Alligator JonesFinnish with Tommi · Alligator Jones
A sauna evening. A favourite song. A conversation you want to join.
I make learning Finnish easier to follow, with clear explanations, stories and practice connected to your life. We take one manageable step at a time.
Teaching since 2018·A1–C1·Everyday life, YKI & work
I have taught over 1,000 students throughout my teaching career, including teaching on Preply.
Find me on Preply
“Missä me olemme?”
Where are we?Find your way to learn
Choose personal lessons, a day of Finnish in nature, or a webinar for your group. Start with a free introduction or tell me what you have in mind.
01 · Personal guidance
40 € / 60 min
Your first 30-minute introductory lesson is free.
Lessons built around your level, pace and goals. Ask questions freely, practise what you need and get feedback that helps you move forward.
02 · A day in nature
Speak Finnish around a campfire, at a forest shelter or at a cabin. A workshop for your group brings language practice and shared activities together.
03 · Online for your group
Bring your audience together around Finnish language, culture or learning. The topic and examples are planned around your questions.
Finnish for your team? Workplace and company teaching can be tailored to your organisation. Ask about company lessons
Online · Book for your audience
Book Tommi for a webinar for your company, educational institution, association or other group. The topic, examples and level are adapted to the people attending.
Suggest a topic of your own. We agree on the presentation language, duration and time for questions when planning the webinar.
In preparation
Suomihetki and the Think Finnish online course are being prepared. Explore the plans below; dates and joining details will be confirmed before launch.
Weekly live membership · Planned
49 € / month · Coming soon
Make room for Finnish every week. An approachable online class with Tommi: a shared topic, clear explanations and exercises you can try together.
At your own pace · Planned
Start with the first course part for free when it launches. Continue with separately purchased parts that bring together book content, clear explanations and practical exercises.
The way I teach
You do not have to understand every ending before you start speaking. I help you notice what matters now, ask questions and use what you know. There is room to make mistakes.
A picture, a story or something you want to say. We give the language a reason to be there.
I break the pattern into small, understandable pieces, with examples you can actually follow.
You try it yourself. We return to familiar words in new situations so they have time to stick.
Begin with what you notice
Metsä. Polku. Sieni.
A forest. A path. A mushroom. You already have three ways into the picture. What could you say about the scene with the Finnish you know?
Try a short illustrated lessonNotice. Wonder. Try.
Step into a sauna story, build your own sentence and meet a coffee mystery. These glimpses from Think Finnish bring language and Finnish life together. Explore these examples at your own pace.
01 · Language meets Finnish life
Imagine your first invitation to a sauna evening. You want to join in, but the words and customs are unfamiliar. On the course, we practise both — so you can find your own way into the conversation.
A little story about what learning can change.
Before the course
You pause at the door. Everyone seems to know what happens next. You have a few questions…
You want to say something. The words just aren’t there yet.
After the course
The goal: familiar phrases help you ask, listen and feel more at ease. You know how to check the local customs, consider others and take a break when you need one.
We practise what to say, when to ask and how to respond. You don’t need perfect Finnish to join in.
Learn Finnish for moments like thisTry a little Finnish now
Follow Jussi into the sauna, inside and back out. Choose a moment and watch the end of the word change.
One question further
Why do we say saunassa, but torilla? What decides which ending feels right?
Jussi menee saunaan.
Jussi goes into the sauna.
He is going to a place. The ending tells us the direction.
02 · Make it yours
Learn “Minulla on…” as a complete way to say “I have…”. Then try it with something you need.
Minulla on puhelin.
I have a phone.
Start with something you can point to.
Now make it about you. What do you have? And how would you say you don’t have time?
03 · A mystery for the course
Juon kahvia.
Juon kahvin.
Same drink. Same verb. A different ending. What changes in the meaning — and when would you use each sentence?
Keep your guess. We’ll unravel this on the course through a story, familiar situations and your own examples.
Find a course or lessonTurn a question into something you can say. Choose personal guidance, explore Suomihetki or plan focused YKI preparation.
Finnish YKI preparation courses
You know what you want to say. Can you find the words when the clock is running? Prepare with Tommi through private lessons or a group course, with timed practice and feedback on what to improve next.
YKI assesses four language skills. We build your preparation around your current level, target test and the areas where you need support.
Find words for an opinion, a request or an unexpected situation.
Pick out the important details in conversations and announcements.
Make sense of messages, notices and longer texts.
Write a clear message, explain a problem and give reasons.
Try it · An original practice task
You will miss a meeting. Leave your colleague a voice message in Finnish:
Try saying your answer aloud. Where do the words come easily — and where do you pause?
Tell me your current level, target test date and biggest challenge. Ask about the next YKI group or personal coaching, with course times and fees agreed before booking.
Ask about a YKI course Official YKI test information · Finnish National Agency for EducationMy book · Think Finnish
My Think Finnish book brings language, stories and Finnish culture together. You meet words in a scene, use them yourself and find them again as the story continues.
Illustrations from Think Finnish. The book’s characters, historical scenes and people are shown as artistic interpretations.
Your taste belongs in the conversation
Pidän…
A quiet composition, a rock concert or a song you keep returning to? Meet Sibelius, Juice and HIM, then find the words for your own taste. Finnish music is not always sung in Finnish — but we can talk about it in Finnish.
rauhallinen — calm
voimakas — powerful
surullinen — sad
iloinen — cheerful
Which word fits your favourite music? Try saying it aloud.
Six glimpses into the book
View larger ↗Chapter 1An ordinary walk, familiar places and a few useful words. What would you notice along the way? Meet Jussi and find Finnish in an everyday moment.
View larger ↗Chapter 2Who lives here? What changes around them? Follow ordinary people through Finland’s past and discover the words in their daily lives.
View larger ↗Chapter 3How does a story travel from one person to another? Meet singers, smiths and journeys through a world where words have power.
View larger ↗Chapter 4What is a vihta? What happens before the first löyly? Explore the language, people and traditions around a Finnish sauna evening.
View larger ↗Chapter 5Who makes the decisions? What do we do together? A visit to Finland’s past becomes a reason to ask questions, share an opinion and suggest: Mennään kahville!
View larger ↗Chapter 6From Sibelius to Juice and HIM. What moves you? Explore music, learning and finding your own way — and talk about the things that matter to you.
View larger ↗Chapter 7From the archipelago to the forest trail. Notice your surroundings, describe a place and find words for what you see.
View larger ↗Chapter 8What makes a good day for you? Talk about the seasons, things you enjoy and the changes you notice in everyday life.
Think Finnish · Independent study
Think Finnish is new learning material built on years of teaching experience. I am bringing together the questions, observations and examples gathered through my teaching, and shaping them into illustrated stories, clear explanations and exercises. The aim is to help you understand how Finnish works and use it yourself.
Begin now with Hiljainen Jussi: six free lessons with English support and exercises with feedback. No account needed. Later paid parts are in preparation.
Free opening part available · Paid parts in preparation
First course part
Learn your first words, verb forms and four sentence patterns with Jussi. Work at your own pace, in about 75 minutes. There is no automatic paid continuation.
Start the six free lessonsText and exercises are available now. Model recordings will be added later.
Later course parts · One-time purchases
First paid part · Planned price: €29, paid once
Paid lessons and their course materials will be available in the student area to people who have purchased that part.
Each part’s level, contents, price and access period will be published before it goes on sale.
What makes Think Finnish different
The value is in how the material is put together: what comes first, which examples make an idea clearer and how you move from understanding it to using it.
Years of teaching have shown me where learners need another example or a smaller step. Those observations guide what I explain, how I explain it and when it appears in the course.
I am adapting the material into a course for independent study: a clear explanation, examples and a chance to try it yourself. You focus on one new idea at a time and return to it in later exercises.
Illustrated stories connect Finnish with everyday life, nature and culture. Familiar words return in new situations, so you can see how a pattern works and begin using it in sentences of your own.
Your student area · In preparation
My learning brings your course parts together. Sign-in and course purchases will open when everything is ready. Here is how access is intended to work.
Visit My learningSign in to keep the course parts you buy together in your own learning area.
Review the content, price and access period, then pay through Stripe’s checkout. Buying a course part will not start a subscription.
After payment is confirmed, the purchased part will open in your student area. Return with the same account for the stated access period.
Suomihetki is a separate planned live membership at €49/month. Private lessons and YKI preparation are arranged separately. They are not included automatically with a course part.
Read about SuomihetkiYour life belongs in the lesson
Your starting point and goals shape what we practise. Here are examples of possible lesson goals.
Everyday confidence
We can practise a short exchange, change the order and add one follow-up question. A manageable conversation to try outside the lesson.
Saisinko keiton, kiitos?
Could I have the soup, please?YKI preparation
We can build a clear response from an opinion, a reason and an example. Then practise saying it aloud and improve the parts that need support.
Minun mielestäni… koska…
In my opinion… because…Finnish at work
We can work with your real tasks: asking for clarification, explaining a problem or writing a clear message to a colleague.
Voisitko tarkentaa?
Could you clarify?First introduction · 30 min · Free
Book your first free 30-minute introductory lesson in the calendar. We get to know each other, explore your level and goals, and plan how to make Finnish work for you. After the introduction, one-to-one lessons cost €40 for 60 minutes.
The calendar below reserves a 30-minute introduction, not a paid 60-minute lesson. No payment is needed for your first introduction, and it does not commit you to further lessons. Arrange paid lesson times and booking/cancellation terms with Tommi before paying.
Already agreed your lesson?
One 60-minute lesson: €40 total. Pay only after Tommi has confirmed your time and booking/cancellation terms. Enter the booking reference from your confirmation on Stripe.
Pay confirmed lesson — €40Your first 30-minute introduction is free. This payment is for a separate private lesson; it does not reserve a time, start a subscription or unlock the online course.
Free introductory lesson · 30 min
Please answer these two questions in the booking notes. An approximate answer is enough, and you can write in English or Finnish.
One free introduction per person. Please add the meeting to your calendar. If your plans change, cancel or reschedule through your booking confirmation, or email Tommi as soon as possible.
If you miss the meeting without notice, contact Tommi before booking another free introduction. A new time is agreed individually, with flexibility for sudden illness or technical problems. There is no cancellation or no-show charge for the free introduction.
Booking information