Listen once
No pausing. Afterwards, jot the topic or one thing that happened—in English or Finnish.
One clip, three passes
Open Yle’s latest Selkouutiset. Choose just one short item. The current page pairs simplified Finnish audio with text. Keep the transcript out of view until after your first listen.
Listen again
Catch a few words you recognize. Ask: who did what? Let unknown words pass by.
Use the text
Read the story, then replay it. Notice whether the main snag was an unknown word, a familiar word hard to hear, or the speed/flow.
No pass or fail. The CEFR’s A2 listening description is a broad guide, not a placement verdict: it describes understanding clear, slow speech about immediate everyday needs. We are simply finding your own current foothold.
Your feedback loop
Send me these three things when you’re done:
- The story’s gist (a rough guess is fine).
- One or two Finnish words/phrases you caught by ear.
- Where you got lost, and your best guess: word, sound, or flow?
I’ll use that to calibrate your next listening step. You can do the whole exercise in Finnish, English, or a mix.
Where this course is heading
Now: calibrate→hear word boundaries→infer from context→grow into longer audio
A flexible route, not a schedule. The Finnish *Harry Potter* audiobook is a motivating milestone, not homework due by a date.
Keep the method
Save the three-pass listening reference for future clips. This routine gives you evidence about what you can hear before text fills in the gaps.