My students often tell me that despite all of their Finnish studies, they do not speak Finnish as much as they could or should in their everyday life.
There are many reasons for not speaking Finnish or easily switching to English.
Speaking a language you are learning is much more tiring than speaking a language you have a good command of. You are struggling for words, trying to build a coherent sentence while also trying to understand what the other person is saying. After a stressful day at work, you might not always have the right mood for this.
Speaking a language that your counterpart speaks more fluently can make you feel insecure and incompetent, and as adults we like to feel like we are in control of the situation. I believe this is one reason why it is often easier for kids to learn to speak a language because they are used to being in the learner role.
And then there are us Finns: When you finally gather up your courage to speak Finnish, the other person switches to English before you know it. Although this really is Finns being polite, you may take this as a sign that maybe you were too slow or not clear enough. It certainly does not encourage you to speak Finnish the next time.
All in all, practising to speak Finnish in an authentic everyday situation exposes you to your own insecurities and imperfections. It is often taxing and does take you out of your comfort zone.
Having said that, it is also a highly efficient way to improve your speaking skills. When you step outside your comfort zone, that’s when language development takes place. And, in order to reach fluency, you must muddle through the earlier stages first. There is no shortcut. And the sooner you start, the sooner you will get there.
Start today! Start with the easy things: Go and order a coffee in Finnish (“Yksi kahvi, kiitos!”). Do the classic “En tarvii kuittia” in the supermarket. Once these come automatically, move on to practise more complicated situations.
And to the polite Finn trying to switch the language, simply say:
“Haluan oppia suomea. Sopiiko, jos ei vaihdeta englantiin?”
If you want practise vocabulary and phrases that you need in these everyday situations, I would be happy to help you with that! Contact me for a free consultation here.