FAQ

The best place to start is by booking a free 25-minute discovery call. We'll use this time to get to know each other, discuss your goals, and determine the best way to help you reach them. If we're a good fit, you can then book individual lessons or subscribe to weekly lessons on the Availability & Booking section.

If you already know you'd like to get started, you can purchase an individual lesson or subscription directly from the Availability & Booking section. Once your booking is confirmed, you'll receive the information you need to join your lesson. You can also access your upcoming lessons through your Student Portal.

I work with students of all ages and proficiency levels, from complete beginners taking their very first steps in Finnish to advanced learners looking to refine their skills. Whether you're learning for work, university, everyday life, or simply for the fun of it, I'll tailor lessons to your needs and interests so that every lesson feels relevant.

At the moment, I teach exclusively online. This allows me to work with students from all over the world while offering flexible scheduling and the same personalised learning experience, no matter where you're located.

All you'll need is a stable internet connection and a computer or tablet with a webcam and microphone. A Google account is also recommended, as it makes it easy to access your shared Google Drive folder, lesson notes, and any materials we use throughout your lessons.

Not at all! I provide all of the materials you'll need for our lessons, so you can simply show up and focus on learning.

With most of my students, I use materials that I've created myself, although I often use the Suomen mestari series as a framework for progression, particularly with beginner students. While owning the books isn't required, I do recommend picking up a copy if you're able to, as they're an excellent resource for studying between lessons. Many of my students have been able to find used copies at a much lower price.

Yes. If you have a regular weekly lesson time, you may change it when another suitable time is available. If you no longer need a fixed weekly slot, you can also switch to using your subscription credits flexibly and book available lesson times instead.

Lessons are conducted online via Google Meet. Materials, notes, and feedback are shared with you through Google Drive.

If you would prefer to use a different video conferencing platform, I'm happy to accommodate your request where possible.

We begin with an informal assessment to understand your current proficiency and learning goals. Through conversation, simple exercises, and a discussion of what you want to achieve, we identify your strengths and the areas that require the most focus.

Lessons are then tailored to your proficiency and objectives, whether you're building foundational skills, improving fluency, or refining advanced abilities. Each session combines practical language use with structured learning, including speaking, writing, and grammar practice in a supportive environment designed to encourage steady progress.

After each lesson, you will receive personalised feedback notes with clear recommendations and exercises to reinforce your learning between sessions. We regularly review your progress and adjust your goals as needed so that lessons remain relevant and effective.

I use a combination of custom materials, structured grammar resources, real-world examples, exercises, and personalised notes tailored to your proficiency and goals. All materials are provided digitally so you can review them anytime.

Absolutely! I provide structured exercises and practice recommendations between lessons to help you continue practising and making progress between sessions.

We focus on both! While understanding standard written Finnish (kirjakieli) is essential for grammar and structured learning, everyday life in Finland requires spoken Finnish (puhekieli). I integrate natural conversational phrasing and spoken forms into our lessons so you can comfortably understand and talk to locals.

Yes! We can focus on the Finnish you need for your profession, whether that means understanding colleagues, writing workplace messages, speaking with customers or preparing for a job interview.

For interviews, we can practise introducing yourself, explaining your experience and answering questions about your skills and motivation. You’re welcome to bring a job advertisement or examples from your working day, so we can build lessons around situations that are relevant to you.

Lessons can be rescheduled or cancelled free of charge up to 12 hours before the scheduled start time.

Lessons begin and end at their scheduled times. If you arrive late, the lesson will still end at the original scheduled time. If you do not attend, the lesson is treated as a no-show and the lesson credit is used.

This applies regardless of the reason for missing the lesson or being unable to attend, including emergencies, illness, travel problems, technical issues on your side, or other unexpected circumstances.

Unfortunately, all lessons are conducted in English. For advanced learners, lessons may also be conducted in Finnish.

Absolutely! You're welcome to record our lessons for your own personal study and review. Many students find it helpful to revisit pronunciation, grammar explanations, and new vocabulary at their own pace between lessons. Recordings are for your personal use only and may not be shared, published, uploaded, redistributed, or otherwise made available to others without my permission.

The timeline for reaching a conversational level varies considerably from student to student and depends on your starting level, goals, lesson frequency, and how much time you're able to dedicate to practice outside of lessons.

Some students make substantial progress within a few months, while for others the process takes considerably longer. I will help you set realistic expectations based on your goals, schedule, and starting proficiency.

The frequency of lessons depends on your schedule, goals, and how much time you have available for independent study. Most students choose one or two lessons per week, which provides regular opportunities for practice and feedback.

Others prefer a more flexible pace, such as a lesson every few weeks or a schedule that fits around work and family commitments. There is no single correct approach. The best schedule is one that you can maintain consistently while still allowing time for self-study and practice between lessons.

I am available Sunday to Thursday from 10:00 to 00:00 and Friday from 10:00 to 20:00, Helsinki time (EET / EEST, UTC+2 / UTC+3 depending on daylight saving time). I do not teach on Saturdays. Lessons outside these hours may occasionally be arranged upon request.

We regularly review your progress toward your goals, assess vocabulary retention, and monitor your conversational fluency during lessons. Feedback notes and learning plans are updated over time so you can see how your skills are developing and identify what to focus on next.

The Finnish YKI exam is an official language proficiency test for adults. It assesses how well you can use Finnish in everyday situations and is available at basic, intermediate and advanced levels. A YKI certificate can demonstrate your language skills for work, study or a Finnish citizenship application, depending on the results required. You can read more about the qualification on the Finnish National Agency for Education’s website.

The YKI exam assesses four skills: reading comprehension, listening comprehension, writing and speaking. The tasks focus on practical communication, such as understanding messages, following conversations, explaining a situation or expressing an opinion. Each skill is assessed separately, so you may receive different results for different parts of the exam. The official YKI overview explains how these skills are assessed.

You take the Finnish YKI test in person at an authorised test centre in Finland. The Finnish National Agency for Education publishes the test dates and registration periods, and you can check locations and available places through the official YKI registration service.

Dates depend on the language and test level. Intermediate Finnish test places can fill quickly, so check when registration opens and plan ahead.

You can book your YKI test through the official registration service during the published registration period. Choose Finnish, your test level and an available test centre, then follow the instructions to register.

Complete any required payment by the stated deadline to secure your place. If your preferred test is full, you can join its waiting list while registration is open. The official registration instructions explain the process.

Yes! My private online Finnish lessons can include YKI exam preparation tailored to your current level and the result you’re working towards. We can practise speaking and writing tasks, work on reading and listening comprehension, and focus on the areas you find most challenging.

You’ll receive personalised feedback, with time to ask questions and work through difficulties. Alongside exam practice, we’ll continue building the everyday Finnish skills that help you communicate more confidently.

Preparation time depends heavily on your current proficiency and the level you need to achieve. If your Finnish is already close to your target level, several months of focused YKI preparation can be very helpful. If you are still building the underlying language skills required for your target level, you may need considerably more time. I generally recommend beginning structured preparation as early as possible.

The University of Jyväskylä’s YKI demonstration site provides sample questions and example tasks for different languages, levels and parts of the exam. Select Finnish and the level you’re preparing for.

Yle’s B1 Finnish exercises also offer reading and listening practice on everyday topics, making them useful for intermediate YKI preparation. Use these resources to become familiar with the tasks and identify areas to practise, alongside regular speaking and writing.

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I completely understand that unexpected things can come up. Lessons can be rescheduled or cancelled free of charge up to 12 hours before the scheduled start time. Changes made within 12 hours of the lesson start time will be charged at the full lesson rate.

I schedule my personal commitments around my students' lessons and reserve that time specifically for each student. Because my calendar is often quite full, I am unable to accommodate last-minute cancellations or rescheduling requests.

A once-weekly subscription provides four lesson credits every 28 days, and a twice-weekly subscription provides eight lesson credits every 28 days. Your subscription renews automatically every 28 days until you cancel it. Credits do not have to be used within the same 28-day period and remain valid for one year from the date of purchase.

To cancel your subscription, please email me at iida@studysuomi.fi. I will cancel the automatic renewal for you. Your subscription will remain active until the end of the current paid 28-day period, and any lesson credits already issued will remain available until their stated expiry date.

Purchased lesson and subscription credits are valid for one year from the date of purchase. Unused credits expire after that period. Purchased lesson credits and subscription payments are generally non-refundable, except where a refund is required by applicable law.

Where a refund is approved for unused lessons from a subscription during an active 28-day period, any lessons already used during that period will be charged at the applicable individual lesson rate rather than the reduced subscription rate. The subscription discount applies only to the complete subscription package. The refund will therefore be calculated by deducting the applicable individual lesson rate for all lessons already used during the subscription period from the amount originally paid, with any remaining balance refunded.

If you no longer wish to use your lesson credits, you may transfer unused credits to another student by contacting me. Transferring credits does not extend their expiry date, and the transferred credits remain subject to the same terms as the original credits.

No. A subscription does not require you to take your lesson at the same time every week. You can either reserve a regular weekly time, subject to availability, or use your subscription credits flexibly to book available lesson times.

A once-weekly subscription provides four lesson credits every 28 days, while a twice-weekly subscription provides eight lesson credits every 28 days. Subscriptions renew automatically every 28 days until cancelled.

Unused credits can roll over between subscription periods and remain valid for one year from the date of purchase.

You may cancel your subscription at any time to stop future renewals. Cancelling does not remove credits that have already been issued; those credits remain available until their stated expiry date.

Absolutely! I'm happy to work with organisations seeking Finnish language training for their employees. Please contact me with details about your needs, and I'll be happy to discuss suitable options.

Possibly. Some employers reimburse employees for language training or professional development, but policies vary between organisations. Please check with your employer or HR department to confirm their policy.

Absolutely! I don't currently offer open-enrolment group classes, but I am happy to teach private groups for companies, families, friends, or other groups learning together. Please contact me with information about your group size, current level, goals, and preferred schedule, and I can provide a customised proposal.

I currently do not host group classes on my own, but am happy to teach them.