Estonia Deploys Language Tool for Preschool Teacher Integration
Narva College of the University of Tartu has released a free, online educational resource based on a doctoral dissertation to equip non-native Estonian-speaking preschool teachers with ready-to-use phrases for ten common classroom situations, a move supported by the country's Ministry of Education and Science.
- —Narva College of the University of Tartu has released new, freely accessible learning materials designed to assist preschool teachers whose native language is not Estonian in their daily interactions with children.
- —The educational resource, developed from a doctoral dissertation completed in October 2025, covers ten common preschool situations and provides ready-to-use Estonian phrases.
- —These materials aim to support teachers in spontaneous communication and aid children in acquiring Estonian as a second language.
- —The initiative was supported by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Science and authored by a team of specialists in language immersion methods.
Recap
This initiative is a targeted application of academic research to solve a practical challenge in Estonia's national language strategy. By equipping non-native speaking educators with specific, situational language tools, the state-supported program directly addresses teacher confidence, a critical factor in early childhood language immersion. The free, digital distribution ensures wide accessibility, making it a scalable method for promoting Estonian proficiency at a foundational level.