Apply for the spring course Learn Finnish

“The Finnish course is arranged for free to PAM members, who work in the service sectors, for example, as a cleaner, a salesperson or restaurant worker”, says PAM’s Educational planner Jenni Pihlaste.

"Learn Finnish" is a course where the aim is for the participant to learn how to use Finnish at work and in everyday life. The course participants will also familiarize themselves with the rules and customs of Finnish working life. During the course the participants will learn how to read and write in Finnish according to the person’s own language level.

“Traditionally the beginner’s group starts with basic Finnish words. Phrases and questions are thought at first. In the advanced group even poems are sometimes recited in Finnish”, mentions Pihlaste.

At the first session, there is an initial assessment, after which the participants are divided into three groups based on their Finnish level skill. Approximately 10-15 course participants are admitted to the groups, which means that the study is sufficiently individual. The groups meet weekly at the same time until mid-May.

“Weekly group meetings do offer a good place to learn and get peer support for learning the language”, Pihlaste adds.

When the course ends students get a certificate where will be stated what he or she has studied. 

The Finnish language helps in working life

Learning the Finnish language helps employees on the path of working life in Finland.

Alexei Navarrete Quan from Mexico is happy with the Finnish course for advanced learners. He has participated in PAM’s Learn Finnish course before, and intend to continue his Finnish language studies.

“The Finnish language course has been very useful to me. For my own part, spoken Finnish has improved and also the service sector vocabulary. The team spirit in the group was also good”, says Alexei, who works in a multilingual work environment as a restaurant chef.

“I speak four languages on a daily basis, Finnish, English, Spanish and Portuguese, so the course is really useful,” he continues. In the future he plans to study in Finland. 

Alexei has been a member of PAM for a couple of years now and he recommends membership also to other service workers. It enabled language studies for free and in his opinion the Finnish language course is an excellent membership benefit.

This is how you apply for the course

You can study working life Finnish at PAM. At the same time, the rules of working life become familiar. Next spring, there will be three courses available in Helsinki; two in Helsinki and one online. Participants will be divided into groups according to their language skills and the groups will start in February 2021.

The application period for courses in spring 2021 is between 9 December 2020 and 10 January 2021.

Choose the level that corresponds to your language ability and apply via PAM's event calendar.  If you are selected for the course, you will be notified by 18.1.2021 at the latest. If you have any questions, please contact su by email: kurssisihteeri@pam.fi.