Advanced Finnish (S2) · IWG Institute · Courses

Advanced Finnish for International Employees (S2). More fluent and precise Finnish for working life.

IWG Institute's S2 Advanced Course is a practical Finnish language course for international employees who already use Finnish at work and in everyday life but want to communicate more fluently, precisely, and appropriately to the situation. The course strengthens spoken and written communication, expands workplace vocabulary, and practises more versatile sentence structures. Participants develop their ability to express views, justify opinions, participate in meetings, and adapt their communication to different situations and recipients. The aim is not error-free language use, but more confident and natural communication. Participants are encouraged to actively use Finnish even when the right word or structure does not come to mind immediately. The training can be delivered as company-specific group training or as personal 1:1 coaching online, at the company's own premises, or in a hybrid format.

Taught in Finnish 🇫🇮
International employees Active Finnish users Meetings & customer situations From A2–B1 onward
Professional language training online and onsite across Finland — including Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Vaasa, Kuopio, Lahti and Pori.
45+
Years of experience
4.9/5
Trainer rating
3
Delivery formats
The Challenge

When you manage in Finnish, but your own expertise doesn't come across fully

An employee who already uses Finnish is often able to handle their ordinary work tasks and understand the main content of communication. In more demanding situations, however, language skills can limit participation. In a fast-moving meeting, taking the floor, justifying one's own view, or explaining a complex matter can feel difficult.

The challenge is not necessarily that the participant doesn't know Finnish. They may know the necessary words and structures, but using them quickly enough, precisely, and in a way appropriate to the situation still requires practice. Colloquial expressions, tonal nuances, and the communication styles of Finnish working life can also cause uncertainty.

In the S2 Advanced Course, existing language skills are strengthened. The course practises real working-life situations such as meetings, emails, customer encounters, problem-solving, and presenting one's own view.

At the same time, situational awareness is developed: how does expression change when communicating with a colleague, a customer, a supervisor, or the whole staff? When is colloquial expression natural, and when is more formal standard language needed?

The course practises, among other things:

  • •actively participating in meetings and workplace conversations
  • •expressing one's own view and giving simple justification
  • •clarifying matters, explaining, and summarizing
  • •using more versatile sentence structures
  • •expanding workplace vocabulary and task-specific professional terminology
  • •writing clear emails, messages, and other work texts
  • •communicating in customer service and problem-solving situations
  • •understanding common colloquial expressions, phrases, and figures of speech
  • •recognizing nuances of word choice, politeness, and tone
  • •using formal and informal language according to the situation
  • •communicating even when the right word or structure is not immediately remembered

Teaching is based on participants' starting level and real working-life communication situations. Content, vocabulary, and exercises are adapted to the organisation's industry and participants' job duties. The course is typically suitable from roughly the A2–B1 level onward, but the starting level is always assessed on a per-participant basis.

Who is the training suitable for?

International employees who already actively use Finnish

Employees who use Finnish regularly at work or in everyday life
Participants who have completed the S2 Intermediate Course or acquired equivalent skills
International professionals who want to participate more actively in meetings and the work community's conversations
Employees who need Finnish in customer service or in cooperation with various stakeholders
Professionals who want to develop their written workplace communication
Employees who understand Finnish fairly well but need more confidence in speaking

The training is suitable for participants who are already able to understand and produce clear basic messages in Finnish. They can discuss familiar topics and manage ordinary work and everyday situations, but want to develop the fluency, accuracy, and versatility of their expression.

Participants are not required to have error-free grammar or fully fluent speech. What matters most is a sufficient basic skill level and a willingness to use Finnish more actively. If needed, the starting level can be assessed before the training begins.

See also: Intermediate Finnish for International Employees (S2) — the preceding level, for employees who know the basics and are building toward active use of Finnish at work.→
Benefits of the Training

What do participants get from the training?

More confidence and naturalness in using Finnish in working life
Readiness to participate more actively in meetings and longer conversations
The ability to express and justify one's own views more clearly than before
A broader workplace vocabulary and task-specific professional expressions
More versatile sentence structures for spoken and written communication
Better readiness to write clear emails, messages, and other work texts
The ability to recognize tonal nuances in word choice and ways of expression
A better understanding of ordinary colloquial speech, phrases, and expressions used in the work community
Readiness to adapt communication according to the situation, recipient, and goal
The courage to continue communicating even when expression isn't perfect
Implementation

Flexibly, according to your organisation's needs

Company-specific group training

A practical group course in Finnish for employees who already use Finnish in their work. Exercises, vocabulary, and communication situations are adapted to the organisation's industry, job duties, and participants' real needs. The course may use, for example, exercises corresponding to meetings, customer communication, and written workplace materials.

Personal 1:1 coaching

Individual coaching for an employee who wants to develop their Finnish language skills based on their own tasks and goals. The coaching may focus, for example, on spoken expression, participating in meetings, customer communication, written work tasks, or task-specific professional terminology.

Online, at the company's premises, or as hybrid training

The training can be organized online, at the company's own premises, or as a hybrid combining both. The schedule, number of sessions, and implementation method are adapted to participants' work shifts and the organisation's practical needs.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What level of Finnish do participants need before starting?+
The course is typically suitable from roughly the A2–B1 level onward, but the starting level is always assessed on a per-participant basis. In practice, participants should already be able to understand and produce clear basic messages in Finnish, discuss familiar topics, and manage ordinary work and everyday situations. Error-free grammar and fully fluent speech are not required.
What language is the course taught in?+
The course is taught in Finnish. At this level, working entirely in Finnish is part of the training itself: participants practise following and taking part in Finnish-language discussion for the whole session, which is exactly the situation they face in meetings and at work. This is the one course in the S2 series taught this way — the Basic and Intermediate courses are taught in English.
Do participants need to have completed the S2 Intermediate Course first?+
No. Participants who have completed the S2 Intermediate Course move naturally into this one, but equivalent skills acquired elsewhere are just as valid. What matters is the current starting level and a willingness to use Finnish actively. The starting level can be assessed before the training begins.
Does the course cover meetings and taking the floor?+
Yes, and it is one of the main reasons employees take this course. Participants practise actively participating in meetings and workplace conversations, expressing and justifying their own view, and clarifying, explaining and summarizing matters. In a fast-moving meeting, taking the floor is often the hardest step, so it is practised directly rather than assumed.
Does the course address colloquial Finnish and tone?+
Yes. Participants work on understanding common colloquial expressions, phrases and figures of speech, recognizing nuances of word choice, politeness and tone, and using formal and informal language according to the situation. Situational awareness is developed explicitly: how expression changes when speaking with a colleague, a customer, a supervisor, or the whole staff.
Can the content be adapted to our industry and our employees' job duties?+
Yes. Content, vocabulary, and exercises are adapted to the organisation's industry and participants' job duties. The course may use, for example, exercises corresponding to meetings, customer communication, and written workplace materials from your own organisation, including task-specific professional terminology.
What if participants are hesitant to speak?+
That is precisely what the course works on. The aim is not error-free language use, but more confident and natural communication. Participants are encouraged to keep communicating even when the right word or structure does not come to mind immediately — a skill that matters more in real working life than grammatical perfection.
Is training available online or only in person?+
The training can be organized online, at the company's own premises, or as a hybrid combining both. The schedule, number of sessions, and implementation method are adapted to participants' work shifts and the organisation's practical needs. Onsite training is available across Finland, including Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Vaasa, Kuopio, Lahti and Pori.
How do we get a quote for our team?+
Contact Maria Kunz, Director of Studies, directly at +358 (0) 40 5877 142 or via the contact form on this website. She will arrange a brief discovery call to understand your employees' starting levels, the number of participants, and your preferred schedule and format. A tailored proposal is typically delivered within 3–5 working days. There is no obligation, and the initial consultation is free.

Interested in Advanced Finnish for International Employees (S2) training?

Language training is not the goal. Professional impact is.

Get in Touch →

Maria Kunz · Director of Studies · +358 (0) 40 5877 142 · iwginstitute.com