Celebrate worldwide Estonian Learning Week and Culture Days 2020 with VEMU (the Museum of Estonians

VINCENT TEETSOV

If you ever wanted an impetus to start learning Estonian or to take your linguistic abilities to the next level, then this would be a great occasion to do so. Starting on September 21st and finishing on the 27th, language learners and teachers across the world will unite for Worldwide Estonian Learning Week.

If you’re able to make your way to Tartu College in the evenings, you can add a visual component to your learning by viewing VEMU’s Estonian language-themed exhibit in the windows of the G floor. This exhibit happens to coincide with Culture Days, a month-long (from September 25th to October 25th) recognition of arts and culture taking place across Canada’s provinces.

The official Eesti keele nädal website (keelest.ee) has shared a number of online resources to energize the inevitable memorization and practice that goes into the learning process: including YouTube vlogs and a directory of relevant language schools where one can take classes. One resource mentioned on the website is Speakly, a platform that prioritizes conversation and frequently occuring vocabulary to get you speaking actively. There is an additional live chat service, too, whereby users can speak over Skype with a tutor. Two other resources promoted by Worldwide Estonian Learning Week include Keelklikk and Keeletee, which provide exercises where you can write to a teacher in Estonia, among other features.

Learning a language doesn’t have to be a solitary experience – there are many other people out there in the same position as you! The official Eesti keele nädal website shows a map indicating countries around the world where site visitors can indicate where they are learning or teaching Estonian, or simply where they are on the planet as a speaker of Estonian. If you’re taking part, you can add yourself to the map, to join the movement and see where other fellow Estonian language enthusiasts are.

For confident Estonian speakers, why not lend a hand to someone at a beginner or intermediate level? A phone call or video call could really help contextualize the aforementioned study materials into real-life situations. You can even print out and use the exuberant and charming language cards illustrated by artist Marko Mäetamm.

Furthermore, on September 26th, VEMU is planning an Estonian language quiz for those who would like to test their knowledge. The quiz also coincides with the 19th edition of the European Day of Languages – on the same day, you’ll be able to take a free 25 minute Estonian lesson online (along with several other European languages). For further details on all of this, be sure to like and subscribe to VEMU on Facebook (www.facebook.com/vemu.ca) and YouTube (www.youtube.com/channel/UCT0mLjjfm8yceOr13rlsiw).

For every instance you might have heard that you need to be a child to learn a language, there are linguists to refute that claim. Polyglot and author Benny Lewis has argued that adults learn more effectively than children do. So don’t be intimidated! All of these educational activities happening at the end of September are more than a coincidence; they’re a reminder to never stop learning, even if you’re not in school any longer.

Language card illustration by Marko Mäetamm.