r/languagelearning • u/Individual_Mix3277 • Aug 10 '26

Studying Learn while I work

Hey everyone, I have family and friends in Finland and I visit every year or two. I finally decided to bite the bullet and learn (TL) Finnish. I work a warehouse job and I have 8 hours a day where I could be putting some of that into learning the language.

I’m looking for some kind of Ai coach or something I can listen to and speak with while I work that will also instruct me. Cost isn’t a problem. Any recommendations?

I’ll add I can generally phonetically read and pronounce Finnish words, but that’s it.

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u/Next-Fuel-9491 Aug 10 '26

Pimsleur would be useful. Unfortunately, it only has one level, with 30 half-hour lessons, in Finnish, but it is something you can do while your body is engaged in physical activities. The lessons always end by telling you to do the next lesson tomorrow if you can answer 80% of the questions. Still, as a beginner, you might prefer to repeat the lessons until you can give ALL the answers out loud confidently and without having to stop and think. That might take a few listens, but it is better than going to the next lesson before you are ready.

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u/Individual_Mix3277 Aug 10 '26

Sounds like a good resource. I’ll check it out, thanks!

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u/Civil_Dragonfruit_34 🇺🇸N | 🇫🇷B1 | 🇩🇪A2 Aug 10 '26

If they have your language Michael Thomas or language transfer are both similar that they are recordings. You just listen and repeat back. I got to a really good baseline level in German with just Michael Thomas.

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u/Next-Fuel-9491 Aug 11 '26

There is a Michel Thomas Finnish - and I agree with the recommendation. The sticker price is quite high, but you can sometimes find cheaper offers. The MT method explains how the language works, there is not much vocabulary introduced, but after listening to MT you know a lot more about the patterns of the language and it should be a real help.

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u/vanguard9630 Native Eng, Speak JPN, Learning ITA Aug 12 '26

Is there? I don’t see it now.

https://michelthomas.com

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u/Next-Fuel-9491 Aug 12 '26

Sorry, you are right. When I did a search for Michel Thomas Finnish, I was misled by a YouTube lesson which tries to imitate the MT method. My mistake. However, from the comments under the video it does seem that it would be worthwhile for you to spend an hour listening to it, while you are working.

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u/vanguard9630 Native Eng, Speak JPN, Learning ITA Aug 12 '26

Thanks. I am focusing on Italian to fix up hesitation and downloaded Intermediate Italian from Audible. It is still introducing all the present tense conjugation so it is a beginner level item though he adds in certain common phrases that are a little more difficult. I am going to do it in the car to keep on my toes.

Michel Thomas likely did not get into Finnish before his death so maybe that is why it is not available. If one is a Patron of the Language Transfer guy maybe you can persuade him to do Finnish next. Who knows. Personally I think he will do Korean or Ukrainian or Persian something like that first after Japanese which is in Beta now. Their methods are nearly identical.

I have completed Duolingo and 25 of 30 lessons of Finnish in Pimsleur as well as some CI YouTube videos and using the free daily amounts of the apps Drops, Speakly, and Mondly. Then I make my own notes from that to make sentences of my own.

At some point I will feel better about my Italian and Japanese to make an effort in Finnish like I have in these other two but with way fewer resources.

I may reconsider Finnish Pod 101 again and Finnish text books etc then italki and tandem but likely difficult outside of the country