004 Why Duolingo Failed, Paying for 100 Lunches and Trying To Become a Refugee (Erik Åkesson)

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 workThe power of non-reversible promisesFinnish vs Swedish education systemsThe dark side of “easy English in Finland”Why the government should fund immigrant-lonely elderly lunchesAnd why, if you're serious about learning Finnish, this method might be your new secret weapon.🎙️ Welcome to How I Learned Finnish – with OheHelping 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 Struggles00:51 Meet Erik Åkesson01:38 Life Journey and Career Moves03:11 Challenges in Learning Finnish05:22 Innovative Methods to Learn Finnish06:55 The Power of Social Interaction11:45 Reflections on Language Learning13:36 The Role of Older Generations15:37 Final Thoughts and Recommendations31:11 Challenges of Learning Finnish31:25 Passive and Active Learning Strategies33:11 Balancing Multiple Languages34:18 Making Irreplaceable Promises36:43 Diversity and Integration in Finland45:59 Difficulties of Learning Finnish56:07 Commitment and Social Integration58:18 Conclusion and Final ThoughtsFinnish language, learning Finnish, how to learn Finnish, Finnish fluency, language learning tips, integration in Finland, immigrant experience Finland, Duolingo, language immersion, lunch with locals, language hacks, adult language learning, suomen kieli, suomi, Erik Åkesson, podcast Finland, Finnish for immigrants, unconventional language methods, language and identity, retired mentors, language motivation#LearnFinnish #FinnishLanguage #LanguageLearning #ImmigrantsInFinland #HowILearnedFinnish #SuomenKieli #IntegrationInFinland #LanguageFluency #DuolingoFail #LanguageMotivation #LunchToFluency #FinlandLife #RetiredMentors #ImmigrantStories #Suomi