For the first time, Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) will organise language fairs within the framework of the XIV Adult Learners’ Week on 8 October in Ida-Virumaa and 13 October in Tallinn. The goal of the language fairs is to offer concise language learning information for adult language learners.
Training establishments and publishers will attend the fair to introduce language learning services and materials, and several events will be organised such as sample lessons and exams as well as a quiz.
The Adult Learners’ Week is a traditional nationwide event organised by the Association of Estonian Adult Educators (Eesti Täiskasvanud Koolitajate Assotsiatsioon), which promotes adult education and learning opportunities. During the week, information days, free training days, courses and lectures and other thematic activities will be offered for the participants.
The language fair activities of the Adult Learners’ Week are financed from the European Social Fund programme “Language Learning Development 2011−2013”.
For further information, please contact:
Maria Ratassepp, Lifelong Education Unit, tel 659 9068, e-mail maria.ratassepp@meis.ee
Riina Ring, Lifelong Education Unit, tel 659 9030, e-mail riina.ring@meis.ee.
Four new kindergartens to join the language immersion programme
With the support provided by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA), Naeratus kindergarten in Tallinn, Alyonuchka kindergarten in Kohtla-Järve, Rukkilill kindergarten in Sillamäe and Pillerkaar kindergarten in Jõhvi will join the language immersion programme from September.
The freshly joined kindergartens will apply the partial language immersion model where three-year-olds start learning the language, and the learning process is arranged so that one teacher communicates with the children solely in Estonian and the other teacher in the children’s mother tongue. The ratio of languages in the groups is equal.
In September, regional training seminars for the kindergarten teams will be organised to help the kindergartens in implementing the partial language immersion model.
The kindergartens that have joined the language immersion programme are financed by the Ministry of Education and Research.
For further information, please contact: Svetlana Belova, Language Immersion Unit, tel 659 9848, e-mail: svetlana.belova@meis.ee.
Memory game entitled “Periods in Estonian History” completed
A study aid memory game entitled “Periods in Estonian History”, which has been designed to be used in Estonian history lessons, has been completed.
This memory game is an educational table game that enhances memory development and offers students the opportunity to think, remember, create associations, discuss and speak about the topics of Estonian history.
The memory game is scheduled to be introduced for the first time at the summer school for social education and history teachers on 14–17 September at Roosta.
The study material was developed through the cooperative effort of Mare Oja, a researcher from the University of Tallinn, and the Tartu Art School. The work was financed by the Ministry of Education and Research. Presently, the number of these games is limited but MISA will organise further production of this memory game depending on interest.
For further information, please contact: Maarja Mänd, Language Immersion Unit, tel 659 9853, e-mail maarja.mand@meis.ee.
Specialised language refresher courses to begin for vocational school teachers
A refresher course for the teachers of vocational educational institutions on the methodology of specialised language teaching will begin in September, supported by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA).
The refresher course for 40 teachers of vocational educational institutions will be held by BDA Consulting OÜ and during the course the teachers will learn how to use the methodological tools of specialised language teaching included in the manuals translated within the framework of the programme “Language Learning Development 2007−2010”. The teachers will also learn how to use the language learning materials that have been composed to date.
The activity is implemented within the framework of the measure “Language Learning Development” of the programme “Language Learning Development 2011−2013” included in the priority axis “Lifelong Learning” of the “Operational Programme for Human Resource Development”, which is financed by the European Social Fund.
If you have any questions or you would like to register to the course, please contact: Kristi Rugam, tel +372 5646 6033, kristi@bda.ee.
For further information, please contact: Maria Ratassepp, Lifelong Learning Unit, tel 659 9068, e-mail maria.ratassepp@meis.ee
The summer school for social education and history teachers will be held on 14–17 September in Roosta holiday village supported by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA).
The topics of legal protection, active learning methods, propaganda theory and mechanisms will be discussed and the workings of embassies will be introduced at a training arranged by Sola Integra OÜ.
During the summer school, the educational systems of Asia, Islamic countries and Europe will be compared, the contribution of non-Estonians to the culture, history, science and politics of Estonia will be discussed and the participants will be taught how to use a debate format in a class.
Discussions will also focus on various European Union institutions, different processes, acute topics and issues and more.
The training is financed by the Ministry of Education and Research.
For further information, please contact: Maarja Mänd, Language Immersion Unit, tel 659 9853, e-mail maarja.mand@meis.ee.
The winners of the idea competition for the training of CLIL teachers announced
Integration and Migration Foundation Our People organised an idea competition for preparing the study programme for CLIL teachers and the best ideas submitted to the competition were awarded a monetary prize.
The purpose of the idea competition was to find a suitable input for the study programme. Based on the idea entries, the study programme for the training of CLIL teachers will be composed.
The evaluation committee considered the best to be Kai Võlli and she was awarded first prize to a value of 1,500 euro. SA Omanäolise Kooli Arenduskeskus won second place and 1,200 euro.
According to Ulvi Müürsepp, the chairman of the jury of the idea competition and the Head of the Language Immersion Unit of MISA, the idea for the study programme for the training of teachers submitted by the first place winner was thorough, well composed and clearly written. Kai Võlli had paid special attention to the methods that enhance cooperation between people.
SA Omanäolise Kooli Arenduskeskus was awarded the second place because they had focused on the skills of adult educators. The ideas regarding the amount of learning and the process of teaching were clearly described and were considered workable.
The activity is supported by the Ministry of Education and Research.
For further information, please contact: Maarja Mänd, Language Immersion Unit, tel 659 9853, e-mail maarja.mand@meis.ee
Journalism competition focused on discrimination issues awaits entries
The European Commission awaits print and online media journalists to participate in the “Together against discrimination” competition, which is focused on the issues of discrimination and diversity in Estonia and the European Union.
Through the award, the journalists who contribute to a better understanding of the value of diversity and the fight against discrimination in the EU are recognised. To enter the competition, articles must have been published in either print or online media from 18 September 2010 to 10 November 2011. The competition closes at 12:00 (CET) on 10 November 2011.
The winner of the competition and the two runners-up will receive vouchers to the value of 5,000, 3,500 and 2,500 euro respectively. The winners of national competitions will receive a prize of 1,000 euro.
The current EU Journalist Award is in its eight year. In 2010, more than 1,200 articles were submitted to the competition. The 2010 competition winner was Jeanette Björkqvist from Finland for her article “The Unwanted People” (published in the newspaper titled Hufvudstadsbladet), which focused on the experience of Romani people from Eastern Europe in Finland. Second place went to Edith Meinhart from Austria for the article “Failing Our Intellect”. The article that was published in the business weekly Profil explores the experience of immigrant skilled labour in Austria, viewing from the human standpoint the wasted talents due to discriminating beliefs and also drawing attention to the wasting of economic resources. Rasa Navickaitė from Lithuania was awarded third place for her article “Different, but Happy” (published in the monthly Homo Mag), which discusses the experience of same sex couples raising children in Lithuania.
Read the competition rules and make your entry through the competition web page!
Project applications for promoting a common information field awaited
The Ministry of Culture opened this year’s second round of the programme “Promoting a common information field through cultural activities, translating literature into foreign languages”, the purpose of which is to introduce Russian speaking people in Estonia to Estonian and local minorities’ literature.
Besides translating and publishing contemporary Estonian children and youth literature, applicants may apply for this support to organise literature events and series of lectures and to introduce book culture in the media. The budget of the support round is 20,999 euro.
The work to be eligible for support must have been published in Estonian and must not have been previously published in Russian. Support will be awarded to children’s books that are a cohesive whole with both the text and design playing an important role.
An application on the general application form with a detailed project description and budget attached must be filed to receive the support for organising literature events and series of lectures as well as promoting book culture and reading in the media. The applicants have to submit the publication application form together with the relevant contracts and details of the previous activities of the translator to receive support for the projects of translating and publishing contemporary Estonian children and youth literature.
The application must be submitted to the Ministry of Culture not later than 9 September at 23 Suur-Karja, 15076 Tallinn, with a notation “A common information field through literature”, or digitally signed and forwarded to min@kul.ee.
In the spring of 2011, the Ministry of Culture altogether allocated 23,739 euro from the same programme. Then the programme committee reviewed 34 received applications and decided to support 10 projects, including the translation into and publishing in the Russian language of the contemporary Estonian children and youth literature, literature events and introducing book culture in the media.
Please find here the advertisement for the application round and a detailed overview of the requirements for applying!
For further information, please contact: Artyom Teplyuk, Head Specialist of the Cultural Diversity Department of the Ministry of Culture, tel 55 585 540, e-mail artjom.tepljuk@kul.ee.
Language teachers encouraged to test language learning materials on the Internet
Within the framework of the University of Tartu project entitled “Multi-language inter-cultural business communication”, new language learning materials that are designed to help learning Estonian business language in the form of e-learning are now complete. The language teachers are encouraged to test the material at the following address http://estmigkomm.jimdo.com.
The primary target group of the e-learning environment are people who learn Estonian as their second language. In this e-learning environment, the language learner can watch videos, listen to audio files and read various texts and do exercises. The e-learning environment provides immediate feedback on the learner’s language skills.
The e-learning environment enables the language teachers to use the exercises available in the e-learning environment as homework or additional exercises and to get ideas for conducting group lessons. Although these learning materials are especially beneficial for those who wish to develop their business language skills because the subjects covered are marketing, management, service provision and inter-cultural communication, they may be also beneficial and manageable for general language learners.
Moreover, the homepage includes the most up-to-date language learning articles, links to the relevant topics, a list of references, a quiz on Estonia and a feedback questionnaire. Soon the course manual will be added to the page and a DVD with all learning materials for those self-learners who do have not an access to the Internet will be available.
Teachers are especially encouraged to test the environment and provide feedback in learning groups. The deadline for sending feedback is 15 September.
For further information and feedback, please contact: Katrin Tamm, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu, e-mail katrin.tamm@ut.ee.
