Welcome to English Listening Channel.
Hello everyone.
Do you want to travel to Finland?
Okay, then let's go together in this video.
In this video you will experience a wonderful journey through Finland with a slow and easy English story.
You will visit beautiful forests and lakes, relax in a Finnish sauna, ride a reindeer sleigh in Lapland and even see the magical northern lights.
Don't worry if you are a beginner.
I speak slowly and clearly, so please relax and enjoy listening.
Before we start, I have a small question for you.
Please try to find the answer while watching the video.
So here is today's question.
What is the special name of Finland?
The answer is mentioned in the conversation.
If you find it, please write your answer in the comments section.
By writing your answer in English, you can improve your English skills even more.
All right, are you ready?
Let's start the video.
We are finally in Finland.
Yes, I am so excited.
Oh, it is really cold here.
It is much colder than I expected.
My face is freezing.
Look around, Sam.
There are so many trees everywhere.
You're right.
I have never seen so many trees like this before.
Finland is called the land of forests and lakes.
Did you know that?
Really?
That is a beautiful name.
Yes.
About 70% of Finland is covered with forests.
70%?
That is amazing!
And there are about 188,000 lakes in this country.
188,000?
I cannot even imagine that many.
I know.
It sounds unbelievable, right?
I also heard that Finland is the happiest country in the world.
Yes, that is true.
The United Nations has a happiness ranking.
Finland has been number one many times.
Why is that?
Is it because people have a lot of money?
Not really.
People say it is because they can live in a safe and peaceful society.
That makes sense.
Being safe is very important for happiness.
Yes, Finland is a very safe country.
People feel comfortable and relaxed here.
I already feel that.
The air is so clean and fresh.
And people here seem very kind and calm.
I feel very welcome.
I think that is part of why this country is so happy.
People trust each other.
Me too, but it is really cold outside.
Let's warm up in a Finnish sauna first.
This sauna is incredible.
I feel so warm and relaxed now.
Sauna is a very important part of Finnish culture.
I'm in CY.
How popular is sauna in Finland?
Finland has about five and a half million people, and there are more than three million saunas.
Three million saunas?
That is more than one sauna for every two people.
Yes.
Many houses have their own sauna.
Even some offices have saunas.
A sauna in an office?
That is so cool.
And you will not believe this.
Even the Parliament building has a sauna.
That is amazing!
Politicians go to sauna at work?
It seems so.
Finnish people believe that sauna is good for the body and the mind.
How do you use a Finnish sauna?
First, you sit in the hot room.
The temperature is usually between 70 and 100 degrees Celsius.
100 degrees?
That is very hot!
Yes, but you get used to it.
You pour water on the hot stones, and the steam fills the room.
I see.
And then?
After that, some people jump into cold water or go outside in the snow to cool down.
Jump into cold water?
I am not brave enough for that.
That's okay.
Let's go to a café now.
I want some coffee.
Great idea.
I heard that Finnish people drink a lot of coffee.
That's right.
Finland has the highest coffee consumption per person in the world.
This coffee is delicious.
Why do Finnish people drink so much coffee?
Maybe because the winters are long and dark.
Coffee helps people stay warm and awake.
That makes sense.
And coffee brings people together.
Yes.
In Finland, having a coffee break is a very important part of daily life.
How many cups of coffee do Finnish people drink in a day?
Some people drink five or six cups a day, and they drink it black, without milk or sugar.
Five or six cups?
That is a lot of coffee.
I love that.
I want to see more of Finland.
There's so much to explore.
Me too.
Tomorrow, let's go to Lapland and try a reindeer sleigh.
We are in Lapland now.
It is even colder here than in Helsinki.
How cold is it here?
In winter, the temperature can go below minus 20 degrees Celsius.
Minus 20?
That is really, really cold.
Yes, but do not worry.
The houses here are very warm inside.
That is good to know.
Finnish people really know how to stay warm.
Look, Sam.
The reindeer are over there.
They are beautiful.
Their fur is thick and brown.
Reindeer have been very important in Lapland for a long time.
People here use them for many things.
Like what?
For carrying things, for traveling in the snow, and for their warm fur.
I see.
They are like best friends to the people of Lapland.
Yes, exactly.
Are you ready for the sleigh ride?
Absolutely.
Let's go.
This is so wonderful.
The reindeer are pulling us through the snow.
Everything is white.
The trees, the ground, the hills, it is all covered in snow.
It is like being inside a dream.
I agree.
I have never seen anything so beautiful and quiet.
The only sound is the sleigh on the snow.
This is a memory I will never forget.
I agree.
The air is so fresh and cold and the snow is so soft.
I feel so peaceful right now.
Tonight we will sleep in an ice hotel.
Sam, look at this room.
The walls are made of ice.
And the bed too.
Everything is ice.
This is unbelievable.
Even the table and the chairs.
They are all made of ice.
Wait, is it not going to be too cold to sleep here?
Do not worry.
They give us special sleeping bags.
They are very thick and warm.
Oh, that is good.
I was a little worried.
The room temperature is about minus five degrees, but inside the sleeping bag you will feel warm.
That is interesting.
Sleeping in ice but feeling warm.
Look over there.
They have an ice bar.
An ice bar?
What is that?
It is a bar where everything is made of ice.
Even the glasses are ice.
You drink from a glass made of ice?
That is so cool.
Yes, it is very cool in both ways.
This kind of experience is only possible in a country with very cold winters.
That is true, finland's cold weather makes unique experiences like this possible.
I wonder if they build a new ice hotel every year?
Yes, they do.
Every winter, artists come and make new rooms with beautiful ice art.
That is wonderful.
I love it here.
Let's stay awake tonight and wait for the northern lights.
It is very dark and quiet outside.
The sky is full of stars.
Yes.
There are no city lights here, so we can see the stars clearly.
I hope we can see the northern lights tonight.
In Lapland the northern lights can be seen on about 200 nights a year, especially from autumn to spring.
200 nights?
Then we have a good chance.
Yes, we just need to be patient and wait.
Ellie, look!
Something is happening in the sky!
Oh my!
The sky is turning green!
It is so beautiful!
The green light is moving slowly across the sky.
Now I can see some purple and pink too.
It is like a painting in the sky.
I have never seen anything like this in my life.
Me neither.
It is so quiet, and the lights are dancing above us.
I feel like everything has stopped for a moment.
This is one of the most amazing moments of my life.
I am so glad we came to Finland.
Me too.
I will remember this night forever.
Nature can be so beautiful.
No picture can show how amazing this really is.
You are right.
You have to see it with your own eyes.
Tomorrow, let's visit Santa's village in Rovaniemi.
We are here.
This is Santa Claus Village.
I feel like a child again.
This place is so magical.
Did you know that Finland is said to be the official home of Santa Claus?
Yes, I heard about that.
His home is in the north of Finland, right?
That is right.
Rovaniemi is the city where his village is, and you can actually meet Santa here.
We can really meet Santa?
Let's go.
Look, there he is.
He has a big white beard and a red suit.
Hello, Santa.
It is so nice to meet you.
This is a dream come true.
I always wanted to meet Santa.
Let's take a picture with him.
Great idea.
And look, there's a post office here.
A post office in Santa's village?
Yes.
You can send a postcard from here.
It will have a special Santa Claus stamp on it.
That is wonderful.
I will send one to my family.
Me too.
My mother will be so happy when she gets a postcard from Santa's village.
We are like little kids today.
I know, but that is what makes this trip so fun.
I agree.
Sometimes it is good to be a kid again and just enjoy the moment.
Absolutely.
This has been one of my favorite days of the whole trip.
Before we go home, let's talk about what makes Finland so special.
This coffee is so good.
I will miss Finnish coffee when we go home.
Me too.
So let's talk about Finland.
There is one more thing I find very interesting.
What is that?
Education.
I heard that Finland's education system is one of the best in the world.
Yes, that is true.
And the interesting thing is that students do not have much homework.
Really?
Not much homework?
Yes.
And they do not have many tests either.
But their students still do very well.
That is surprising.
How is that possible?
Children in Finland learn in a relaxed way.
Teachers let them play, explore, and enjoy learning.
That sounds like a great way to learn.
Happy children learn better.
Exactly.
And speaking of fun, Finland also has some very funny competitions.
Funny competitions?
Like what?
There is a wife-carrying competition.
A man carries his wife and runs through a course.
Are you serious?
That sounds hilarious.
Yes.
And there is also a mobile phone throwing competition.
A mobile phone throwing competition?
People throw old mobile phones as far as they can.
Yes, the person who throws it the farthest wins.
Finnish people really know how to have fun they do.
Oh, and there is one more thing about finland i want to tell you.
What is it?
In summer, the sun almost never goes down.
In the north, it is called the midnight sun.
The sun does not go down, so it is bright even at midnight.
Yes, exactly.
In the far north, the sun can stay up for weeks in summer.
That is incredible.
I would love to see that.
Can you imagine having sunlight all day and all night?
It must be so strange, but also very beautiful.
People enjoy outdoor activities even late at night.
Now I understand why Finland is called the happiest country.
Do you mean?
They have beautiful nature, a safe society, great education and they know how to enjoy life?
You're right, it's not about having a lot of money, it's about living a good, peaceful life.
Yes, i learned so much on this trip, me too.
Finland is truly a special country The forests, the lakes, the saunas, the northern lights.
Everything was amazing.
And the people.
Everyone was so friendly and warm.
Next time, let's come in summer.
I want to see the midnight sun.
Great idea.
Next time, let's come in summer and enjoy Finland in a whole new way.
How was it?
I hope you enjoyed this slow and easy English travel story about Finland.
Today we visited forests and lakes, experienced a traditional sauna, rode a reindeer sleigh in Lapland, slept in an ice hotel and watched the beautiful northern lights.
Now, let me ask today's question one more time.
What is the special name of Finland?
The answer was mentioned in the video.
Did you catch it?
If you did, please write your answer in the comments section.
On this channel, I share stories in slow and easy English to help you practice listening and feel more confident using English.
I will keep uploading relaxing English travel stories like this, so if you enjoyed it, please subscribe, like and leave a comment.
Alright, that's all for today.
I hope to see you in the next video.
See you next time.
Bye!
