For the Teacher

Pedagogical background

The idea for Suomipassi was born when exchange and master’s students at the University of Turku repeatedly shared their difficulties in using Finnish outside the classroom. The challenge for students is the language bubble: even though they live in Finland, their environment is English-speaking — both in their studies and free time.

I speak Finnish mostly in the Finnish course.

suomipassi course survey 2025

Students often worry that their language skills aren’t good enough.
It’s important to remind them that their Finnish doesn’t need to be perfect in order to speak it. Even with limited language resources, successful communication is possible.

In everyday situations, it can be hard to remember the right phrase — that’s when the app offers a quick and practical solution. Many Finnish learners find spoken language challenging. The phrases in Suomipassi are recorded in spoken Finnish, so users hear the kind of language used in real life and get used to it.

I’m afraid to speak Finnish.

suomipassi course survey 2025

When students try to speak Finnish in everyday situations, it often happens that the language switches to English.
Switching languages to make the interaction easier and faster is kind, but it prevents the development of Finnish-speaking skills and the experience of success. If a learner wants to handle the situation in Finnish, it’s important that they have the opportunity to do so.

People switch to English.

Suomipassi course survey 2025

In the first student feedback, Suomipassi was described as a shield: it helps ensure successful communication.
The app includes a separate Start and End section, which allows the learner to explain the situation:
”I’m studying Finnish and I’d like to speak Finnish with you. Is that okay?”

This strengthens the feeling of a safe interaction and reduces the fear of losing face. When a student has positive experiences, their confidence grows and the threshold to use Finnish becomes lower. Gradually, the sense of belonging to the community and integration also becomes stronger.

Suomipassi works like a shield.

Suomipassi pilot 2017

How Suomipassi can be used in your course?

Suomipassi is best suited for levels A1–A2, for learners who already know a little Finnish (e.g., the equivalent of one or two courses), but haven’t yet gained the confidence to use Finnish more outside the classroom.

Tips for using Suomipassi:

Suomipassi can be recommended as supplementary material and a phrase bank, allowing students to independently listen to and repeat phrases.

Students can independently use the phrases, for example, in cafés and restaurants.
After speaking, they can give themselves a stamp, which will be saved as a badge on the app’s map. This way, the student can see all the places where they’ve spoken Finnish.

Students can also give themselves an emoji — either for practicing or for speaking Finnish.
Both emojis and stamps appear in the app’s learning diary, allowing the student to reflect on their learning.

Suomipassi works best when used in a course where phrases are practiced in the classroom and then applied together outside the classroom.
At the University of Turku’s Centre for Language and Communication Studies, a Suomipassi course is organized every semester.

If you’re considering creating your own course or arranging a visit, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Choosing places to visit

What organizations or companies are located near the campus? What are the everyday service locations relevant to a student’s life? On the Suomipassi course, typical places to visit include libraries, university cafeterias, bookstores, and grocery stores—all within walking distance. 

Making contact

It’s important to contact the places in advance to ensure a pleasant experience for everyone involved. It’s also good to avoid visiting during peak hours, when there may not be enough time for communication. In addition to email or phone calls, it’s recommended to visit the location in person to explain the concept, so that as many employees as possible are informed. This helps avoid awkward situations.

Materials

When making contact, we’ve provided a company brochure that explains the concept in more detail. We’ve also shared a Suomipassi flyer and the Selkokeskus brochure “How to Speak Easy Finnish.” If they wish, the company can also use the “Do We Speak Finnish?” sign, which can be placed in a visible spot to let students know they can safely use Finnish there. If possible, it’s a good idea to create or design pins together with the students, so staff can easily recognize that the person wants to practice Finnish.

You can download materials from here:

Brochure for companiesDownload
Suomipassi advertisementDownload
This is how to speak easy FinnishDownload
Shall we speak Finnish badgeDownload
Reflecting on Visits

After the visits, it’s helpful to reflect together on the experiences. The Suomipassi self-assessment feature supports this: students can give themselves an emoji based on how they felt about speaking Finnish. Together, the group can discuss why the student felt that way in that particular situation.

The map stamps and emojis are saved in the learning diary, which allows students to compare experiences—for example, noticing that one speaking experience was poor while another was positive. Suomipassi also includes a gamified element: students can compete to see who has collected the most stamps and compare maps showing where each person has spoken Finnish.

Lesson Structure and Details

Read more here about the first Suomipassi course pilot at CeLCS in spring 2025.

It’s also worth reading the How to use Suomipassi page, which explains the technical details in more depth, along with images.
If you’d like to use Suomipassi in your course but have questions, feel free to contact us at suomipassi@utu.fi.

We’d also love to hear about your experiences using Suomipassi!