The care sector is growing more diverse culturally, linguistically, and in terms of both employees and clients. As a nationwide care provider, Esperi continually tests and develops new ways to improve the quality of care and respond to change. One such experiment was taking part in the pilot of the AliceAI Learning® learning app during spring 2026.
Esperi Care
Esperi provides high-quality, wide-ranging housing services for older people, for clients of disability services and for people in mental health rehabilitation across Finland. Esperi's mission is to offer a safe home and to help residents live a happy life on their own terms. Esperi aims to anticipate the needs of the care sector and of society and to develop its work so that it can offer its residents the ingredients of a good life in the future too. Esperi's goal is to have the happiest residents, the most respected managers and the best colleagues in Finland.
Esperi develops its staff's skills in many ways
Around 10% of Esperi's employees are foreign nationals, matching the share of the population in Finland who speak a language other than Finnish or Swedish. A growing number of clients, too, speak neither Finnish nor Swedish as their first language. Esperi verifies that every employee meets the language requirements set by law, and it uses a range of ways to support employees in developing their Finnish from there. According to Emmi Sundvall, Esperi's HRD Manager, there is a real need for support with everyday Finnish, because language skills affect how smoothly the day runs. A language learning app is an interesting way to complement the means already in place for strengthening language skills.
A language learning solution that fits in your pocket
The pilot ran from January to March 2026. The AliceAI Learning app was used mainly by practical nursing students and qualified professionals. Participation was voluntary, and after an introductory session, employees could choose to start using the app if they were interested. Sundvall notes a difference compared with traditional language teaching:
“These days it is natural for an app like this to be on your phone and for learning to happen independently, whenever it suits you best. That brings language learning closer to everyday life than formal classroom teaching does.”
Well suited to care work
According to Sundvall, AliceAI Learning is particularly well suited to care work and settings where more support is needed in using Finnish in practice, such as talking with residents, speaking on the phone and using everyday Finnish. “I believe there is demand for the app in care work,” she says. She also sees potential for using AliceAI Learning in educational institutions, for example in the early stages of studies. “This is a modern, up-to-date way to learn a language,” Sundvall says.
From pilot to next steps
The pilot showed that language learning can be brought into everyday life and into the practical situations of care work. International employees want the practical phrases the job requires, more chances to practice Finnish during working hours, and support for learning the language. They also value encouragement to use Finnish boldly in everyday work situations.
