Topic Name Description
Page Course description

About the course

Survival Finnish Online is a self-study online course that teaches Finnish from no prior background to a lower beginner level.
The course introduces everyday language and includes many activities to practice listening and reading comprehension, writing, and speaking.

With the course, it is possible to build a very useful vocabulary and a grammar knowledge of the Finnish language.

Instructors & Institution

Janne Laitinen & Aija Elg

janne.v.laitinen@aalto.fi

aija.elg@aalto.fi

Aalto University
Language Centre

Course Schedule

Enrollment:
from September 4th until September 10th, 2023.

Course starts: Septermber 7th 2023.
Course ends: October 5th 2023.
The course material is open 24/7 until 25th of October 2023, for all enrolled participants.
Workload: approximately 1-2 hours per week.

Registration in Sisu
To get course credits (1 ECTS) you’ll must register in Sisu with your Aalto ID. You can do it when you have got it, but you can start the course without it. The teacher will provide more information during the course.

Required Equipment
You need internet connection to run the course material but don’t have to install any programs on your computer.

Prerequisites
None

Language of Instruction
English

Content & Learning Outcomes
The course will cover the following topics: greetings, numerals, telling the time, weather, food, shopping and restaurant, work and university related vocabulary. After taking the course, you will be able to: understand Finnish language structure, pronounce Finnish clearly, introduce yourself, respond in Finnish in everyday situations, speak about your work or studies and learn more Finnish on your own. If you want to get in touch with Finnish you can start listening the music or watching the Finnish TV-series or movies.

Teaching Methods
The course consists of four sections and each week one section will be opened, so the content will gradually emerge. Do the assignments each week. You’ll have to complete all the required assignments by 5th October 2023. The course page will remain open until 25th of October 2023.

Assessment Methods and Criteria
Self-assessment. Students will be able to monitor their progress by taking performance quizzes and final achievement tests.

Credit (1 ECTS)

Aalto students who have completed 90 % of the course material can get a credit. The scale is Pass/Fail.

Cost
Free of charge 

Support
If you have questions about the content of the course (e.g. registration, schedule, how to complete a quiz), please write your question in the Discussion forum.

Notice, if the audio is not working, change the browser and try again. Normally, this helps :-)



Page FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Section 1: How are you? Mitä kuuluu? Opens 7.9. Page Characteristics of the Finnish Language

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URL Visit Finland: Where does Finnish come from?

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URL YLE: Practice alphabet

You can practice alphabet with this video. Notice that this link is an open resource.

Page spelling of the words 9-15 in the listening Quiz

Please first do the quiz and only after that check the spelling :)

Page Video: Vowels: front and back, short and long
Video: Vowels
Page Quiz: Recognizing vowels

You hear a word: do you hear back vowels (a, o, u) or front vowels (ä, ö, y)?

Page Quiz: Recognizing vowel duration

You hear a word: do you hear a word with a short vowel or long?

Page Video: Consonants

Video: Consonants

URL Video: How do people normally greet?

In the video people are telling which greeting(s) they most often use.

Page Videos: How to greet in Finnish
Greeting formally and informally
Page Audio: How are you?

Greeting formally and informally

URL Quizlet: Practice greetings

Practice greetings with Quizlet

Page Video: Partitive with numbers
URL YLE: Practice numbers

Numbers

Section 2: Are you a student? Oletko sinä opiskelija? Opens 14.9. Page Video: Tips for mastering Finnish pronunciation
Page Audio: Countries and cities

Map of Europe and names of countries and cities

Page Video: Who are you?

Page Video: Personal pronouns basic form

Personal Pronouns basic form

URL Video: Kuka sinä olet? Who are you?
Page Video: What language do you speak?

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Page Video: Where do you live?
Where do you live?
Page Video: Javier's interview

Interview: who are you?

Page Video: Genitive case

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URL Quizlet: Practice university vocabulary

You can practise university vocabulary with flash cards and games. Notice that this link is an open resource.

Page Video: What is your profession?

What is your profession?

URL Quizlet: Practice work vocabulary

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Section 3: Where are you going? Mihin sinä menet? Opens 21.9. Page Audio: Time expressions

Time expressions

URL Video: Paljonko kello on? What's the time?
URL Practice places with Quizlet
Page Illustrations: Where to - Where - Where from (local cases)

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Page Video: Local Cases
Page More examples: Local cases
URL Video: Where are you?
Page Audio: Where? Missä?

paikat

Page Audio: Where to? Minne/Mihin?

paikat

Page Video: Where to / Illative case
URL Video: Sää - Weather

Millainen sää on? What is the weather like?
Familiarize yourself with basic weather expressions with the video.

URL Visit Finland: Seasons in Finland

Seasons in Finland

URL Finnish Meteorological Institute: Seasons in Finland

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Section 4: Do you want coffee? Haluatko kahvia? Opens 28.9. Page Video: Do you want coffee?

In this video Leena and Tapani meet in a café.

Page Video summary: How to conjugate verb type 4
Page Audio: In a grocery store

In a grocery store

Page Audio: At a kiosk

At a kiosk and in a café

URL Video: Minä tykkään kahvista - I like coffee

Besides food words, you will also learn to express liking something. NB: the verb 'to like' requires the suffix -sta/-stä.

I like coffee: Minä tykkään kahvista.
I don't like coffee: Minä en tykkää kahvista.

Page Audio: Drinks

Juomat

Page Audio: Food

Food

Page Audio: Meals

Ateriat

URL Iconic Finnish Food

Iconic Finnish Food

URL Finnish recipes

Finnish recipes

Page Video summary: How to conjugate verb type 2
Page Audio: Months

Months

URL Video: Seasons and Months

Minä olen syntynyt keväällä: I was born in the Spring

URL Practice months and seasons with Quizlet
URL Video: Colours

As an extra, you will also learn some clothing words in Finnish with this video.

URL Practice colors with Quizlet

You can practise colors with flash cards. Notice that this link is an open resource.

URL Practice adjectives with Quizlet

Practise adjectives with flash cards. Notice that this link is an open resource.

Spoken Finnish Page Greeting and introducing oneself
Page Asking questions
Page Talking about directions

Grammar and vocabulary Book Course Grammar - Kurssin Kielioppi

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URL Quizlet vocabulary flash cards by David Charline (kiitos thank you)
URL Online dictionary - Verkkosanakirja

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Additional Finnish learning material URL Introduction to the Finnish Language
URL Suomea ole hyvä!
URL Taste of Finnish
URL WordDive (paid)
URL Speaking exercises
URL Video Clips
URL Finnish Phrases - Videos
URL Finnish Grammar in English (1)
URL Finnish Grammar in English (2)
URL Finnish Grammar in English (3)
URL News in Finnish with pictures
URL Pictionary
URL Vocabulary Games
URL English-Finnish Vocabulary Quizzes
URL For Exchange Students
URL Vocabulary Quizzes
URL Opiskele suomea - Online Course
URL Suomee - Spoken Language Online Course
URL LinguHouse - Online Course
URL Moped - Finnish School Life
URL Everyday Finnish - Videos (only in Finnish)
URL Supisuomea - Online Course (only in Finnish)
URL EasyFinnish - Language Course
URL Random Finnish Lesson - Grammar Blog
URL Verbix - Verb Conjugator
URL Asiointisuomea - Spoken Language Videos
URL Language Tests
URL RedFox - Online Dictionary
URL Wiktionary - online dictionary with noun declensions