Evenemang med LAIF | LAIFin tapahtumia | LAIF happenings
See what we've been up to
Here are highlights from each month—check out our social media
outlets for the full scope of the LAIF team’s activities!
July 2026
Kayleigh Karinen visits NOR Research Group
at the University of the Basque Country
LAIF Communications Specialist and Project Researcher Kayleigh Karinen visited the NOR Research Group at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) as part of an Erasmus+ staff mobility period.
The collaboration also enabled visits to Soziolinguistika Klusterra and the Etxepare Basque Institute, creating opportunities to exchange perspectives on language research, multilingualism,
minority-language revitalization, and public engagement.
During her time in Donostia, Andoain, and Bilbo, Kayleigh met with researchers and language professionals. The visit laid the groundwork for continued international collaboration and the exchange of research-based approaches to language awareness and linguistic diversity.
June 2026
LAIF contribution to public debate
on language and academia
Elizabeth Peterson, Katariina Pyykkö, and Johanna Komppa published a new article in Acatiimi titled Kyllä, kyllä ja kyllä: suomea, englantia JA finglishiä.
Written in response to an earlier article, the piece highlights how language ideologies affect everyone—including researchers and the wider academic community. The authors argue that multilingualism should be viewed as a resource and that people’s language skills should be recognized and valued at every level.
The article continued LAIF’s work of bringing research-based perspectives on language attitudes, inclusion, and multilingualism into wider public and professional discussion.
May 2026
LAIF welcomes students from across
Europe for Erasmus+ BIP course
LAIF’s Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme, Language Awareness and Ideologies in Europe, brought 25 students representing more than ten nationalities to the University of Jyväskylä for five intensive days following three online sessions.
Through lectures, workshops, discussions, and small-scale research projects, students explored how language awareness and ideologies shape education, workplaces, societies, and everyday life. The course also created opportunities for participants to learn from one another’s diverse linguistic, cultural, and academic perspectives.
The course received an overall rating of 4.7/5, with participants describing it as thought-provoking, inclusive, academically challenging, and well organized.
March 2026
Katariina Pyykkö featured in Yle
article on learning Finnish
LAIF doctoral researcher Katariina Pyykkö was interviewed by journalist Eve Mantu for a Yle article exploring a familiar question: What is the most difficult word in Finnish?
The discussion challenged the idea that individual sounds, words, or grammatical structures are the greatest obstacles for Finnish learners. Instead, the opportunities learners have to use Finnish in everyday life, and the attitudes they encounter, play a crucial role in language learning.
The article brought LAIF research into a wider public discussion and encouraged readers to consider how everyone can help create more opportunities for people to use and learn Finnish.
February 2026
LAIF Project launches a new guest blog series
LAIF launched a new guest blog series to bring a wider range of perspectives into discussions about language in Finland.
The first post, written by Inka Härkönen, was published in February. The series will continue in March with a guest contribution from Jisun Lee.
Through the series, LAIF aims to create space for diverse voices, experiences, and viewpoints while expanding public discussion of language, belonging, and inclusion in Finnish society.
January 2026
LAIF awarded Erasmus+ funding for an
international Blended Intensive course
The LAIF project received Erasmus+ funding to organize Language Awareness and Ideologies in Europe, an international Blended Intensive Program lead by Elizabeth Peterson and coordinated by Kayleigh Karinen with lectures from all the LAIF team members as well as invited guest lecturers.
The five-credit, master’s-level course will bring together students from six European partner universities. It will combine online sessions in March and April with a one-week intensive program at the University of Jyväskylä on May 18-22, 2026.
As part of LAIF’s academic and social outreach, the course will give students the opportunity to learn from international experts and explore how language attitudes and ideologies shape individuals and societies across Europe.
December 2025
Erja Kilpeläinen awarded Kone Foundation funding for her doctoral dissertation research
Erja will begin working on her dissertation full-time in 2026!
Her work examines the kinds of language ideologies produced by teachers who use Finnish as a second or foreign language, and how these ideologies are reflected in their teaching practices and their engagement with language policy. This qualitative, sociolinguistic research offers new insights into teachers with immigrant backgrounds and provides perspectives on how basic education can be developed to better support multilingualism and language awareness.
Congratulations, Erja, and sincere thanks to the Kone Foundation for making this research possible.
November 2025
LAIF Teams goes to AFinLa, new publications,
and an opinion piece in Helsingin Sanomat
November has been a month filled with sharing knowledge and learning at conferences, meeting together, and the publishing of two new articles! Finally, we also published an opinion piece in Helsingin Sanomat, see a sneak peek on the right.
The month kicked off with AFinLA Symposium, where team members Erja Kilpeläinen, Katariina Pyykkö, and Marika Hall presented their work, and Elizabeth Peterson held a keynote speech. After that, the team was fortunate to meet and work together before our member Marika returned to the United States.
Our articles are in Kieliverkosto’s (Finnish network for language education policies) November edition of the Kieli, koulutus ja yhteiskuntaa (Language, Education, and Society). Erja Kilpeläinen contributed to the editor’s column “Kieli erottaa, yhdistää, ottaa mukaan ja jättää ulkopuolelle” (Language separates, connects, includes, and excludes), and the rest of the team collaborated on an article titled “English and Finnish as languages of participation: what it means for different people” available in Finnish and English.
October 2025
Kayleigh Karinen attends Hanaholmen Tandem Leadership program in Stockholm
Kayleigh Karinen was selected as one of 10 Finnish representatives to the prestigious Hanaholmen Tandem Leadership program. The program is composed of two in-person modules, one in Helsinki and one in Stockholm. The group of young leaders got to hear from Pekka Haavisto (Finnish politician) and Pekka Lundmark (previous Nokia CEO) and in Sweden, Cecilia Skingsley (Governor of Stockholm) and CEO + Founder Saliou Sall Conteh to name a few.
Hanaholmen, established in 1975 by the Finnish government, is often dubbed “the meeting place between Sweden and Finland.” Emerging from an important moment in Nordic history when Sweden forgave a major portion of Finland’s war debt, Hanaholmen has since become much more than a cultural center. It has been instrumental in strengthening Finland’s Western ties in complex times, and continues to serve as a hub for Swedish-Finnish collaboration, welcoming leaders, artists, CEOs, and scholars, while fostering key governmental and cultural exchanges.
September 2025
Marika Hall & Elizabeth Peterson present research at isLE8 Conference
Marika Hall and Elizabeth Peterson met in beautiful Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to attend the International Society for the Linguistics of English (isLE 8). This year’s conference marked the 17th anniversary of the organization.
The two presented and received excited and helpful feedback on our current research into Finland’s language ideologies through a case study of reactions about the multilingual repertoire of Finland’s First Lady, Suzanne Innes-Stubb.
August 2025
LAIF members attend & present at Miten Suomi Puhuu (MISU) seminar in Helsinki
In August, LAIF members took part in the 25th anniversary meeting of the Miten Suomi puhuu (MISU) research network at the University of Helsinki. The event celebrated the history of Finland's first sociolinguistics network with reflections from its Founders and original members, while also showcasing current research and methodological developments. LAIF researchers Katariina Pyykkö, Marika Hall, and Elizabeth Peterson presented work in progress and received valuable feedback on upcoming articles. Special thanks go to Katariina, who co-organized the event. The next MISU meeting will be held in Tampere in 2026.
July 2025
KAIDE Media, Kone Foundation &
LAIF Collaboration goes live
In May, two of our members, Elizabeth Peterson and Katariina Pyykkö, were invited to Lauttasaari to film short reels with KAIDE Media as part of Kone Foundation’s broader social media strategy, which aligns with LAIF’s mission to share language-based insights. The videos, posted on TikTok and Instagram, have already reached a combined audience of over 300,000 views.
June 2025
Erja Kilpeläinen joins the LAIF Team
Erja Kilpeläinen, MA, is a Project Researcher at the University of Jyväskylä. She is starting her PhD on language ideologies and immigrant teachers. Her main research interests are Finnish as a second language, multilingualism, language education policies, and social justice in education. She has been coordinating the Finnish Network for Language Education Policies (Kieliverkosto) for 8 years in the Centre for Applied Language Studies at the University of Jyväskylä.
May 2025
LAIF Researchers bringing scientific knowledge to the public
LAIF Research Team Members Katariina Pyykkö and Elizabeth Peterson visited the Kone Foundation's headquarters at the Punainen huvila in Lauttasaari this month. Surrounded by beautiful gardens with a calm, cottage-like atmosphere, it made the perfect setting to bring language research to life.
One of the key goals of our project is public-facing scientific outreach, and this collaboration with Kaide made possible by the Kone Foundation, is central to that mission.
Our time together included filming short-form clips for
social media, which was a new and exciting challenge.
A big thank you to Aarni Hildén and Matti Kaira from
Kaide for making it a great experience.
The videos aim to bust myths about Finnish and English and make language research more visible and accessible.
April 2025
Results emerging from sustained communications efforts
The LAIF project has reached over 10 blogs,
several of which are published bilingually,
obtained over 225 LinkedIn followers,
and 100 followers on Instagram. We are also
exploring guest contributions in order to include
diverse linguistic and cultural perspectives
from across Finland.
We also have exciting collaborations coming in the summer and next fall to expand the reach of the project.
March 2025
The LAIF course at
the University of Helsinki
The course “English in Finland: Language Attitudes and Ideologies”, taught by the LAIF Project Members Katariina Pyykkö,
Marika Hall, and Laura Hekanaho has flown by and
is already comingto an end next month!
Throughout the course, students have discussed and challenged their own notions about language through the analysis of language attitudes, ideologies, and policy where we have placed the English language in Finland at the center of our discussions. Our students have actively engaged in insightful conversations.
The course will culminate in group presentations, where
students will present their findings from interviews they
conducted on the course. The LAIF team is looking forward
to seeing the results of their hard work!
February 2025
Entire LAIF team together in Helsinki
In February, the whole LAIF Project team came together for work sessions in the heart of Helsinki. We set up in the Sofia spaces, a spot downtown that we have access to thanks to the Kone Foundation grant. During these sessions, the team reviewed the progress of the project, strategized future publications, identified relevant conferences to share our findings, and had discussions about enhancing our scientific communication to
effectively reach the public.
January 2025 - SwiSca Conference
LAIF kicked off the year at the SwiSca9 conference held
at the University of Helsinki hosted by LAIF members Elizabeth Peterson and Katariina Pyykkö. It was
a lovely group of about 30 individuals.
The conference gathered diverse participants from Scandinavia and beyond, exploring swearing practices through multiple disciplines including linguistics, psychology, physical therapy, and translation studies.
Info on SwiSca:
The Swearing in Scandinavia (SwiSca) network brings together scholars from Scandinavia and beyond, including Europe, the UK, and the US, to conduct multidisciplinary research on swearing. Originating with a few Scandinavian members, it now includes representatives from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. SwiSca aims to position the Nordics as a hub for innovative swearing studies, promoting collaboration through regular symposia and expanding its international reach.
December2024
Data Collection Phase Complete!
Data collection for a survey on the use of English in Finland concluded on December 9. With a total of 1,134 respondents, Laura Hekanaho is now analyzing the results. A blog post detailing preliminary findings was published in late February. Visit the blog to read about Laura's insights gathered from the survey!
November Conferences
In November, Katariina Pyykkö shared valuable insights on work life and language in Finland through two major academic events. At Työelämän Tutkimuspäivät (Working Life Research Days) in Tampere, she explored the experiences of academically trained migrant employees, addressing challenges and opportunities in the evolving Finnish workplace.
Shortly after, at the AFinLA Fall Symposium in Turku, Katariina presented her talk, "Kieli avaimena muuttuvaan työelämään" (Language as a Key to Changing Working Life), highlighting the role of language in professional integration and development. These presentations underline her dedication to dialogue on inclusivity, language, and the future of work in Finland.
October 2024
Roundtable discussion
”It was a very insightful and rewarding discussion.
The panelists come from different backgrounds and have
different audiences in mind, but somehow their answers
converged into comprehensive and tangible recommendations.
We got a lot of positive feedback! They did a great job,”
stated Elizabeth Peterson, reflecting on the success of the event.
Elizabeth Peterson chaired the discussion, and panelists were Kingsley Ugwuanyi, Eeva Sippola, Patricia Carvalho Ribeiro Ribeiro, Friederike Luepke, and Carsten Levisen. The event was held by AfriStadi and CoCoLaC at the University of Helsinki.
October 2024
International seminar
Set against the backdrop of the autumn-colored campus, the seminar led to fruitful discussions. "There were amazing networking opportunities, particularly the informal discussions between sessions and during lunch. These moments were exceptionally valuable—thank you to everyone I had the chance to chat with!" said Pyykkö. The event contributed valuable insights to Pyykkö’s ongoing PhD and provided fresh perspectives on professionally relevant topics. Special thanks to the event organizers and the University of Jyväskylä.
