FinnishPod101 Review

The Finnish language is only about 500 years old and closely related to Estonian, as both belong to the Uralic language family. Approximately 5 million people speak Finnish around the world and it holds official language status in Finland and minority status in neighboring Sweden.

If you’re considering learning Finnish—a language classified as Level III difficulty (out of IV) by the DLI—check out our unbiased review of FinnishPod101 by Innovative Language.

Summary: FinnishPod101 Review

FinnishPod101 is an online and app-based language learning program for those who want to learn Finnish. It offers hundreds of hours of Finnish podcast and professional video courses, providing you the flexibility to study when and how it is most convenient for you.

You will find five expertise levels—Absolute Beginner, Beginner, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate, and Advanced—and you have the added option of taking a placement test if you are unsure where to begin. In addition to a free lifetime account, there are three paid subscription levels from which to choose: Basic, Premium, and PremiumPLUS. Some of the features you can find in the different levels include:

PROS of FinnishPod101

Pro #1: Native-Speaking Instructors

Because the instructors are native-Finnish speakers, you get an authentic introduction to the language and its natural sound. Instructors speak slowly to help you follow along. Most of the lessons are comprised of two instructors discussing an issue relevant to today’s society.

Pro #2: Comprehensive Grammar

You have the option of choosing the learning pathway that is structured similarly to the one you’d find in the classroom. This pathway is optimal for those who are seeking fluency since it not only gives you vocabulary and phrases but also takes you through explaining Finnish grammar. You will also find brief cultural explanations or side notes to enhance learning.

Pro #3: Ideal for Beginner/Intermediate Speakers

This program is full of useful resources and learning tools to kick-start a beginner’s journey to speaking Finnish. From the abundance of Finnish podcasts and video lessons to vocabulary slideshows, there is always something for the beginning to the intermediate speakers to study.

CONS of FinnishPod101

Con #1: Lacking for Advanced Speakers

On the other hand, advanced speakers looking for more listening practice will find the content lacking or that they’ve already covered it. Most advanced lessons simply aren’t as useful as the ones leading up to them. For a more immersive lesson culturally and grammatically, you may want to look elsewhere.

Con #2: English is Used Often in Lessons

Though English is used less and less as the lessons advance, it is still probably used too often at earlier levels. We feel this takes away from the student when they could probably understand some of the instructions given in Finnish.

Con #3: Feedback is Lacking

Unless you subscribe to the more expensive levels, you really won’t find any type of feedback as to how you are progressing. The dashboard, discussed in depth later, will inform you of how far you’ve come related to the number of lessons completed, but there is really no clear way to find out if you’re becoming proficient in Finnish.

Features of FinnishPod101

Dashboard

The dashboard is where you can check your progress, change expertise levels, find out the latest news, and access your learning pathways.

Learning Pathways

As mentioned, you can choose the structured learning pathway that will guide you through learning Finnish as you would in a classroom. You can also choose from a variety of other pathways for quick, useful phrases and content such as ‘Finnish for Travel’, ‘Emergencies in Finnish’ or ‘Ordering Food in Finnish’. This gives you the chance to take a break from your standard lessons and pick up new phrases and words on the side.

Learning Tools

You can select difficult words or phrases from your lessons and integrate them into slideshow vocabulary or flashcard tools. You will also find voice-recording tools to help you check your pronunciation against your instructor’s. These tools can make learning a bit less mundane.

Finnish Podcast and Video

Unlike some other language learning programs, the videos and podcasts shared on FinnishPod101 are of high quality. Each lesson features one or two instructors speaking alone or with one another. Some instructors are more engaging than others, entertaining you with witticisms or cultural insights. The banter between instructors often adds a touch of fun to the lessons.

Lesson Transcripts

Lesson transcripts accompany both podcasts and videos and basically summarize what you’ve just learned. You will find the videos have the words flash across the screen as the instructors speak so you can see what you are saying. These detailed lesson notes can be printed for later review.

Who is FinnishPod101 For?

Who is FinnishPod101 NOT For?

FinnishPod101 Alternatives

FinnishPod101 vs. Pimsleur Finnish

The Pimsleur Method promises to teach you conversational Finnish in just 90 days with 30 minutes of study per day based on four principles including core vocabulary, organic learning, optimally spaced repetition, and the principle of anticipation.

You will only find podcasts and few reading or writing exercises, as this method is based on the belief that you learn best the way you learned your native tongue: by listening and repeating. Pimsleur offers a free 7-day trial, two monthly subscription plans, and one all-access annual plan.

FinnishPod101 vs. WordDive

WordDive is created by Finnish language teachers and claims to have you comfortably speaking Finnish in 90 days with 45 minutes of study per day. The courses include vocabulary, sentence structure, grammar lessons and conversational exercises.

WordDive will have you practice writing, reading, speaking and listening. Their system automatically optimizes the exercises necessary for each user to learn best. WordDive uses your working memory to encourage permanent learning; the key to successfully speaking Finnish.

FinnishPod101 Cost

Your free lifetime account grants you access to the first three lessons in each learning pathway, and new lessons are added each week. All subscriptions begin with a free 7-day trial of the Premium plan, which you can opt to keep once the trial is over, or switch to the Basic or PremiumPLUS plan, each offering a variety of different features.

Keep in mind that the longer you subscribe the more you save.

Basic Subscription Plan — $4/Month  $2.80/month (using this link)

• Complete access to video lessons and podcasts
• New content added weekly
• Detailed lesson notes

Premium Subscription Plan — $10/Month  $7/month (using this link)

• HD Video
• Voice-recording tools, flashcards, vocabulary slide shows
• Finnish audio dictionary

PremiumPLUS Subscription Plan — $23/Month  $16/month (using this link)

• One-on-one access to the instructor
• Personalized lesson plans
• Ongoing assessments and feedback

FinnishPod101 Review: Final Thoughts

All things considered, as one of the few online, on-the-go learning programs for learning Finnish, FinnishPod101 may be a great starting point for beginner to intermediate students, but might not be as helpful for more advanced learners. Highly motivated beginner speakers should find this course an adequate jumpstart to speaking Finnish, but more advanced speakers might want to use FinnishPod101 to supplement what they already know.