Winter Course in Estonian Language

Across the globe, millions of people can speak English, but only one million speak Estonian. The language is part of the Finno-Ugric group, related to Finnish and Hungarian. Tallinn University’s winter course in Estonian Language and Culture offers an opportunity to study an unusual and entrancing language, all against the backdrop of a well-preserved medieval city. The course aims to familiarize a wide range of international students with the Estonian language and the country’s rich culture, history, art and lifestyle.

Students will be divided into groups based on their initial proficiency in the Estonian language. The number of groups depends on the number of participants; usually, there are three groups. Please note that participants in one group might have slightly different levels. More advanced students can ask for additional tasks.

The courses will then foster skills at the following levels:

Beginner – students will develop basic Estonian communication skills and master day-to-day conversation. The course programme includes pronunciation practice, listening comprehension and easy communication.

Intermediate students will further develop their speaking, listening, reading, writing, and grammar skills. They should be familiar with basic Estonian structures. The course programme includes activities in various everyday life situations.

The languages of instruction are Estonian and English and course materials are distributed during the course.

Why this course?

• You can be one of the few people capable of speaking a very unique language, spoken natively by only about 1.1 million people.
• The course has a long history, as the first Estonian language summer school took place at the beginning of the 1990s.
• You will be able to find out if the Estonian language is one of the hardest languages to learn or if it’s just a myth.