Conversational Finnish tips please.

fred.ash · Post by **fred.ash** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:57 am

Hello.

Where can I find an organized conversational finnish course where the people I speak to actually speak Finnish and can correct my mistakes?

Background:
I really like to speak finnish out loud but I suck at learning grammar and writing in Finnish. I took Helsinki university courses up to level 2 or 3 a few years ago but I only liked one of the teachers so I lost my motivation to continue there. I've also tried to do this at home but my partner is not patient enough to make finnish conversation and corrections in a constructive way.

**Sponsor:**

tjawatts · Post by **tjawatts** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:06 pm

I have been doing a conversation course at the kansallisopisto here in Kirkkonummi and it is very informal, small group and we just talk about whatever with the teacher and she will correct us. Occasionally we look as specific grammar stuff but never in too much depth. Look to see if there is a similar place near you. Unfortunatelly, if you are in the city the class sizes are likely to be larger and therefore harder to participate fully.

T

dreamer · Post by **dreamer** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:32 pm

In Espoo there is the adult education centre (työväenopisto) that has some conversation courses. Here's something in English about the place:
http://english.espoo.fi/xsl_taso1_ilman ... 0948;14160

And one conversation course (unfortunately it's almost over, I guess next season starts in August/September):
http://www.espoo.fi/kuha_esittelysivu.a ... ssi=050588

@tjawatts what is kansallisopisto, is it the same or similar to työväenopisto? Your course sounds pretty cool, I wonder how those Espoo ones are.

tjawatts · Post by **tjawatts** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:53 pm

Yes it is the same as a työväenopisto just a different name. Like I said you may have the problem that there are more foreignners in Espoo and so larger class sizes which makes it harder to participate fully. Having said that, I went on a conversation course at the kesayliopisto a few years ago and that was quite good too.

T

fred.ash · Post by **fred.ash** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 9:17 pm

Thanks for the leads and the tip about joining a smaller group to get the most out of the conversation, that had never occured to me.

Are any of you in a course now that I could join in late (without raising the numbers too high)?

hiphei · Post by **hiphei** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 11:20 pm

fred, you may have thought about this already but how about using children as your tutor? That's how one family member became fluent in japanese and the kids (playtime and reading out aloud) were more than happy to correct our errant speaker

fred.ash · Post by **fred.ash** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 7:48 am

My son has corrected me already now that he is 3.5, I should tell him that I would like it if he tells me more often when I go wrong.

The problem for us with this idea is that my wife and I have agreed to speak only our mother tongues with him so that he does not get the languages confused. He's very alert to this. If my wife substitutes a Finnish word in an english sentance (or visa-versa) he pipes up right away "why did you ask daddy in Finnish?"

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