Finns and the English language
People from the Nordic countries are worldwide known for their high proficiency in English. Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and English itself are all Germanic languages. On the other hand, Finnish is not a Germanic language.

Could anyone tell me how hard it is for Finns to learn English?

Question

Finns and the English language
People from the Nordic countries are worldwide known for their high proficiency in English. Norwegian, Swedish, Danish and English itself are all Germanic languages. On the other hand, Finnish is not a Germanic language.

Could anyone tell me how hard it is for Finns to learn English?

Answer

i don't know how hard it is for Finns to learn English, but I can tell you that all the Finns I've ever met (maybe 15 in my life) have spoken excellent English and been very good language learners. I think it's a lot to do with (1)extrinsic motivation and (2)exposure to the language- If you only speak Finnish, (1) your opportunities for travel, study etc are more limited, and (2) a lot of programmes on Finnish TV are in English with Finnish subtitles. The Finns I've met have all spoken at least 3 languages- Finnish, English and either Russian, Norwegian or Swedish

Answers · 2

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