Language levels and registration
There are five modules, and each of them is for a different language level. Module I is meant for beginners who have never learned Estonian before. If you have learned Estonian before but are unsure which level to choose, don't worry. There will be a short test and interview for modules II–V on the first day to ensure everyone is in a group best suited to their needs.
The materials used in the summer school programme are all compiled by our language teachers. The coursebooks are a collection of well-chosen materials that never leave grammar alone and always pair it with practical exercises to cover all four skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking.
The objectives and content for each course are defined and selected in accordance with CEFR. Each module is worth 4,5 ECTS and corresponds to 56 academic hours of language lessons.
Click on the course title below to see the general topics and grammar covered at each level.
Teacher: Linda Palts
Vocabulary and conversation topics:
- Hello! Let's get acquainted
- I am a student
- My favourites
- In the shop and in the café
- My day
- My family
Grammar:
- Pronouns, verb conjugation in present tense
- Grammatical cases (Nominative, Genitive, Partitive)
- Semantic cases (Local cases etc)
- Constructions: Who has...? Who likes ...?
Upon completing the course, the students will be able to:
- understand and use some Estonian cases, conjugate Estonian verbs in the present, use the imperative and use adjectives and cardinal numbers;
- talk and write about themselves, their family, daily activities and food and drinks and what they like and dislike;
- understand and create elementary-level oral and written texts;
- use simple words, expressions and sentences that can be encountered in frequently occurring situations in a café, shop and market.
Teacher: Piret Toomet
Vocabulary and conversation topics:
- Let’s get acquainted
- Time, daily routine
- Activities, what are you doing today, what did you do yesterday, what did you do last year
- What do you like to do, what you can do, what do you have to do
- Where are you, where are you going - different places and spaces
- Let’s describe people and things: adjectives and opposites, appearance and clothes
Grammar:
- Revision of interrogatives, personal pronouns, verbs, numbers
- Adjectives, opposites, nominative plural case
- Comparison of adjectives
- Present tense and simple past tense, ma- and da-infinitive
- Locative cases. Postpositions
Upon completing the course, the student:
- is able to conjugate Estonian verbs in the present tense and simple past tense;
- knows how to form and use locatives;
- knows how to form comparative and superlative forms of adjectives;
- is able to speak about themselves and their friends; describe different people, talk about plans and daily routine; tell what happened in the past;
- has received information about Estonia, Estonian nature, culture, people and traditions.
Teacher: Gerli Lokk
Vocabulary and conversation topics:
- me and Estonia
- my hobbies and free time
- education and professions
- travelling
Grammar:
- revision of past simple
- present perfect
- ma- and da-infinitive
- mine-sufix
- verbs that express movement käima
- constructions õppima kelleks?, saama kelleks?, töötama kellena?
- cases in plural
- revision of locative cases
- reading dates
- comparison of adjectives and adverbs
- conditional mood.
Upon completing the course, the students will be able to:
- speak fluently about his /her personal connection with Estonia and Estonian;
- understand and use Past Simple and Present Perfect in oral communication and written texts;
- speak and write about him / her hobbies and interests;
- speak and write about his / her studies, education, profession(s) and plans for future career;
- write his / her CV;
- understand and use Estonian cases in singular and knows the principles of forming plural cases;
- compare adjectives and most common adverbs;
- use locative cases correctly;
- speak about travelling;
- communicate in easier situations connected with travelling;
- use conditional mood;
- read dates.
Teacher: Monika Urb and Sälly Salusoo
Topics:
- Estonia and Estonians
- Home
- Health and eating habits
- Clothes, appearances, character
Grammar:
- declination system
- -ma and -da infinitive
- local cases, postpositions
- numerals
- conditional mood
- imperative mood
- comparative and superlative
- partitive plural
- total and partial object
Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:
- speak about Estonian symbols, people, places, nature and traditions;
- put together a travel plan and find information on the the internet;
- explain/justifie their points of view;
- hold a conversation on various everyday topics (e.g. healthy living, home, travelling, appearances etc);
- use Estonian grammatical cases, ma- and da-infinitives, postpositions, numerals, the conditional and imperative, as well as the comparative and superlative within the learned structures and vocabulary.
Teacher: Sille Midt
Topics:
- Economic and social well-being
- Health and lifespan
- Fiction and journalism
- School and education
Grammar:
- declension of numbers
- total and partial object
- des-form
- translative case
- transitive and intransitive verbs
- syntax
- case government (verb + adposition)
- mas-, mast-, mata-forms
- linking words and phrases
Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:
- explain and justify their position on current topics in Estonia;
- use text connectors for structuring speech, and to actively participate in discussions;
- create coherent argumentative text passages;
- analyze argumentative texts based on its structure, style and vocabulary.
