Although Helsinki is predominantly a Finnish-speaking city, there are also plenty of Swedish-language services, education and training opportunities, leisure activities and job opportunities available here. Alejandro Arce Justiniano explains how the Swedish language helped him find his place in his new home country.
The language helps you adapt to a new country
People who have moved to Helsinki from abroad can access integration services to help them get started in their new home country. Integration services provide language training and information on what it is like to live and work in Finland. When you learn the local language, you will find it easier to make friends and access services.
When you become a client of integration services, you are asked to choose either Finnish or Swedish as your language of integration. Your choice will affect things such as the language in which you are provided with training and the language in which services are offered to you. Because of this, it is worth taking your time to consider your choice of language right from the start.
Alejandro, who moved to Finland from Bolivia, chose to integrate in Swedish.
“I began to feel at home in Finland when I learned Swedish and was able to use it in everyday life. The language helped me meet new people and build networks,” he says.
Language skills make it easier to find a job
Knowledge of Swedish is also useful in working life. Alejandro currently works at Helsinki Coffee Roastery.
“When I was looking for work, my knowledge of Swedish came in handy. In my work, I use Swedish and Spanish as well as English,” he says.
Alejandro emphasises that knowledge of Finnish is also an asset in the Helsinki region. The best solution is, in fact, to learn both languages gradually.
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Practise Swedish in your spare time too
Language learning is not something that only happens in a classroom. In Helsinki, you can also use Swedish in leisure activities.
In his spare time, Alejandro runs a course on restoring old windows at Arbis, the Helsinki Swedish Adult Education Centre.
“We speak Swedish on the course. Doing so is also a great way to meet new people and experience what it is like to be part of a community,” he says.