Finnish

[wisc0nsin]

I'm currently learning, and have been learning, Finnish by myself for about a half a year now. I've got some of the basics down (Basic greetings, numbers, colours, etc.) but I really need, and want, to learn more!

This year I'll be entering my Sophomore year of high school. Next year (2012-2013) Junior year, I'll be leaving to go to Finland for foreign exchange. While I'm there I know I'll learn A LOT of Finnish, but being able to understand more than the basics when I arrive there would be fantastic!

If anybody is learning Finnish and wants to learn with me (Being "pen-pals" so to speak), knows an active Dreamwidth community, or knows links to some good books to purchase - that'd be wonderful.

Sincerely,
Cameron.

Comments

[anehan]

I can ask my mother for recommendations of good textbooks to purchase, if you'd like me to. She teaches Finnish as a foreign language here in Finland, so she should have some idea about which books work.

[wisc0nsin]

Thank you so much!
Whenever you find out information, just let me know!

Ask her if she has any tips as well, if you could. Again, thank you so much!

[anehan]

From start to Finnish by Leila White is apparently widely used, and it's meant for complete beginners. It's a bit boring, maybe, but then that's pretty common. I suggest you take a look at this page, which has nice reviews of books.

[samphire]

If you have a Kindle, there are a few free ebooks which are classics translated into Finnish. I'm teaching myself Italian and I like to look at classics in Italian, compared with the English version. Most of the words I don't understand, but I get a gist of it, and it gives me a sense of Italian grammar and syntax and how it flows. So I imagine it would be the same with Finnish, or any language.

[wisc0nsin]

I never thought about doing this! I actually have an iPad with a Kindle app, so I'll give this a try.

Thanks so much! :)

[samphire]

You're welcome. The place where I found free classics translated into Finnish was the Project Gutenberg Magic Catalog - you can get it here: http://www.freekindlebooks.org/MagicCatalog/magiccatalog.html

[nerakrose]

hyvin menee! and suomea suomeksi 1 and 2 are good books. i've used both. the first one i used in finland during a course for foreigners studying finnish and suomea suomeksi i've used in university for my basic finnish courses. they do both sort of require someone to check that your results are correct when you fill in exercises, but apart from that, they're good. :)

a piece of advise: when you come to finland you'll really have to make an effort to use finnish in order to learn it. it's easy to hang out with the other exchange students instead of the finns. if they offer you a tutor/mentor to show you around and be of assistance, say yes - that person is the first finn you'll get in touch with and will be of tremendous help to get you included in finnish circles.

[nerakrose]

i should mention that both books are in finnish only. there's nothing in english explaining what to do, it's all in finnish. ;D

[wisc0nsin]

Thank you for your suggestions! I'll look into both books. Hopefully if I do decide to get one, or both, of them I'll be able to find an online resource to check my answers.

I've also been told before, like you said, that I shouldn't hangout with the foreign exchange students. Don't worry, I didn't really want to when I came either. I want to be able to speak Finnish, obviously not perfectly or fluently, before I leave and I know with that it's going to take a lot of hard work and determination. I'm very much determined and so I don't think that'll be too much of a problem.

Thanks again for your advice and suggestions, it means the world when people help me out with Finnish things, ha.

[nerakrose]

Good luck with it! :D I just moved to Finland myself yesterday (for the second time) and am brushing up on my Finnish. :) it's by no means perfect or completely fluent, but after a year you should be able to have basic conversations and move about in the Finnish day-to-day life. :)

[mummimamma]

Since it's about 15 years since I had my attempts at learning Finnish, I don't think I can recommend any books, but I do recommend trying to listen to Finnish radio, even though you (and I) don't understand a word, it's good practise, and the brain works while listening. Yle is the state broadcast company in Finland, and you can listen to their radio broadcast abroad on the internet page (radio in Finnish is ...radio :)

Also, there is the Finnish easy-to-read online page Papunet.fi, with the news page here.

[wisc0nsin]

Thanks so much for the links!
It's a little beyond my knowledge, as of right now, but once I learn some more vocabulary I'll definitely listen to the Finnish radio and read the news page, as you suggested.

Again, thanks so much!