University of Helsinki
At the University of Helsinki’s Language Centre you can study a variety of languages!
The Language Centre offers a wide variety of courses at different levels in 15 languages. You can read more information on course offerings at the Language Centre website. Please note that the English courses are intended for degree students only. Regretfully, exchange students do not have a permission to participate in the English language courses.
If you are interested in learning languages independently you can visit the self-access facilities in the Aleksandria Learning Centre. There you can study from over 40 languages with the help of self-access staff and language tutors; you choose your own materials, schedule and study pace. You can start learning a new language from scratch, brush up on your existing language skills or supplement previous studies.
Language Centre also offers ALICE (Academic Language and Intercultural Exchange) courses. The basic idea of these tandem language courses is to provide two language learners who speak different native languages (Finnish/Swedish – Finnish/Spanish/Italian/French/Swedish/German/Russian) an opportunity to learn about each other’s language and culture in an interactive way. As well as learning each other’s language, the participants gain insight into another culture including its customs and everyday life. Read more about ALICE here.
In addition to language courses, Language Centre also organises different language activities that bring Finnish and international students together. These activities are a good way to learn languages and meet new people; Language Clubs and Language Buddy are informal activities and partly planned by the participants. Language Clubs offer an opportunity to talk in relaxed surroundings with others who have studied the same language or are its native speakers.
The Language Centre Course Assistant Programme is for all UH international students who are native speakers of certain languages. The idea of the programme is to invite international students to assist in Language Centre teaching in their native language. It’s a great opportunity to meet Finnish students and a fun way to earn credits. Find out more about this option on the UH intranet Flamma (requires a UH username) after your arrival.
Welcome to Language Centre & see you at the Welcome Fair!
Photo: Nina Dammert / Language Centre