Russian gives me more trouble, for sure, as I've only studied it for two years and I'm in a group where most people have studied it for much longer, so I feel my language skills are far behind theirs and I have to work really hard to keep up with the rest of the class Finnish is pronounced exactly as it's written, so just imagine the letters are IPA-symbols R is not soft like in English, but a "real" R, and J is like "Y" is in the beginning of a word in English (like in "yellow"). So "Tarja" is pronounced [tarja] You can listen to the pronunciation through this Wikipedia link about the president of Finland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media:Fi-Tarja_Halonen.ogg
That's true, languages must be used to make them better. Fortunately I never ceased using English And which one gives you more trouble, Swedish or Russian? Another question please, how do you say Tarja? Is it something like TAHR-yah or more like TAHR-ee-ə, or perhaps TAR instead of TAHR? (I'm trying to get its closest correct sound through English phonetics. Surely a mistake ).
I also started studying Russian at university on my first year, when I took a 25 credit intensive course on it (11 hours a week for the whole year). Last year I continued my Russian studies by taking two courses (4 hours a week for the whole year and countless of more hours fighting with my homework). I'm continuing my Russian studies till I've finished the basic courses of Russian translation. I have to work pretty hard with it, but in Finland there aren't enough people who know Russian, so I guess it will be an asset in working life if I can learn it properly. I wish you luck if you'll decide to start studying a new language. It's hard work, but it's also rewarding. You just need a nice enough teacher to get started properly and then you have to use the language or you'll forget it. (I really should read more books in Swedish before I'll forget the language altogether...)
I know Swedish, as every Finn does (or at least should), as it's the second official language of Finland and everyone has to study it at school for at least three years (you can't avoid it for long, you have to start on 7th grade at the latest) and if you continue studying after comprehensive school, as almost everyone does, there's more Swedish to study. There's one compulsory course at university too, and I haven't had possibility of taking that yet, so I'll have to do it after a two-year break in my Swedish studies...
Yup, we can't really know what the future will be like, and a change for a change can turn into interesting changes, I hope So you speak any other tongues other than Finnish and English? I'm planning to start learning French and maybe German some day, but I'd go with French first (the language of love could get me a wife ). Besides, I may become a mariner or flier one day, and I'd need more words
I guess a change may be nice for a change Anyway, nowadays people rarely stick with just one job for their whole life. I'm planning to be a translator once I graduate, but I think I might continue working in libraries every once in a while too, just because it's fun and that way my life wouldn't get too boring But at this point it's too early to say what is really going to happen...
Oh, it's okay! We cannot be too objective about the good features of our home country. I mean, if your country has something that works really well, then it's somewhat a reason to be proud, I guess As for me, I work with computers at the same University where I studied (I have a small job, not very well paid, but the place and people are nice). At times I do maintenance, other times I develop programs (not a big system yet) and currently I'm teaching an old lady who recently bought herself a notebook and knows almost nothing about computers And there was a time when I used to teach yoga to people with health issues, but it's been quite a long time since that Next year I plan to begin a career as a linguist/English teacher. Something completely apart from what I've been doing so far (I'm rather bored with it )
Sorry if that wasn't objective enough But I really do think that our system is pretty good, even though there's always room for improvement (for example the teacher's are sometimes overworked, having too many students on their responsibility, which means that they cannot give everyone enough attention). How about you, by the way, what do you do for living?
I like the Finnish educational system very much It's versatile (I studied 18 different subjects in upper secondary school), it has been proved to be effective (just look at the PISA results) and most of all, it's free, which means that all Finns have equal chances to get a good education and a good job. Comprehensive school is completely free (meals, books and even bus tickets are paid for those who have a longer way to school), in upper secondary school one has to pay for the books (food is still free) and at university there's the student's union fee which is about 80 euros per year, which is basically nothing. And most of the books one can get from the library, which is free too
Thank you for feeding my curiosity This "orientating period" sounds really interesting to insert oneself in working life. I heard that the Finnish educational system is the best in Europe, while some others say it's the best in the world. What do you think? (objectively please, after all you are a Finn )
