Heeyoung Han
Korean
A native Korean speaker, Heeyoung has lived in Helsinki since 2005 and worked in the logistics industry for 9 years. “My Finnish nickname is ‘Hiisku’. My former co-worker gave me the name because it’s easy to pronounce and sounds familiar to Finns,” Heeyoung laughs. Heeyoung holds a Bachelor of Philosophy degree from Hongik University in Seoul, majoring in French language and literature. She also holds a professional degree in business interpreting from the Tampere Adult Education Center. Heeyoung has taught multilingual children and young people of Korean background living in Finland at the Korean Language School and has volunteered as a principal and teacher for 10 years. “I want to help my students find enthusiasm for the Korean language and culture. The institute’s beginner course studies the Korean Hangeul alphabet, syllable construction and pronunciation. There are also advanced courses available for those who have studied for longer. The courses introduce them to tourist destinations, food and, of course, the entertainment culture that is super popular around the world.” 핑구 공해해!
Niina Kerppola
English language
In addition to planning and teaching her own English lessons, Niina's work includes providing study advice on foreign languages at the college, planning courses, coordinating teaching materials and acting as a direct supervisor for the tutors. We asked Niina why it is worth continuing to study languages as an adult. "Maintaining language skills requires relatively regular interaction with the language by speaking, listening, reading and writing, and taking part in a language course is also a great way to motivate yourself to do this. Adult study of foreign languages gives content and joy to life and creates a sense of community and social interaction," Niina replied.
Sirpa Kärkkäinen
Italian language, fine arts
Sirpa teaches both visual arts and Italian from beginners to advanced. The unique combination of subjects is explained by Sirpa’s study of visual arts in Italy, after which she completed her studies at Aalto University and the University of Helsinki. Her path to media led her through work as a cartoonist and illustrator. Today, Sirpa’s passions are environmental art and animation, where all these skills are needed. “Teaching a language brings a nice counterbalance to teaching visual arts and creative projects,” says Sirpa. “I also always find new perspectives for my work in Italy; it’s a country full of history and cultural treasures. Welcome to the courses!”
Aino Partonen
Japanese language, crafts
Aino, who holds a Master of Education degree, has taught crafts and Japanese in adult education and now also in comprehensive schools. In her work as a teacher, Aino feels that she gets to serve and feel connected to other people. According to her, when teaching, she also learns herself. Aino wants to be an encouraging teacher and emphasizes that every learner is different. Each person has their own learning path to follow, and the teacher can offer options along the way. “Come to my course if you want to expand your world and experience something new every lesson. Learning is inspiring and makes life worth living!”, Aino urges.
Tea Pelkonen
Italian and Latin languages
Tea, a Master of Philosophy, has been guiding adults towards Latin and Italian for about ten years. Tea currently teaches Latin mainly online, so that students can learn from as wide an area as possible. In her courses, she creates good conditions for studying the language in an open and accepting atmosphere. Tea believes that using original sources in teaching inspires and broadens horizons. “Finding connections between ancient languages and cultures and the present day is downright mind-blowing!” Tea says. “I’m currently thinking about a quote from a Roman historian that adorns the wall of the Ateneum Art Museum: Concordia res parvae crescent. “With common understanding, small things grow.”