Themes of i4L
Integration, language learning and social design are i4L’s core themes. We view these as interconnected processes that shape how people build their everyday lives in Finland and how organisations welcome and support multilingual communities. A research‑based approach is one of i4L’s key strengths, helping both individuals and organisations succeed in changing and diverse environments.
Language learning
At i4L we develop solutions that support Finnish language learning and linguistic agency for learners in a wide range of life situations. We work directly with learners to ensure that learning content, methods and technologies respond to their everyday needs at work, in studies and in their free time.
Collaboration with companies, educational institutions, service providers and communities makes it possible to support language learning in practical, everyday contexts where language is part of daily activity. i4L offers organisations a place to test and develop linguistically accessible practices, new learning solutions and smoother, multilingual workplace routines.
Targeted services for employers
For companies and employers, we offer the Työkielellä tuloksiin coaching, which provides work communities and supervisors with concrete ways to support the language learning of international employees as part of everyday work. The coaching helps integrate induction, on-the-job instruction and language learning so that employees can begin working smoothly at an early stage and feel more anchored in the workplace.
Another useful service for work communities is the Täsmäkielianalyysi, functional language analysis, which is a task-specific language analysis that identifies the linguistic requirements of particular roles and clarifies what language skills employees actually need to succeed in their work. The analysis highlights critical vocabulary, interaction situations and documentation practices that can be used to build a targeted, effective and work‑integrated language learning path.
We support companies that want to strengthen their talent pipeline and increase the number of international experts in specialist and leadership roles. Our tailored services help organisations build practices that enable international professionals to contribute at their full potential. This includes identifying the organisational conditions that allow employees to progress beyond entry‑level work, improving the clarity of role expectations and communication practices, and supporting managers in leading multilingual expert teams. Together, these approaches help companies make better use of existing expertise, diversify their leadership pathways and improve retention in demanding roles.
Integration
We understand integration broadly as a process in which moving to a new country becomes intertwined with wellbeing, participation, language, communities, work and the everyday structures of society. Integration is not only about an individual adapting but also about the ability of society and employers to receive newcomers and learn with them.
At i4L we develop solutions that support the wellbeing, safety and participation of people with migrant backgrounds, as well as their opportunities to build their lives in Finland. We work together with integration services, companies, communities and researchers to make integration more fluent, timely and genuinely people‑centred.
For employers, i4L provides support in welcoming international employees and in leading multilingual workplaces. When everyday practices, induction and language learning are connected, recruitment becomes more successful and employees are more likely to stay.
Social co‑design and co‑creation
Social co‑design is a research‑based approach developed at i4L. It understands design as part of social relations, power dynamics and broader societal structures. This perspective provides a framework for acting ethically and responsibly in multi‑stakeholder development processes. It is particularly well suited to contexts where people from diverse backgrounds – including those in vulnerable positions – participate in development.
One of i4L’s key areas of expertise is co‑creating across language boundaries. We have developed and tested methods that enable people to participate fully even when they do not share a common language. Visual, embodied and multimodal ways of working make it possible for experiences, insights and ideas to be expressed in multilingual and diverse groups without linguistic proficiency becoming a barrier. This approach supports equal participation and results in solutions that are socially sustainable and genuinely grounded in people’s lived experiences, regardless of the language they speak.