From this autumn until the end of next year, the Integration Foundation will be offering citizens of third countries 500 free places on Estonian language courses at B1 level. You can register for the course as and when you need to.
The courses are open to third-country citizens or stateless persons who are at least 18 years of age, lawfully reside in Estonia or are in the process of obtaining the right to do so and have mastered Estonian at A2 level.
“129 citizens of third countries started learning Estonian this autumn and we can offer courses to 180 more people in December,” said Jana Tondi, Head of Language Studies at the Integration Foundation. “The language studies will continue next year and we’ll offer a total of 500 student places to third-country citizens. The courses help learners develop their spoken and written Estonian skills at B1 level and learn more about the culture of Estonia.”
The first courses started in September, the next ones in December, and in the new year, courses will start in February. You can see the exact schedule HERE.
Third-country citizens can register for the courses by attending a free consultation at one of the Integration Foundation’s Estonian Language Centres (in Tallinn or Narva). To make an appointment, call the free hotline 800 9999 or e-mail info@integratsiooniinfo.ee. You can register for the course also by contacting the organizer (info@keeleprojekt.ee or koolitused@alguskeskus.ee).
In Tallinn and Narva, the courses will be carried out in classrooms. There will also be online courses, where residents of other regions can participate. There will be up to 13 people in a group and learning will start when enough learners have registered.
Each course will last for 200 academic hours. Studies will take place entirely in Estonian and comprise ordinary lessons, homework tasks, independent learning and excursions showcasing Estonian culture (including visiting museums or cinemas, attending plays or concerts, exploring different parts of the country and going hiking). Volunteers who are native speakers of Estonian will be helping to run all activities so as to offer language learners more opportunities to practise their Estonian through actual communication.
As a result of a public procurement, teachers from Algus OÜ, Elem Invest OÜ and Kiri-Mari Kirjastus OÜ are running courses within the framework of the AMIF2020-8 project ‘Estonian language studies for third-country citizens in Estonia’.
The courses will be co-financed by the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund via Estonian Ministry of Culture and by the Estonian Ministry of the Interior.
