As Finland celebrates Finnish Language Day this week, the All Points North podcast hears from foreigners who have overcome the language's fearsome reputation to create their own niche.
DEI consultant Kamilla Sultanova, originally from Uzbekistan, tells the show about launching a podcast in Finnish, which she hopes will provide a platform for foreigners to become more confident in using the local vernacular.
"There are a lot of unconscious biases we want to bridge and we want to help Finns extend their understanding of inclusion and find their relevance to say, 'oh, okay, this is how Finland feels like for others'," Sultanova says.
Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Vanessa Cueva Pastor moved to Finland from Peru in 2019, and said she initially felt overwhelmed by the prospect of learning Finnish, but she tells APN that she has climbed the seemingly-insurmountable mountain "pikkuhiljaa" (step by step) and now produces Finnish-language content on Instagram.
"I recommend for those who want to learn Finnish, don't be afraid. It's normal to have some fear but you need to try all the time because if you don't speak, you won't learn," she tells the show.
The perception that the Finnish language is too difficult for foreigners to learn, especially for those who move to the country as adults, can have real-life knock-on effects.
Research Director Ville Pitkänen of E2 Research says he often hears about problems foreigners have getting a job, finding friends and building a life in Finland — with language often at the centre of those struggles.
"When the problems are intertwined this way, it shows you that the language is always present when we are talking about integration and getting adjusted to life," Pitkänen notes.
And in this, the 250th episode of All Points North, the hosts also share their own forays into the Finnish language.
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This week's landmark show was presented by Ronan Browne and Zena Iovino. The sound engineer was Juha Hjelm.
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