Putting a good amount of effort into learning Finnish right from the beginning is extremely important, as your initial Finnish lessons are going to build the foundation of your Finnish language learning.
Since Finnish is a Uralic language (similar to Hungarian or Estonian), the words of the language are often completely different than what you might see in other European languages. Because of this, many beginner Finnish students are very confused by their early vocabulary lessons.
One thing that can help you through this?
Listening to some Finnish language-learning podcasts. These podcasts are a great complement to any online or in-person Finnish course you might be taking, as they support what you’re learning elsewhere, but in a convenient way that works with not only your schedule but also your budget and your skill level.
Intrigued by the types of Finnish language-learning podcasts out there? Check out these eight recommended options and see how they can help you lay a strong Finnish foundation or help you build upon existing Finnish language skills.
Podcasts for Beginners
Beginners who want to ensure they have a strong Finnish foundation can start with some of these very thorough podcasts created with beginner students in mind. They pay a lot of attention to not only those difficult Finnish vocabulary words but also grammar, sentence structure and even a bit of Finnish culture in some instances.
FinnishPod101
FinnishPod101 offers a bunch of podcast episodes that vary in terms of the skill level they’re geared toward, but you can rest assured that quite a few, if not the majority, are created with beginners in mind.
The episodes not only cover vocabulary and grammar, but also interesting cultural information. Despite not being a course where every lesson builds on the previous ones, the coverage of Finnish language topics is very thorough. Learn numbers, the alphabet, conversational phrases and more.
Do keep in mind that the majority of the content found on FinnishPod101 requires a subscription, but those memberships are pretty affordable. You can learn more in our full review of FinnishPod101.
Complete Language Lessons: Finnish
This podcast only offers 10 episodes, but you’ll find that they’re a nice complement to any Finnish language learning course you might be taking. Each episode is around half an hour in length and is designed to help you learn to speak Finnish easily, effectively and fluently.
Explore Finland Radio Show
As you begin to learn a language, it’s important to also learn more about the country of the language’s origin, as well as the history and culture attached to the language.
The Explore Finland Radio Show podcast can help you better understand Finland, whether you’re just intrigued by the country or you’re planning to travel or move there in the future. There are dozens of episodes to listen to, with topics including Finnish food, beer, nature, culture, sports and more.
Very Finnish Problems
A similar, English-spoken podcast is Very Finnish Problems, created by a British writer and Helsinki resident. Learn about the country through the eyes of an expat, and discover how to best survive in Finland as a foreigner. There are more than a dozen episodes to listen to, most being around an hour in length, with many featuring guests.
Intermediate
Ready to move on to more difficult Finnish language learning podcasts? Check out one of these options, created with intermediate students in mind.
Random Finnish Lesson Podcast
The Random Finnish Lesson Podcast is hosted by a native Finn and professional Finnish teacher. In the podcast, she talks about various topics, all in Finnish, but she does so in simple terms, slowly, so that intermediate Finnish students can follow along more easily. This is a good way to improve your Finnish listening comprehension, before moving on to more difficult, fully Finnish podcasts that are more suited to advanced learners.
Finnish with Armin
Finnish with Armin is specifically created with intermediate Finnish students in mind. There are seven episodes, with each episode being about eight minutes in length. The material is designed to help bridge the gap between beginner Finnish lessons and advanced Finish lessons, where the education resources can be a little sparse.
Advanced
An easy way to increase your Finnish speaking and comprehension skills by leaps and bounds is to begin listening to popular Finnish podcasts and broadcasts that are spoken entirely in the language. This will help you not only learn to follow along as an average person speaks Finnish, but will also help your mind begin thinking in Finnish terms. Here are a few fully Finish podcasts to consider.
SBS Finnish
SBS Radio Finnish offers news and stories from around the world, allowing you to listen in on topics you are likely already familiar with, but in Finnish. Episodes are uploaded on quite a regular basis, sometimes multiple times per day.
Yle News Radio
Similarly, Yle News Radio is one of the top podcasts in Finland, for Finnish listeners, and can teach you a good deal of Finnish common vocabulary and sentence structure. The podcast also focuses all on domestic and world news, with short episodes that are uploaded on a daily basis. Because there’s always at least one new podcast episode uploaded every day, you’ll have a difficult time running out of content to listen to with this one.
Final Thoughts
Learning Finnish can be a difficult challenge, but learning to speak and understand Finnish fluently can be very rewarding. Even if you’re taking a Finnish class online or in person, podcasts can be a valuable tool to help you brush up on your skills and learn new ones.
Are you a fan of a Finnish language-learning podcast that we didn’t include above? Then let us know!
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