Language courses in Finland

The official languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish. Studying Finnish or Swedish makes everyday life, job hunting and studying in Finland easier. Language courses are available at different levels, both as classroom-based and online courses. Courses are organized by adult education centres, folk high schools and universities, for example, and may be free or subject to a fee depending on the target group.

Courses in other Nordic languages are less common, but some courses are available, especially in large cities.

Finnish language courses are organised throughout Finland, for example at adult education centres, folk high schools, open universities, summer universities and summer high schools. You can find schools near you on the pages listed below. 

On the Finnishcourses.fi website you can find information about Finnish language courses in larger cities and online courses. On the Kielibuusti.fi website, you can find institutions that offer Finnish language courses open to all. For more information about courses, contact the course providers directly.

If you are hard of hearing and want to learn Finnish and Finnish sign language, you can read more on the website of the Finnish Folk High School for the Deaf.

The Finnish National Agency for Education organises several summer courses in Finnish language and culture for students of Finnish from foreign universities. Read more on the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education.

Read more about studying Finnish on the InfoFinland.fi website.

Courses in Swedish are organised throughout the country, for example at adult education centres, folk high schools, open universities, summer universities and summer high schools. The main language of instruction is Finnish. You can find Swedish language courses in Finland on the websites Finnishcourses.fi and Kielibuusti.fi.

Read more about studying Swedish in Finland on InfoFinland.fi.

There is less teaching of Danish, Norwegian or Icelandic, but educational institutions in the biggest towns and cities organise some courses. The language of instruction in Danish, Norwegian and Icelandic teaching is often Swedish or Finnish. For more information about courses, contact the course providers directly.

You can find schools near you on the pages listed below.

If you are unemployed, your local employment services can refer you to integration training and other services that support language skills. Read more on the InfoFinland website.

If you are an immigrant and want to improve your chances of finding employment, you can participate in integration training, where you will learn Finnish or Swedish and become familiar with Finnish working life and culture. Find out more on the Job Market Finland website. 

Find out about opportunities to study Finnish and Swedish on the InfoFinland website.