Finnish

Finnish is a part of everyday life in Sweden as a national minority language and as a neighbouring language. Knowledge of Finnish is in great demand on the labour market. Finnish has, thanks to its status as one of the five national minority languages in Sweden, received more attention in municipalities and other organisations. Finland is one of Sweden’s biggest trading partners and a good knowledge in Finnish is in high demand in the fields of industry and commerce.

You can study Finnish at Stockholm University as a foreign language or as a student with prior knowledge of the language. As a beginner you will encounter a linguistically interesting language. You will learn the basics of both oral and written Finnish.

If you are already fluent in the language you will learn more about the different varieties of oral and written language. You will also delve into Finnish literature and learn about Finnish and Swedish-Finnish culture.

Many students choose to study Finnish to become teachers, translators or interpreters. Others study the language as a complement to studies in other fields such as journalism, political science or economics.

There is a great need for people with good knowledge of Finnish, both in Sweden and internationally. Finnish is a national minority language in Sweden and the minority has special rights to use its language, so knowledge of the language is needed in many contexts. There is a major shortage of Finnish teachers and translators, and Finnish-speaking personnel is needed in early childhood education and elderly care.

Knowledge of Finnish is a bonus when pursuing a career in Sweden or internationally. Adding Finnish gives you an advantage whatever your work.

Our courses are also well suited for further education within a range of fields.

Courses and programmes within the subject area.

You can either choose to study freestanding courses or complete a study programme to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in Finnish. In order to obtain a Master’s Degree in Finnish you can choose from the study programmes listed above. You can also get a teaching degree in Finnish by studying Finnish and supplementary teacher education.

Studies at the Section for Finnish are conducted within the fields of Finnish language, literature, and pedagogy. Linguistic studies include research on multilingualism, sociolinguistics (the social aspects of language use) and historical linguistics. Research has focused on Swedish-Finnish relations and on Finnish as a minority in Sweden and surrounding counties.

The researchers at the Section for Finnish are members of several international networks and cooperate with many universities and other organisations in the Nordic countries, Europe and North America.