International study tour to analyse the teaching of the state language in Estonia

The Research Group on Bilingualism in Education led by Professor Ildikó Vančo, PhD. from the Institute of Hungarian Linguistics and Literary Studies, Faculty of Central European Studies, Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra, participated in the international research project of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences "Characteristics of State Language Teaching in the Baltic Countries" in Estonia from 6 to 11 May 2024.

The aim of the study tour was research on minority state language education in Estonia. On 8 May, the group met with experts in the field at the seminar Characteristics and Conclusions of State Language Education in the Baltic Countries, which was organised in cooperation with the University of Tartu, Faculty of Narva College. The participants’ presentations contributed to a better understanding of the Estonian education system. At the workshop, Ildikó Vančo from our research group gave a presentation on Second and foreign language acquisition among university students, and Larissa Degel from Narva Municipality gave a presentation on state language education in Estonia and in Narva schools and its problems. Other speakers were Pavel Naidjonov, a teacher from the Old Town Primary School in Narva, outlining Estonian language teaching in primary school, Dr. Szilárd Tóth from the Faculty of Education in Narva, presenting the development of the Estonian education system in the last decade in a broader context.

Afterwards, members of the research team visited Narva Primary School, where the school headmistress Alyona Kondortsuk first explained the purpose and functioning of the school and then they had the opportunity to observe 4 lessons. The school provides education in the Estonian language while almost 100% of the pupils are Russian-speaking.

On 10 May, our research team travelled to Tallinn, where we consulted with experts on the subject, including Siiri Erm-Nairismägi, a staff member of the Hungarian Cultural Institute in Estonia, and Urmas Bereczky, a staff member of the Hungarian Embassy and former director of the Hungarian Institute in Tallinn.

The group's stay in Estonia was also supported by the Liszt Institute Hungarian Cultural Centre in Tallinn, which provided accommodation and transport.

Our study trip contributed significantly to a better understanding of the situation and education of the Russian minority in Estonia, allowing for a multifaceted analysis of minority identity patterns. In this way, we were able to effectively confront knowledge from the literature with experiences from the field.

Text: prof. Ildikó Vančo, PhD.
Photo: Dr. habil. Dr. István Kozmács, PhD.