published in Postimees, 25 January 2023

Throughout my career as a Finnish and Estonian teacher, I noticed an interesting trend: somehow, Estonian learners are more successful and progress faster in language acquisition than their Finnish counterparts. My students, typically newcomers in both countries, are equally motivated and diligent, but the ones in Estonia are not only more successful, but seem to be having more fun in the process. The key doesn’t lie in the language – it lies in the people.

Let me get this out of the way: Finnish is not a “harder” language than Estonian. If you study Finnish and Estonian in your own country – like I did -, Estonian may even be more challenging to master than Finnish. Finnish has fairly clear grammatical rules, consistent orthography and few exceptions – none of which are true to Estonian. However, language is mainly not acquired by memorizing rules. It’s learned by speaking.

Interestingly, it is surprisingly hard to speak Finnish with Finns as a non-native. Though the state does provide free language courses for immigrants, students often complain to their teachers about the same thing: although they try speaking with the locals, as soon as they realize their partner is a non-native, the Finns immediately switch to English and even refuse to go back to Finnish. Of course they do so with good intentions, but they do not realize how devastating this is to learners, who get discouraged to try again.

In a recent article in Kielikello, a Finnish teacher recalls: “When I was teaching Finnish language and culture at the university, an exchange student came to me with tears in his eyes during the last days of the exchange year in the spring. He was disappointed because he had not been allowed to speak Finnish during the exchange year – Finnish speakers had always changed their language to English. The more I heard these stories, the more I began to understand that Finnish learners cannot always try harder and be stricter [to speak Finnish], but that the change should take place in the attitudes of Finnish-speaking interlocutors.” What’s wrong with the Finns? Why don’t they speak Finnish?

Of course, everybody speaks English. But most people speak English in Estonia, too, and Estonians are way less allergic to foreigners trying their luck in Estonian. This cannot be the only reason why Finns refuse to speak Finnish with learners.

Nowadays people my generation and younger (I’m 32) tend to really value tolerance. Not burdening the poor immigrant with the native language might seem like an act of tolerance as well – but it is a mistake. If the person in front of you musters the courage to speak your language with you, he usually does it very intentionally. Honoring their choice shows much more respect than stripping away their chance to feel a little success.

Estonians are somehow much better at this. They may be more used to imperfect Estonian, or more conscious about the impact of language, but they – especially the older generation – are much more patient with my waiting out hesitations and forgiving imperfect grammar than Finns. They are also generous with compliments, which is crucial in the sensitive process of language acquisition. Therefore, despite all the crazy grammar of the Estonian language, both me and my students progress faster and have a more pleasant learning experience than those in Finland, as we feel encouraged by the local community.

Something that also influences the motivation and efficiency of language acquisition is visibility – how much people see the local language when they venture out on the streets. Estonia has a language law that obligates all shops and companies to use Estonian when advertising their services in public spaces. Such a thing does not exist in Finland. Therefore, especially in the Helsinki area, it is not uncommon to see only English signs on the streets or in cafés, bars and restaurants. Maybe unintentionally, but it conveys the message that Finnish is not needed there.

Online, Finnish is a frequent visitor on arbitrary top 10 lists of alleged “hardest languages to learn” on pages such as Very Finnish Problems. I can’t help but wonder if this is how Finns see themselves being represented globally, they may indeed believe their language is an extremely difficult creation of the universe (which is not true), therefore it’s downright rude to force it on non-native speakers. Estonian, for better or worse, does not have such an online reputation: though Estonians are aware that their language is “hard”, rarely do they think it is impossible to learn.

Does language matter? Yes. It matters an awful lot. It is widely documented that language is a key factor in foreigners’ integration. In a recent study that examines political socialization and civic engagement of immigrants in Estonia, the results show a clear picture: those who have a better command of Estonian are more interested and up to date with Estonian politics, adapt their political attitudes, make Estonian friends, integrate in the local communities and engage in civic activities. In short, language makes them citizens.

Of course, some will never want to learn the local language. I can only speak for those who do. Learning a language is an awkward experience: you lose your eloquence, your style, your vocabulary to sound like a toddler, be clumsy and make embarrassing mistakes, and the struggle feels endless. You need a good reason to take on all of this ordeal, and the natives’ reaction to such attempts can make or break one’s spirit. Encouragement goes a very long way.

• What can I get for you?
• Kaks õlut, palun.
• Anything else?
• Ei, aga palun räägime eesti keeles.
• But I do speak English!

The bartender in this conversation was around 20 years of age. Such attitudes in Estonia are not uncommon either, especially with younger people and in urban areas. Simultaneously, rural and older Finns are much less likely to act like this. Don’t get me wrong: speaking English is great. Speaking any foreign language is great. But your native language is not a flaw that you should hide. It is a powerful vessel to transfer social codes, culture, tradition and way of thinking, therefore an essential tool for those who choose this country to live in. Helping them benefits everyone.