Developing listening skills through Finnish tv

Siquedi · Post by **Siquedi** » Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:08 pm

I need to develop my listening skills in Finnish and I've always thought the best ways to do so are music and tv (if you can't be where the real speakers are).

Nevertheless, I've looked for Finnish programmes with Finnish subtitles on the net but I couldn't find any channel that does so. I figure out that there must be some way to find them, because deaf people must be able to watch online tv (and I know they really care about deaf people in Finland).

Anyone there who could help me?? And if so, what would be the best programme to you??

Thanks in advance!!

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Jukka Aho · Post by **Jukka Aho** » Fri Mar 18, 2011 6:54 pm

Siquedi wrote:I've looked for Finnish programmes with Finnish subtitles on the net but I couldn't find any channel that does so. I figure out that there must be some way to find them, because deaf people must be able to watch online tv (and I know they really care about deaf people in Finland).

The only Finnish broadcasting company which subtitles (some of) its Finnish language shows for the hard-of-hearing is the national broadcaster YLE. TV news and domestically-produced dramas, for instance, are usually provided with this kind of “special” subtitling. The technology they employ for this is DVB subtitling. DVB subtitles can be turned on and off at will so they don’t bother those who don’t need them.

However, YLE does not appear to extend this special subtitling service to the Internet at the moment... or at least I can’t find such option in their online Areena video service. So I guess you’re out of luck here... :(

The only readily available thing I can suggest at the moment is the Pasila cartoon (“Pasila” is the name of a city district in Helsinki) for which some hobbyists have provided unofficial English subtitling on YouTube. But it’s a comedy cartoon so the characters will speak in funny voices, fast, and sometimes utter rather nonsensible things.

As for suggestions of Finnish songs for easy listening, take a look at here. If you don’t have access to Spotify, you can search for the same song titles on YouTube. Most of them can be found that way. Lyrics can also be easily found on common lyrics sites.

kalmisto · Post by **kalmisto** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:13 pm

Siquedi

news in easy Finnish ( uutisarkisto = news archive ) :
http://papunet.net/selko/uutiset/uutisarkisto/

Click on one of the subject alternatives on the right hand side of the page !

kotimaa = home country ( meaning : news from Finland )
ulkomaat = foreign countries ( meaning : news from abroad )
urheilu = sports
kulttuuri = culture
viihde = entertainment

Then click on one of the headlines !

Then click on "kuuntele" ( listen ) and you can listen to the article being read aloud to you by a Finnish speech synthesizer !

CH · Post by CH » Sun Mar 20, 2011 2:42 pm

YLE selkouutiset: http://yle.fi/selkouutiset/

The text is below. The news are written in clearer language and read a bit slower than normal. "Arkisto" on the left is the archive of older news.

kalmisto · Post by **kalmisto** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:10 pm

I need to develop my listening skills in Finnish and I've always thought the best ways to do so are music and tv (if you can't be where the real speakers are).

Listen to Fredi sing "Milloinkaan en löydä samanlaista" ( lyrics are included ) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3Zrmqli ... re=related

What a beautiful song and what a great voice ! Love makes the world go round !

MagicJ · Post by **MagicJ** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 1:29 pm

If you're one of those young whippersnappers with an apple itunes ipod thingummyjig then selkouutiset (mentioned above) is available as a daily podcast via itunes, YLE also have a bunch of other podcasts that might help you as your skills progress.

MikeMK · Post by **MikeMK** » Thu Mar 24, 2011 8:32 pm

on the TV it is pretty fast...Somehow you should have basic skills then you will understand a bit. finnish is hard !!

kalmisto · Post by **kalmisto** » Fri Mar 25, 2011 12:05 pm

MikeMK wrote:on the TV it is pretty fast...Somehow you should have basic skills then you will understand a bit. finnish is hard !!

Listen to the host ( Timo T. Kaukonen ) on this TV Quiz Show from 1966 :
http://www.yle.fi/elavaarkisto/?s=s&g=4 ... 544&a=2527

Click on "Kaikki yhtä vastaan" ( All against one ) under the picture ! Kaukonen uses a lot of small pauses when he speaks and he speaks very distinctly.

I had to go all the way back to 1966 ( ! ) to find a Finnish quiz show host who speaks slowly and distinctly.

opinto · Post by **opinto** » Tue Apr 26, 2011 10:27 pm

Uutisetarkisto on hyvä

Kuunntele on hyvin

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