Proficiency level

Your Finnish proficiency level will be evaluated by the teacher according to this framework:

A1 - Beginner:

• Understands familiar Finnish expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of concrete needs.
• Can introduce him/herself and answer questions about personal details such as the place of residence and belongings.
• Can hold a simple conversation in Finnish if the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

A2 - Elementary:

• Understands frequently used expressions related to areas of immediate relevance like personal and family information.
• Can communicate in routine situations requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar matters.
• Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and immediate needs.

B1 - Intermediate:

• Understands the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in everyday situations.
• Can deal with most situations likely to arise while travelling in an area where Finnish is spoken.
• Can produce simple, connected text on topics that are familiar or of personal interest.
• Can describe events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give explanations for opinions and plans.

B2 - Independent:

• Understands the main ideas of complex Finnish text on both concrete and abstract topics.
• Interaction with native Finnish speakers can happen with fluency and spontaineity and without strain for either party.
• Can produce clear text on a wide variety of subjects and expose a point of view given the various options.

C1 - Advanced:

• Understands a wide range of demanding, longer Finnish texts, and recognizes implicit meaning.
• Can express ideas fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions.
• Can use Finnish flexibly and effectively for social, academic and professional purposes.
• Can produce detailed, well-structured text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organisational patterns and connectors.

C2 - Proficient:

• Easily understands virtually everything heard or read in Finnish.
• Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources and reconstruct arguments in a coherent presentation.
• Expresses him/herself spontaneously, fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in complex situations.