Finnish as a second language
Study Finnish, live in Finland, work in Finland! At LUT, Finnish language studies for international students emphasize speaking and interaction skills. We encourage you to study the language in class, online, and outside together with Finnish-speaking people.
You will find a course that suits you from the wide range of studies intended for students whose mother tongue is other than Finnish.
News
Enrolment for the autumn 2026 courses has begun. Sisu automatically accepts students onto the course once the enrolment period has ended. (Exception: non-stop courses, for which Sisu accepts students onto the course immediately.)
Suomi-kahvila (Suomi Café)
Come and speak Finnish at the Suomi Café. The cafe is open approximately every other Thursday at 14 - 15 as follows:
Lahti, autumn 2026
Place: in Isku Center, D246, at Mukkula campus (Mukkulankatu 19) | Lappeenranta, autumn 2026
Place: room 1144, at Skinnarila campus (Yliopistonkatu 36) |
Information and help for learning Finnish!
S2-klinikka is meant for all students whose native language is not Finnish. In S2-klinikka you can get Finnish language counseling for:
- written assignments
- presentation material
- job application texts
- a specific question about Finnish language.
You can also get counseling for your Finnish studies, e.g. What is a suitable course for me? Where can I study Finnish? Please notice that S2-klinikka is not for text correction but you can receive help with your writing process. S2-klinikka is offered twice a week. Please make an enrollment in Moodle before.
Finnish Language Courses for International Students
You will find a suitable course from our vast course selection. Finnish courses are intended for students whose native language is not Finnish. By clicking on the course name, you can find more information about the course content.
| CEFR Level | Course | ECTS | Prerequisites | Period |
| A1 | Self-study Finnish 1 (100 % independent study; hop on course) | 3
| no previous skills | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| A1 | Self-study Finnish 2 (100 % independent study; hop on course) | 3 | Finnish 1 (= Self-study Finnish) OR equivalent skills | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| A1 | Finnish 3 | 3 | Finnish 2 or equivalent skills | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| A1/A2 | Finnish 4 | 3 | Finnish 3 or equivalent skills | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| A1/A2 | Elementary Conversation in Finnish | 3 | Skills at level A1 (e.g. Finnish 1 - 4) | 1, 2, 4, 5 |
| A2 | Finnish 5 - Finnish for Work | 5 | Skills at level A1 (e.g. Finnish 1 - 4) | 1 - 2, 3 - 4 |
| A2 | Finnish 6 - Finnish for Work | 5 | Finnish 5 or equivalent skills | 1 - 2, 3 - 4 |
| A2 | Pre-intermediate Conversation in Finnish | 5 | Skills at level A2 | 3 - 4 |
| B1 | Finnish 7 - Finnish for Work | 5 | Finnish 6 or equivalent skills | 1 - 2, 3 - 4 |
| B1 | Intermediate self-study in Finnish | 2 | Skills at level A2/B1 | 1 - 2, 3 - 4, 5 |
| B1/B2 | Academic Writing in Finnish as a Second Language | 3 | Skills at level B1/B2 | 1 - 2 |
Other Finnish language courses
- Korkeakouluopinnot ja suomi toisena kielenä 1 (5 ECTS), CERF-level B1
- Korkeakouluopinnot ja suomi toisena kielenä 2 (5 ECTS), CERF-level B1/B2
- Korkeakouluopinnot ja suomi toisena kielenä 3 (5 ECTS), CERF-level B2
- Esiintymistaito (5 ECTS), CERF-level B1/B2
Remember also cross-institutional studies: https://elut.lut.fi/en/completing-studies/flexible-studies/cross-study-between-higher-education-institutions
Accreditation of prior learning for Finnish (S2) courses
Matters related to S2 accreditation of prior learning: s2ahot@lab.fi
Please include the following information in your message:
- the name of the course and the course code that your matter concerns
- your name
- your degree program
- your student number
This information will help us process the matter more quickly and smoothly.