Suomen ja ruotsin kieli
"One who knows languages feels home everywhere."
(Dutch saying)
Finland is a bilingual country.(Suomi on kaksikielinen maa)
Finland has two official languages, Finnish and Swedish. Finnish is spoken as mother tongue by 91% of the population, while 5% have Swedish as their mother tongue. Swedish is spoken most on the western and southern coasts.
It is possible to study in both Finnish and Swedish in Finland.
Municipalities may be monolingual or bilingual. When you are in contact with authorities (e.g. the TE office), you have the right to use Finnish or Swedish. In bilingual municipalities you can use both languages also when in contact with municipal authorities (e.g. social welfare office).
Some jobs may require you to prove proficiency in both Finnish and Swedish.
Information on the Language Act can be obtained from the Ministry of Justice website in Finnishand Swedish.
Language study in Finland(Kielen opiskelu Suomessa)
If you wish to integrate into Finnish society it is essential that you study the language.
Various educational institutions, foundations and projects in Finland organise Finnish and Swedish language courses. One can also enroll on courses through a TE Office (työ- ja elinkeinotoimisto). Training organised for the unemployed is free of charge. Information on Finnish language courses aimed at the unemployed can be found on the website of the Labour Administration (työhallinto).
Courses at educational institutions usually begin in August or September and the next term again in January. Make sure you enroll well in advance. The institutions will instruct you on the correct time to leave your application.
The website of the National Board of Education (opetushallitus) contains information on Finnish language teaching in comprehensive schools aimed at pupils who have an immigration background.
The Info Bank webpage Finnish on the Internet contains links to websites where you can study Finnish online.
Finnish language study material(Suomen kielen oppimateriaaleja)
Are you looking for study books, dictionaries or other material for studying Finnish?
study materialcan be found on the website of the Centre for International Mobility CIMO.
Do You Need A Certificate of Language Proficiency in Finnish or Swedish?
If you are applying for Finnish citizenship, you will need to have sufficient proficiency in Finnish or Swedish. Proficiency in the Finnish Sign Language is also acceptable.You can prove your language proficiency e.g. by successfully passing level 3 of the National Certificate of Language Proficiency (yleinen kielitutkinto). Level 3 is the intermediate level. Remember to take your test sufficiently early. Often there is a long waiting list for taking the test so you should allow plenty of time for the process. You should enrol directly with an institution that offers the test. Information on these institutions and on timetables is given on the website of the National Board or Education.
There are also other ways to prove your language proficiency. Find out about the requirements beforehand. More detailed information is available on the pages of the Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto).