{"id":1472,"date":"2026-10-07T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-07T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.hamk.fi\/evoforestry\/?p=1472"},"modified":"2026-10-06T13:40:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T10:40:27","slug":"my-journey-from-confusion-to-confidence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.hamk.fi\/evoforestry\/my-journey-from-confusion-to-confidence\/","title":{"rendered":"My Journey from Confusion to Confidence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction – My story<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I came to Finland as a student with my family. At that time, I already knew that Finnish is considered one of the hardest languages to learn. However, I always had one thought in my mind, nothing is impossible if we are determined and willing to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am a forestry student, and during my first year, we started learning some basic Finnish, such as how to count and how to tell the time. When I started learning Finnish more seriously, I often thought, \u201cThis could be manageable for me.\u201d However, I also had the impression that Finnish grammar was quite difficult, especially when compared with English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing I noticed was that Finnish does not use prepositions in the same way as English. Instead, the ending of a word often changes depending on its meaning and its role in the sentence. At first, this was quite confusing for me, but gradually I started to understand the patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
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My little Finnish study corner<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At First, Finnish Felt Difficult<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I mentioned above, Finnish grammar and the different endings of the same word were difficult for me to understand at first. However, our teacher has a magical way of explaining these things in a simple and different way, which has made them much easier for me to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another thing I found difficult was the difference between the Finnish we learn in the classroom and the Finnish people use in everyday life. For example, in the classroom we learned the word \u201ckiitos\u201d<\/strong>, but when I heard people saying it in everyday conversations, it sometimes sounded more like \u201ckiitti.\u201d<\/strong> At first, I was confused because I thought they were using a completely different word. Later, I learned that Finnish people often use informal or shortened forms in everyday speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since Finnish is a new language for me, I was also afraid of making mistakes, especially when speaking. Sometimes, even when I knew a few Finnish words, I was hesitant to use them because I was worried about saying something incorrectly. However, I have gradually learned that making mistakes is a natural and important part of learning a new language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What changed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At some point, I realized that I did not need to understand everything, and that trying to understand every single word was holding me back. It was frustrating and made learning Finnish feel more difficult. So, I started focusing on useful short sentences and common everyday words instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I began picking up Finnish words and expressions from local people in everyday situations. I also started using these words when speaking, even though I sometimes made mistakes. Gradually, I realized that making mistakes was not something to be afraid of. In fact, it helped me learn faster and become more confident when speaking Finnish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning methods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My method for learning Finnish is to maintain two separate notebooks. One is for new words, and the other is for new sentences. Whenever I hear a new Finnish word, I try to remember it and write it down in my vocabulary notebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also maintain a sentence notebook. For example, I recently learned the sentence \u201cH\u00e4n ei sy\u00f6nyt mit\u00e4\u00e4n koko p\u00e4iv\u00e4n\u00e4\u201d<\/strong>, which means \u201cHe\/She didn\u2019t eat anything for the whole day.\u201d I heard this sentence at the daycare when I went to pick up my child. It was a new and useful sentence for me, so I wrote it down in my sentence notebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have also learned different verbs that are useful in everyday life, and I try to learn them by heart. Learning common verbs has helped me understand and form sentences more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most important part of my method is that I always set aside some time every day to review these words and sentences. I repeat and practice them regularly, and I always try to use them in my daily life. I believe that learning a language becomes much easier when we learn useful words and sentences and use them in real-life situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finish is everywhere<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we go to Prisma or Lidl, I often come across many Finnish words in everyday situations, such as kauppa<\/strong> (shop), kassa<\/strong> (checkout), alennus<\/strong> (discount), and tarjous<\/strong> (special offer). I also learn the names of different products, such as maito<\/strong> (milk), leip\u00e4<\/strong> (bread), juusto<\/strong> (cheese), and tomaatti<\/strong> (tomato).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I go to university, I come across another set of useful Finnish words related to my studies, such as mets\u00e4<\/strong> (forest), teht\u00e4v\u00e4<\/strong> (assignment), luokka<\/strong> (classroom), kyn\u00e4<\/strong> (pen), and kirja<\/strong> (book).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this way, I try to learn Finnish from the environment around me. I feel that learning words in real-life situations makes them easier to remember and more useful in my daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finnish and My Future in Forestry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning Finnish is especially important for me because I am studying forestry and want to work in the forestry field in Finland. During my studies, I have realized that Finnish is not only useful for everyday life but also an important part of working as a forestry professional. Our Professional Communication module has also made me understand how important Finnish vocabulary is for my future career. In this module, we have a task to collect as much forestry-related vocabulary as we can, learn the words and understand how they are used. We are building our vocabulary step by step so that we can use it in professional situations. In the next communication module, we will have the opportunity to use what we have learned in practice and communicate with forest owners. This means that we need to know not only everyday Finnish but also professional forestry vocabulary. We need to be able to understand questions, explain things, ask for information and have a conversation with forest owners in Finnish<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tips for other Finnish learners<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What I can recommend to other Finnish learners is don\u2019t wait until your Finnish is perfect before you start speaking.<\/strong> Speak even when you make mistakes. Making mistakes is a natural part of learning, and every mistake can teach you something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also recommend learning sentences and patterns, not only individual words<\/strong>. When you learn a word as part of a sentence, it becomes easier to remember and understand how to use it in real-life situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, small daily practice is better than studying a lot only once a week<\/strong>. Even spending a few minutes every day reviewing new words, sentences, and useful expressions can make a big difference over time. The most important thing is to practice regularly and use Finnish in your everyday life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My Biggest Lesson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finnish became less scary when you stopped thinking \u201cI need to learn Finnish perfectly\u201d and started thinking \u201cI just need to understand and use a little more Finnish today\u201d. My next goal is to continue improving my Finnish and pass the B1 level within next two years. I know it will take time and regular practice, but I am ready to keep going, one step at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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