What if the best way to learn Finnish isn’t in a classroom — but at lunch with an 85-year-old stranger?

Meet Erik Åkesson, a Swedish dad of four, former global head of FX trading, and now a Finnish speaker thanks to one of the most original language learning methods I’ve ever heard. He didn’t qualify for integration courses. So what did he do? He offered to buy lunch for anyone willing to speak Finnish with him — and ended up having over 100 lunches with strangers.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why Duolingo didn’t work

• The power of non-reversible promises

• Finnish vs Swedish education systems

• The dark side of “easy English in Finland”

• Why the government should fund immigrant-lonely elderly lunches

And why, if you're serious about learning Finnish, this method might be your new secret weapon.

🎙️ Welcome to How I Learned Finnish – with Ohe
Helping immigrants thrive (not just survive) by mastering one of the world’s toughest languages.

👉Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share if this inspired you or made you think differently about language learning.

00:00 Introduction and Initial Struggles

00:51 Meet Erik Åkesson

01:38 Life Journey and Career Moves

03:11 Challenges in Learning Finnish

05:22 Innovative Methods to Learn Finnish

06:55 The Power of Social Interaction

11:45 Reflections on Language Learning

13:36 The Role of Older Generations

15:37 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

31:11 Challenges of Learning Finnish

31:25 Passive and Active Learning Strategies

33:11 Balancing Multiple Languages

34:18 Making Irreplaceable Promises

36:43 Diversity and Integration in Finland

45:59 Difficulties of Learning Finnish

56:07 Commitment and Social Integration

58:18 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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