Language is the key to everything. Without language proficiency, there is no such thing as integration or inclusion: without language skills, you are always somewhat excluded and do not receive all the information that would make your life easier and more pleasant.
Kirkkonummi is a bilingual municipality. You can use Finnish or Swedish in all municipal services. You can learn the language in various language courses, language cafés and Friendship activities.
Language training
If you have registered as a job seeker with the Employment and Economic Development Office, you can study Finnish or Swedish in the integration training. This language training is free of charge.
The TE Office also organises short language training in different fields. These courses teach professional vocabulary and include an on-the-job training period in the world of work.
Kirkkonummi Adult Education Centre organises courses in Finnish and Swedish at different levels. A fee is charged for these courses.
You can find information on language courses offered at the Kirkkonummi Adult Education Centre on the centre’s website.https://www.kirkkonummi.fi/kansalaisopisto-1
You can also take part in courses organised at the Finnish Adult Education Centre in Helsinki, Espoo or Vantaa, as well as other courses organised in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. You can find more information about them on the https://finnishcourses.fi/ website.
Learn Finnish – opi suomea! basic course in Finnish
Kirkkonummi Adult Education Centre organises basic courses in Finnish in the autumn and spring. They are intended for parents who care for their children at home, as well as others who are practising how to read and write and who do not have the opportunity to participate in language training organised by the TE Offices.
You do not need to have any Finnish skills at all when joining the course. During the course, the goal is to learn how to manage simple everyday matters in Finnish.
Children under 2.5 years of age who are not in day care are also welcome to the course. A nurse is present to help with child care when the parents are on the course.
If you are interested in the training, contact the TE Office, Integration Services or the Adult Education Centre: opistot@kirkkonummi.fi
Online language learning
You can also study the language independently online. The https://finnishcourses.fi/ website also contains online courses that charge a fee.
Free language courses are also available online. You can search for information on language learning online here:
- https://kotisuomessa.fi/web/site-155213/state-jurdkmbrei/front-page,
- https://www.infofinland.fi/finnish-and-swedish/finnish-online
- kielibuusti.fi
- https://kielikoulu.yle.fi/#/ Yle Language School contains subtitled television programmes with translations available in many languages.
Friendship activities, language cafés and meeting places
You can learn the language and strengthen the language skills you have acquired by speaking Finnish or Swedish with others.
The Adult Education Centre has many courses that teach new skills, such as woodwork, ceramics, weaving, cooking or arts. People also talk a lot and meet new people on these courses. If you select an interesting course, you can also learn the language by talking to other participants. https://www.kirkkonummi.fi/kansalaisopisto-1
The Swedish-speaking section of the Kirkkonummi Red Cross (FRK) runs language cafés. For more detailed information, send a query to FRKKyrkslatt@gmail.com.
The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL) organises friendship activities and runs a family café where you can get acquainted with Finnish families. More information can be found on the website of MLL Uusimaa: https://uudenmaanpiiri.mll.fi/perheille/ystavaperhetoiminta/ and https://uudenmaanpiiri.mll.fi/perheille/perhekahvilat/
Luckan Kyrkslätt runs the Prata svenska group, which is a discussion group in Swedish, open for all. Luckan Kirkkonummi provides guidance to immigrants and organises workshops and various meetings and events, where you can get to know other people and learn the language. https://kyrkslatt.luckan.fi/suomeksi-in-english/
There are also other meeting places in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area where you can meet new people.
There are several language cafés in the libraries of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. You can also participate in some of them via Skype, free of charge. https://www.helmet.fi/en-US/Events_and_tips/Events
Near Kirkkonummi in Kivenlahti, Espoo, you can find the Kivenkolo Community Centre, where various clubs meet and different events are organised. The promotion of integration is one of the goals of Kivenkolo’s activities. More detailed information on the activities can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/AsukastilaKivenkolo/
In the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, there are also several Let’s Read Together groups that offer language teaching to those who are excluded from formal education. You can find information about the groups in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area here: https://luetaanyhdessa.fi/english/
Comprehensive information on study opportunities in Espoo and Helsinki can be found at https://kotoutumisentukena.fi/.
