Looking for the best Finnish textbooks?
See, some people like learning with courses.
Others want language apps. And some people like learning with textbooks.
And Finnish textbooks are a simple way to learn Finnish. Why?
Books guide you from page 0, to page 1, to page 3… to page 100. From your first words to your first conversation. You learn tons of words and grammar rules along the way.
So, in this guide, you get… the 9+ best Finnish Textbooks and phrasebooks.
Note: Be careful about getting books on Kindle. The formatting may differ from the print version.
1. Complete Finnish Beginner to Intermediate Course: Learn to read, write, speak and understand a new language
This Finnish textbook promises to take you to the Intermediate level.
Definitely a strong contender on my list of best Finnish textbooks.
- Pages: 448
- by Teach Yourself
- Strength: grammar & comprehensive
There are 18 chapters in total. And as with most solid textbooks, you get it all here: grammar explanations, dialogues, vocabulary, exercises, cultural insights, and it even includes an answer key for the exercises. And of course, you do get audio/CD along with the textbook.
2. Colloquial Finnish: The Complete Course for Beginners
This is another solid textbook for learning Finnish, and just a tad lighter than the first – over 360 pages.
- By Colloquial
- Pages: 368
So, if you want a comprehensive approach to Finnish — speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, exercises, and more — this is a valuable resource. Yes, it also comes with audio.
- Conclusion: Good overall textbook.
The only downside? You’re hit with grammar rules right away. So those of you that want a gentler introduction, perhaps you could go with the first book above.
3. From start to Finnish: A short course in Finnish
This one is the friendliest approach to learning Finnish.
- By Finn Lectura
- Pages: 212
Also, much lighter than the prior two books.
While you do learn grammar, words, sentences, it’s much more easier to absorb. The lessons/chapters are quick and simple to get through.
- Conclusion: “light” textbook.
From Start to Finnish can be a good book for anyone who serious just yet but wants to start learning a bit. Or, for a beginner who already has an intensive textbook but wants some lighter material to learn with as well.
4. Finnish: An Essential Grammar (Routledge Essential Grammars)
Want to speak Finnish and express yourself fluently? Then, you’ll need grammar.
And there’s where this Finnish learning book comes in.
- Pages: 280
- By Routledge
Not a book for absolute beginners, but once you’ve picked up the basics from any of the textbooks here, you’d also want to get this.
- Conclusion: Good book for grammar.
5. Finnish Tutor: Grammar and Vocabulary Workbook (Learn Finnish with Teach Yourself)
Why is a “workbook” on my list of best Finnish textbooks?
- Pages: 262
- By Teach Yourself
Well, it’s one thing to just “read” things and passively take them in. It’s another thing to practice and do exercises. Reading puts information into your head temporarily. Exercises make the information STICK like gum under the table.
Here you get 200 grammar and vocabulary exercises to help you master Finnish. And yes, there’s an answer key too, so no worries.
- Conclusion: Good for vocabulary and grammar. Good for practice and making things stick.
6. LEARN FINNISH LANGUAGE: A SELF -STUDY GUIDE FOR ALL (2020
Not quite a textbook but still good for grammar.
- Pages: 45
- Independently Published
This basic “Finnish learning guide” comes with 17 quick chapters. First you start off with the letters and basic words and phrases. And for the rest (majority) of the book, you’ll start learning grammar rules. This book can serve as a good companion to help you drill Finnish grammar.
7. First Finnish Reader for beginners: bilingual for speakers of English
Know what’s a good way to “build up” your Finnish and learn more words?
By reading stories in Finnish.
Especially stories that include English translations on the very same page. This book has 29 chapter (29 stories). First, you start off with a vocabulary list of all the words you’ll see in the story. Read these first. Then, go onto the story where you’ll see the Finnish on the left and the English on the right.
The only downside is that you should already know enough Finnish and enough grammar rules. So, it’s good for a beginner that’s a few chapters into a textbook, but not so much for a “I know nothing at all” beginner.
8. Berlitz Phrase Book & Dictionary Finnish (Bilingual dictionary)
Berlitz is well known for their language books and dictionaries.
And a dictionary, while not a textbook, will still be very useful to any Finnish learner.
Mostly geared towards travelers, this 224-page book promises to teach you over 3000 words and phrases. It also includes phonetic guides to help you pronounce the words. Good little book to have as reference for words.
9. Finnish Frequency Dictionary for Learners – Practical Vocabulary: Top 10000 Finnish Words
You know what you need to speak lots of Finnish?
Lots of words.
And that’s where this dictionary comes in.
Yes, while not quite a textbook, you’ll still want a reference resource like this to look up words when learning with a textbook or any other source. Just don’t get the kindle version. Reference books (and generally all educational books) aren’t convenient on the Kindle.
These are some of the best Finnish textbooks and books I’ve found so far.
But, if you want something a little more than a “book,” then I recommend FinnishPod101.
FinnishPod101 is a Finnish learning program. You get audio/video lessons made by real teachers. The lessons get you speaking in minutes and are just 3-15 minutes in length. Just press the play button below to check out a lesson.
So, if you want to HEAR real Finnish and learn faster with a program, I recommend them.
Click here to get a Free Lifetime Account at FinnishPod101.com.
– The Main Junkie