Tietoa sivustosta

Kiuas Joutsen

Researchers (and polyglots) have been saying for decades that exposure to the language is the best way to learn it (especially reading and listening in the beginning). When I studied English (I am not a native English speaker either) — I watched TV shows, read the lyrics of songs I liked, and in a few months I could somewhat converse in English (with help from some people who refused to speak any other language to me). And only after that I read some grammar books to understand the details.

I have been studying Finnish for 4 years now, and while I passed the YKI test 2 years ago, like many other learners, I still struggle with using the language in my daily life. For the most part I can speak, but I have a hard time understanding other people (Finns speak fast). I took some courses first, since my Finnish was at absolute zero, but I guess I did not expose myself enough to the language. So, recently, while looking for another personal project involving AI, I thought "Why not use it to expose myself to the Finnish language?"

Kiuas Joutsen is a small website that provides some texts and audio clips to practice your reading and listening skills in Finnish. You can do it while sitting at home, commuting to work, or enjoying your sauna time.

The name of the website does not have any special meaning — it is just two words in Finnish: Kiuas (sauna stove/heater) and Joutsen (swan, the national bird of Finland).

Well, there is also a Finnish heavy metal band named Kiuas that I like. They have a show in Helsinki on the 21st of August 2026. You can get your tickets here.

The content you see on the website is created with the help of AI. Here's the process:

  1. Analysis of the most common words in the Finnish language.
  2. Analysis of what words and grammar concepts are studied at each A1, A2, B1, and B2 level (levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Finland).
  3. Flashcard generation to study the vocabulary (words).
  4. Text creation per level (available here) to practice reading.
  5. Audio creation for the texts — to practice listening skills.

The following tools and resources were used:

The website was created as a personal project for my own use, but if it helps anyone else, I'd be happy to hear that. For questions, corrections, or requests for new materials, feel free to send me an email to [email protected].

If you find this website useful, you can copy or use the materials freely for any non-harmful purpose you like, but I would appreciate it if you mentioned the website and let me know that you are using it via email to [email protected].

Disclaimer

This is a personal, non-commercial project for Finnish reading and listening practice and can be used as a supplement to traditional language study. It is not an official language course and has no affiliation with any educational institution or certification body. The content is provided as-is. It may contain errors or inaccuracies and should not be relied upon as the sole learning resource.