Aino, Lumi and Pyry: Let’s look at Finland’s naming traditions
Finnish first names can feel opaque to outsiders – full of vowels, folklore and unfamiliar sound – but when you take a closer look, Finland’s naming traditions tell a fascinating story.
8 questions on the Kalevala, the epic that shaped Finland’s identity
The epic Kalevala relates ancient tales, mainly from the Karelia region, and has become a cornerstone of Finland’s cultural identity. Its poetry has reached readers all over the world, including J.R.R. Tolkien, who took inspiration from it.
What one person’s path to speaking Finnish reveals about life and language
For polyglot Irina Pravet, learning a language isn’t just about grammar. She sees knowing Finnish as a way to belong – and that’s something you don’t find in textbooks.
Spotlight on Vörå, Finland: the local impact of KAJ’s Eurovision success
The Swedish-speaking Finnish trio KAJ represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest with a cheerful sauna song that was the hot favourite to win the final last May. In the end, they came in fourth – but they went from local heroes to viral international phenomenon, transforming their home village in the process.
With art, motion and emotion, Finnish researchers explore new language-learning paths
Learning a new language can be daunting and is often associated with hours of memorising vocabulary and repeating textbook phrases. But what if it could be more active, creative, fun and emotionally engaging?
How livestreaming helped me learn Finnish – and what you can take from my experience
For the past two years, I have subjected myself – and, more importantly, a live audience – to the great and noble quest of learning Finnish. Here’s what I found out.
Pronouncing Finnish with a smile: The sivistys video edition
Civilised behaviour – we’d probably all like to see more of it these days. A great Finnish word, sivistys, covers the idea – but how do you say that? With a smile! Watch our video.
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