Finnish Language for exchange

Moikka,

I have just concluded my Finnish Language course for Erasmus students.
Honestly, It has been one of the most interesting courses I had the chance to follow has an  Exchange and I highly raccomend it for the future students who are going to do the same experience in Finland.

I truly believe that the best way to really get to know the culture of a new country is trough learning their language (at least try).

I think that learning the language spoken in the host country is both a sign of respect towards the country and the locals and, at he same time, a way to avoid the feeling of frustration everybody experiences when, being in a new place you understand absolutely nothing of what is going on ( no idea about:name of streets, shops, signs on the products at the market, etc.)

Of course, it takes time to master a new language but , after almost four months I am at least able to introduce my self and answer/ask the basic questions of every day life. Now I can even get the meaning of  few words if people talk on the Street or at the university.

The course itself has been a lot of fun. Students from all over the world talking to eachother, trying to get the right pronaunce of the different words and (the hardest thing to do ) trying to remember the vocabulary.

I am from Italy and to me Finnish sounds like such a different language, not close to English nore to romance languages. Different from them in sound and ariculation.

If you are very motivated to speak in Finnish, I advise you, practicing the Finnish language in the everyday/real life is not easy.
Most of the Fin can talk English pretty well and, the moment they understand you are not a Fin, they will talk to you in English.
Even if you asked something in Finnish, their reply to you will be in English.

I believe they do so because they want you to be more confortable talking a language you both know, or maybe they just do not want to waste time and get the stuff done (remember that Fins dont like to lose time... ever..).

Anyway, wherever you are, visiting new places , have fun practicing and discovering the colours of a new language.

Kiitos.