Moving to Finland from abroad – how do you best adapt to a new culture?

You´ve seen all the beautiful pictures of Finland – the winters of with fresh, white snow, the abundance of green forests and the sunshine of summers, the little lakes dotted on the map. You´ve heard stories of Finns being the happiest nation, the tap water actually being tasty, and of course, the berries you can go and pick from the forest – any forest! – in autumn time. Finland sounds like a paradise, and perhaps you are thinking it is a place where you would like to live and work.

You may have also heard that Finnish people like being alone, that they are not big on small talk, and that they can be very direct in how they communicate with others.

All of the above are true or have aspects of truth in them – but, like with any country, there are variations in everything, from the landscape to people’s characteristics. If you yourself are a very sociable person, you may indeed find Finnish people very quiet and reserved at first, but you will soon notice that as in any society, you will certainly be able to find those sociable people, too – and, if you are an extrovert yourself, you might even be able to encourage others to join in!

Moving to a new country is a culture shock, regardless of how well you are prepared. You are suddenly entering a new existence – and most significantly, you are diving into a new language, which you may have spent time learning beforehand, but which you suddenly notice is everywhere around you, and you´re supposed to cope with it! And, more dauntingly, you are supposed to start communicating in that language yourself, and if you feel that you do not understand most of what other people are saying to you, it can be hard on your self-confidence to even start trying!

Language is the very tool that will help you to integrate when you come to live in a new country and culture. Without a shared language, you as a newcomer will, unfortunately, always be an outsider. Luckily, especially with guidance, learning a new language is very possible, and once you start, you will notice that learning will get easier every day – and you will actually start to enjoy using your new skill in your everyday life!

Integration is not one-sided – you do not, by any means, have to pretend to be Finnish! You have your own culture and your own ways of living your life, and people will respect that, and even learn new things from your culture and your ways of living – but by learning Finnish, you will show your new home country that you want to communicate with others around you. Learning Finnish rewards you with better work, new contacts, and better interactions. It will make your life in a new country easier in other ways, too. For you, learning the Finnish language when moving to or already living in Finland allows you to feel that you are part of the community, both at work and at home

If you are studying in the medical field in Finland or abroad or have already started working in Finland but still need more practice with the language, we offer a range of Finnish language courses aimed at beginners, intermediate-level and advanced-level students. The courses offer you a fun, interactive way to learn generic and health and social care related terminology and give you a chance to improve your conversational skills in Finnish, too.

Please click below to find out more about our courses.