🎓 5 Free Ways to Keep Up Your Finnish After the Course
- Sami Puttonen
- May 4
- 2 min read
So you’ve completed (or will in near future) your Finnish course – mahtavaa! But now what? Whether you're working, studying, or just trying to survive winter with some coffee and pulla, it’s easy to forget to keep practicing Finnish.
Good news: you don’t need to pay for another course right away. Here are five completely free ways to keep improving your Finnish in real life – all tested and recommended by fellow learners.
1. 🗣️ Library's Online Finnish Discussion Groups
Yes, libraries in Finland do more than lend books – they also help people learn languages! Many libraries offer free online Finnish conversation groups. These are relaxed, no-pressure sessions where you can join from anywhere and chat with others in Finnish.
🕐 Example: Helsinki City Library’s "Keskusteluryhmä" (conversation group) runs every Monday and Thursday online. Tampere should have something similar and if not, be brave and go to suggest it for them!
2. 📱 Duolingo, WordDive & Other Apps
You probably got familiar with WordDive during the course – and yes, I know its a struggle sometimes. But apps like Duolingo, WordDive, or Memrise are still great for keeping your vocabulary fresh and trying out different tools you can engage different content styles.
Pro tip: Use 5 minutes a day, not more. It's about consistency, not cramming.
👍 Best for: Vocabulary, short grammar bursts👎 Not great for: Real-life speaking practice
3. 📺 Watch Finnish TV (with subtitles!)
Yle Areena is a goldmine! Watch Finnish shows and turn on Finnish subtitles (not English!) to get used to how words sound and are written.
🎬 Easy options:
Muumilaakso (Moominvalley – great language and nostalgic)
Uutisluokka (News for youth – clear language, short clips)
Selkouutiset (News in simple Finnish)
👉 Where: Yle Areena
4. 💬 Follow Finnish Learning Pages on Instagram & Facebook
Social media isn't just for memes – though those help too 😉Here are some pages that regularly post vocabulary, grammar tips, or mini quizzes:
@finnishwithfinn
@dailyfinnishword
Facebook: "Finnish Language Learners" group
Join pages like "Expat Finland" for practical language posts
5. 💡 Volunteer as a Language Assistant
This is a win-win: practice Finnish and meet people. Some schools and NGOs in Finland welcome international volunteers to help with kids, events, or even peer support groups. You’ll speak Finnish in a real-life setting – the best classroom of all.
Where to look:
Ask local libraries, universities, or international centres (like International House)
Final Tip 🧠
Don’t stress about perfection – just keep showing up. Even if it’s just a 5-minute read, a short video, or one small conversation in Finnish each week, you’re doing great.
Pysy mukana – keep going! 💪🇫🇮
