  
  • 17.30–18.00 Discussing self-study materials and planning your future studies


Registration period


  •  29.12.2022–9.4.2023 in Mari's online shop

  • If you’d like an invoice or would prefer to pay in installments, contact Mari at mari@askafinnishteacher.com

  • We will contact you after you have signed up and set up a Zoom meeting with you


Cancellation policy


  • You can cancel your registration for any reason until 8.4.2023 in which case we will provide you with a full refund

  • You will also be fully refunded if you need to cancel at any time because of an illness or other emergency



Mari and me posing in front of the entrance of Botta.



About the author of Random Finnish Lesson: 

My name is Hanna Männikkölahti. I am a professional Finnish teacher who gives private online lessons and simplifies books into easy Finnish. Please read more in www.linktr.ee/hannamannikkolahti and follow this blog, if you want to be the first one to know when I post something new.