language

So I have started my Finnish lessons.  I have been graced with many opinions about Finnish as a language prior to my lessons and am finding that some of what I've heard is true.  Some of it is not. 

I was told by many people that it is the most difficult language to learn; I doubt that.  It is indeed very difficult, but at least the characters are the same as English, unlike, say, Chinese.  So I'm guessing it could be worse.  I was told by a friend that Finnish had a lot of unnessary vowels in it,which makes it difficult to pronounce.  I disagree.  I think it has an equal number of unnecessary connsonents in it as well. Either way, it is difficult for me to pronounce, but I'm working on it.

One truth I heard is that words are pronounced phoenetically, and that every letter is pronounced.  You would think that this would make it easy to figure out how to pronounce words, but not so.  There  are words that go on for miles.  Heck, even the numbers can be long when stating them.  Take "327" it is kolmesatakaksikymmentaseitseman (I think, and by the way there are umlats over two of the vowels but my keyboard doesn't have them).  Anyway, I am working on being able to pronounce these words in one shot.  Right now I can only say these words in pieces...I greatly admire my tutor who can rattle off the longest words smoothly and who, by the way, is very patient.  So far I can count to ten... and beyond ten with a little help very slowly.  It is not coming naturally.

Now a few words about vowels.  They have eight of them, some with umlats, others without.  The umlats are killing me!  I can't seem to get my mouth to form the correct pronunciation.  Sure, if my tutor says a word I can repeat it successfully, but ask me to read a word on my own, and forget it.  I think I am over-thinking it...so does my tutor... she says to relax.  Perhaps a glass of wine or two would help (ha ha).  I joke, but as with learning any new language there are many ways to embarrass oneself.

As I said, every letter is pronounced, even when there are two of the same next to each other.  God forbid you forget to pronounce every letter clearly, or in other cases, overpronounce a single letter.  Why, if you did that you could find yourself happy to kill someone instead of being happy to meet them!

So that is my take on the language so far.  I don't expect to become fluent, but if I can just learn to pronounce what I see, then I will be happy.  I figure the vocabulary will come in time.  I'm learning the basics right now (of course), and hope to "get it" some day..I'm waiting for that moment when it just "clicks" for me and I am comfortable trying to speak.  At any rate, I'm trying....and that is the important thing.  Until later.  Hei hei!