Offers sought from higher education institutions and language companies
A language immersion conference will be held in October
A training course for accountants from the cultural associations of the umbrella organisations of national minorities
Estonian families gladly welcome young language learners
Language learning of educational staff with a mentor offers many success stories

Offers sought from higher education institutions and language companies

Since the end of August, competitions have been launched through which the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) is seeking organisers of Estonian language training courses for the employees of public sector institutions and additional Estonian language training courses for students at the higher education level.

The procurement documents are submitted within the framework of two activities of the programme “Language Learning Development 2011−2013” financed by the European Social Fund. The objective of the activity “Additional language learning for students at higher education level” is to provide additional Estonian language training to Estonian students whose native language is other than Estonian during their studies at higher education level with the aim of improving their academic and specialised Estonian language skills. During the activity “Language learning of public sector employees”, the specialised language learning of adults whose native language is different than Estonian living in Estonia is supported to ensure that they manage in their daily and professional life at the required level.

The students of higher education institutions and the employees of public sector institutions will learn Estonian based on the programmes compiled by the initiative of the respective institutions and higher education institutions.

In the academic year of 2012/2013, targeted Estonian language learning activities that take into account the specifics and needs of the relevant specialities and occupations have been designed for around 300 students of seven higher education institutions and 160 employees of ten public sector authorities.

According to Eduard Odinets, the head of MISA Life-long Learning Unit, previous experience shows that participants will get more help from such specific courses intended for a very narrow target group than from trainings designed for a wider target group.

“A recent trend in official language teaching for adults is to prefer courses tailored to the needs of the learners where suitable opportunities are found for each client, rather than mass production. This type of instruction ensures more the active participation and commitment of students because the proposals have been made by the employees of the respective authorities and higher education institutions and the courses will mainly be carried out on the premises of the authorities and higher education institutions. The commitment and motivation of people participating in language learning is shown by the fact that most of the participants of the courses designed for public sector authorities have set their objective to take the Estonian language proficiency examination,” said Odinets.

“It is good to see that the proposals made by higher education institutions have skilfully integrated traditional language learning activities with additional training via e-courses and study trips to other higher education institutions or organisations involved in the same field for the purpose of language and subject studies. Such active short and long-term language practice is useful in many ways: a student will acquire practical skills for the work in the chosen field in addition to language skills and specific language vocabulary,” explained Odinets.

The competitions for the organisation of language learning for students of higher education institutions and employees of public sector authorities are published on the MISA homepage.  

For further information, please contact: Jana Tondi, MISA Life-long Learning Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9069, jana.tondi@meis.ee.

A language immersion conference will be held in October

The language immersion programme of the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) will organise a conference for the language immersion programme entitled “Co-operation and acknowledgement” at the conference centre of the Tallinn Song Festival Grounds on 25−26 October.

The objective of the twelfth annual language immersion conference is to increase co-operation between the educational institutions and partners that have joined the programme at different levels and to introduce successful acknowledgement systems.

“The main topics of this year’s conference are linked to various aspects of acknowledging and cooperation. We wish to enlarge the circle of people with whom the experience gained from the language immersion programme is shared and this is why we share the conference plenary sessions with all interested parties via the Internet video transmissions,” commented Karin Piirsalu, a coordinator of the MISA Multi-cultural Education Unit.

In addition to the plenary sessions, five workshops will be held at the conference:
1. “Effective acknowledging” workshop for the heads of educational institutions
2. “Working in a group – what does it mean?” workshop for kindergarten teachers
3. “Is GROUP + WORK = GROUPWORK?” workshop for teachers of general education schools
4. “Acquisition of co-operation skills during group counselling”
5. “Co-operation with parents in a multi-cultural school”

The target group of the conference includes representatives of educational institutions (general education schools and kindergartens where the language of instruction is Russian), partners (representatives of universities, education officials of local authorities, representatives of ministries, etc.) and other organisations involved in education that have joined the language immersion programme.

The conference agenda will be published on the homepage of the Foundation at the following address http://www.meis.ee/keelekumbluskonverentsid. Registration for the conference will commence on 3 September and will end on 28 September.

The organisation of the conference is financed by the Ministry of Education and Research.

For further information, please contact: Karin Piirsalu, MISA Multi-cultural Education Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9844, e-mail karin.piirsalu@meis.ee. 

A training course for accountants from the cultural associations of the umbrella organisations of national minorities

The Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) will organise a training course for accountants from the culture associations of the umbrella organisations of national minorities in Tallinn in the second half of September.

The training will cover the legislation of non-profit associations, generally accepted accounting principles, the electronic submission of annual reports and typical errors that are made in foundations’ reports.

The training will be held in Russian and it is only designed for the culture associations of the umbrella organisations of national minorities. More detailed information on the training is made available via the homepage of the Foundation at the following address www.meis.ee.  

The organisation of the training is supported by the Ministry of Culture within the framework of the “Estonian Integration Strategy 2008−2013”.

For further information, please contact: Kristina Pirgop, MISA Multi-cultural Education Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9024, e-mail kristina.pirgop@meis.ee.  

Estonian families gladly welcome young language learners 

For the fourteenth summer in a row, students whose native language is not Estonian had an opportunity to practice Estonian language within an Estonian family or take active participation in a youth camp.

The objective of the camps and family learning financed through the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) is to support the learning of Estonian for 7−18 year old young people through communication with peers and active participation in various activities.

The target group for the Estonian language camps and family learning are young people that are nationals of European third countries or with undefined citizenship and support students that speak Estonian and hold Estonian citizenship. More than 640 young people participated in camps and family learning this summer. Family learning means that the young people take part in the daily life of the hosting family for 14 days, go on trips with the family and help to do domestic chores together with the other children of the family. The language camps offer the students Estonian language training through non-formal and active activities, where language learning is supported by same age support students and teachers whose native language is Estonian.

Learners find great pleasure in country life and family learning

Sandra Nuudi, a coordinator of the MISA Multi-cultural Education Unit, confirms that family learning is an effective language learning method and refers to the qualitative study commissioned by the Foundation in 2009 on camp and family learning, according to which the students participating in family learning in the country had made very good progress.

“The feedback from the participants shows that a number of children are extremely glad of the opportunity to live in the country and spend time in clean air. Children have also said that communication with the hosting family’s children that are of the same age as the learners was motivating,” commented Nuudi. Nuudi said that almost 20,000 young people have benefited from the Estonian language camps and family learning since 1998 and by the end of this summer 100 young people will have participated in family learning and 400 young people will have been in Estonian language camps.

Estonian families welcome children from other families

Pille Kulberg, who has been involved in family learning programme for 14 years and is the manager of MTÜ Veeda Vaheaeg Võrumaal, said that most of the families that take a child whose native language is other than Estonian to live with them for two weeks are teachers, as is Kulberg herself. Kulberg coordinated the work of language learning in ten families this summer and said that a sufficient number of families have been interested in this programme.

“I have never been told no, not in one summer, and parents call before summer begins and ask whether family camp activities will be organised this year. This is motivating and it is good to hear that you have done well. There is a sufficient number of families for my projects and I also know other families that would like to be involved in this programme,” said Kulberg.

According to Kulberg, the experience has shown that children adjust easily; however, it takes a few days for the first-time students involved in family learning to adjust to their new environment. In case of family learning, it is monitored that a student is treated as a family member and that there is a child or children in the family of the same age as the student.

“The family treats the student as its member, which means that the learner will not get any special treatment or will be subjected to rejection. During the initial days, necessary everyday words are learned or language use is corrected,” explained Kulberg and added that during the daily routine as well as trips Estonian-language words are repeated, the learners try to remember them and learn new expressions.

MTÜ Veeda Vaheaeg Võrumaal organised trips and hikes for the participants of family learning and this year’s programme included visits to Suur Munamägi, Rõuge Ööbikuorg, Estonian Road Museum, various hiking trails and other sights. In addition to trips, the participants of family learning had an opportunity to take part in various manual activities, from glass painting to pottery.

“I am convinced that family learning is a very effective method of language learning. Of course, it is not possible to learn Estonian in 14 days, but if a child is motivated to acquire the language and can practice it later, he/she will learn the language,” believes Kulberg.

The big role of support students in language camps

In addition to family learning, summer language camps are organised to enable students practice the official language through practical activities and communication with peers. This year, nine MISA-supported camp projects were organised all over Estonia.

The camp titled “Nine occupations of Hunt Kriimsilm”, which was managed by Marge Toome who is a teacher in Tallinna Laagna Gümnaasium, offered camp activities to 36 students this year. According to Toome, the motivation for organising learning activities in summer is the opportunity to achieve a better relationship with students or smoother studies, together with the joy of activities shared with young people.

Toome’s experience is that the students whose native language is not Estonian are not often very motivated on the first days in a camp, although their attitude changes while they are in the camp: “The most significant change I have noticed is that while at the beginning of the camp they try to avoid joint activities, by the time the camp is half-way through, the children have forgotten this approach, and near the end they do not even remember that they had this idea of avoiding participation,” commented Toome. Toome agrees that it is not possible to learn Estonian in one week, but children remember generally used expressions in the camp setting, sports terms and other words that are related to living in a camp. Although the teacher considers the camp to be an effective language learning method, she also believes that efficient learning is possible only if there is a sufficient number of support students whose native language is Estonian in a language camp to avoid switching to Russian for convenience.

The Estonian language camps and family learning are supported from the European Fund for the Integration of Third-country Nationals and the Ministry of Culture through the state budget within the framework of the “Estonian Integration Strategy 2008−2013”.

For further information, please contact: Sandra Nuudi, MISA Multi-cultural Education Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9855, e-mail sandra.nuudi@meis.ee. 

Language learning of educational staff with a mentor offers many success stories

The Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) has supported the language learning of teachers and heads of schools where the Russian language is the language of instruction through the aid a mentor since 2009 and will also launch language clubs in September.

The activity conducted within the framework of the European Social Fund (ESF) programme “Language Learning Development in 2011−2013” uses the model designed during the previous period of the fund and the previously trained mentors whose task is to support the Estonian language learning of teachers and heads of educational institutions in Ida-Viru County. In addition to learning with a mentor, language forums are held and four language clubs will begin functioning in Narva, Kohtla-Järve, Jõhvi and Sillamäe in September. The idea of language clubs is to preserve and improve the level of acquired Estonian language skills. The participants of the clubs are the public sector employees that have undergone public sector language training courses within the framework of the previous ESF programme “Language Learning Development in 2011−2013”.

The mentees, i.e. people that are counselled by mentors, meet their mentors at least twice a month outside a routine work and living environment, such as at culture or sports events, to encourage communication and enable more varied language practice.

Educational staff holds the key role

“The main challenge when living and working in Ida-Viru County is language practice, because many forget the acquired language and lose the courage to communicate in Estonian. This is why we offer a more individual learning experience as well as opportunities to go to language clubs and practice Estonian,” explained Eduard Odinets, the Head of the MISA Life-long Education Unit.

According to Odinets, the language learning of teachers and heads of educational institutions through the aid of a mentor is also significant because teachers provide an example to students and the community at large: “A teacher is an example and an opinion leader for both children and parents. We can not uphold a culture in which language skills are considered important if a teacher does not know Estonian sufficiently well, keep up with the news or culture of Estonia and know how to relate with colleagues,” believes Odinets.

“Estonian language skills are extremely important for the heads of educational institutions, because they have to know current legislation and communicate with state and local authorities as well as set an example for their employees,” added Odinets.

In the 2009/2010 academic year, Estonian language learning with the help of a mentor was conducted within the framework of the ESF programme “Language Learning Development 2007−2010”, in which 50 subject teachers from schools where the language of instruction is Russian participated over the course of 13 months. The activities were continued within the framework of the “Language Learning Development 2011−2013” programme and ten mentor-mentee pairs were involved in language learning, which lasted for six months in the 2011/2012 academic year. In the upcoming 2012/2013 academic year, the Foundation will offer language learning with the assistance of a mentor for more ten teachers and heads of educational institutions in Ida-Viru County.

To shops, concerts, discussions – the success story of Irina and Helgi

Mentor Helgi Neelov and her mentee, Irina Šapolova, participated in the mentor programme and considered cooperation with other mentor-mentee pairs and colleagues of mentors and mentees to be very important in addition to learning Estonian.

Helgi explained that together with her mentee they visited a ballet, the plot of which they studied together prior to the performance, concerts, a fair, shops, a school, an exhibition, and were guests at each other’s home.

“We have discussed at the round table the problems of Estonian education, the issues related to communities that live side-by-side in Estonia, the daily problems of teachers at schools where the language of instruction is Estonian or Russian and the learning problems that students and prisoners face,” said the mentor Helgi Neelov.

“Irina thoroughly enjoyed the “Memory” concert held in Jõhvi, where she heard talented Estonian actors and singers. She was also inspired by the play “The Estonian man and his son” at Endla Theatre in Rakvere. She was most fascinated by Sepo Seeman as an actor. From the point of view of language learning, this was a good listening exercise,” explained Neelov.

“Our mentor pair’s story will continue until Irina takes the C1 level Estonian language proficiency examination,” believes Neelov.

A telepathic connection – the success story of Kai and Natalja

Mentor Kai Kitsing and her mentee, Natalja Nikanorova, think that they work together well. As proof of their special connection, Kai Kitsing relates: “Whenever my mentee thinks about me, I call her and vice versa. Our telepathy works wonderfully.”

A supernatural story as told by the mentor: her mentee was compiling a very complex letter to a state authority at her workplace and felt that she needed to call her mentor. “I called her at this precise time and said that I would like to go to Narva. This was a “Eureka!” moment, because Natalja really needed my help and I was going to Narva. What synchronicity!” recalled Kai Kitsing.

Kitsing added that her mentee’s language proficiency was already very good and the work has been correcting language use. She thinks that Natalja Nikanorova’s self expression skills and confidence have significantly improved.

More success stories from MISA blog: www.integratsioon.wordpress.com
 
For further information, please contact: Riina Ring, MISA Life-long Education Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9030, e-mail riina.ring@meis.ee.  

New training courses for teachers to assist in the work with new immigrant students
All interested are invited to the information day of the language learning development programme
In-service training for teachers of vocational education institutions began in October
Dance project “May I be Mozart?” of the Russian Theatre jubilee season

New training courses for teachers to assist in the work with new immigrant students

From November, the University of Tartu and Tallinn University will begin training native language and class teachers whose classes are attended by students who have arrived from abroad.

The training planned with the support of the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) is already the sixth training intended for teachers to support them in teaching new immigrant children. Altogether, 70 native language and class teachers will attend the upcoming training.

“To support the children whose native language is different than the language of instruction, class and subject teachers as well as heads of schools and education officials were trained from 2006–2011. The training topics included the integration of cultural differences, bilingualism, subject and language training, and issues such as special educational needs, organisation of studies, and teaching the second language,” explained Ave Härsing, a coordinator from the MISA Multicultural Education Unit.

“Increasingly, more children come into Estonian schools whose home language is not Estonian or Russian. Often, a school becomes aware of it just before the child is about to start school and then the Estonian language and class teachers are the first that come into contact with the child coming from abroad,” said Härsing.

“In such cases, the teacher’s task is to teach the child the Estonian language and ensure his or her knowledge in different subjects because the student must be capable of obtaining the subjects necessary for a basic education in Estonian, and if they wish to successfully continue their education in Estonia,” added Härsing.

In the following two years, both universities plan to conduct additional training of 120 academic hours in eight cycles focusing on the knowledge and skills that the teachers need to have to be able to support and guide students of different nationalities, with different cultural backgrounds and with different language skills.

The universities will send more detailed information on the training directly to the schools in November and December. The contact person of the training is Monica Sakk (monica@andras.ee) at Tallinn University and Karin Soodla (karin.soodla@ut.ee) at University of Tartu.

The Foundation organised a competition for finding trainers in September 2012 and the training course is funded by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals and the Ministry of Culture within the framework of the “Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013”.

For more information, please contact: Ave Härsing, MISA Multicultural Education Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9037, e-mail ave.harsing@meis.ee

All interested are invited to the information day of the language learning development programme

The team of the “Language Learning Development 2011−2013” programme, which is being financed by the European Social Fund, is to organise an information day about the interim results of the programme, during which the results of completed activities and future opportunities will be introduced on 22 November from 10.30 a.m. till 15.00 p.m. in Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel (Sadama 11a, Tallinn).

During the information day organised by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA), new teaching materials for content and language integrated learning for vocational educational institutions and institutions of higher education will be introduced, the experiences and results of language learning of vocational school students and public sector employees will be shared, the examples of developing content and language integrated learning in vocational education will be presented, and knowledge about language learning with a mentor and in language clubs will be introduced. An overview of the Estonian language learning materials for partially sighted people and hard-of-hearing people that are being prepared and training for the language teachers of adults will be given. The results of the survey financed by the programme on the foreign language skills of basic school graduates will also be introduced.

“On the information day, the coordinators of the programme and the people that have participated in its 11 activities within the framework of the programme will introduce the results of the activities undertaken to date and present an overview of ongoing projects and plans for 2013,” commented Eduard Odinets, the Head of MISA Lifelong Education Unit.

“For us, it is very important from time to time to share with interested parties the results of activities that support and develop language learning financed by the European Social Fund. We wish to give an account of what has been achieved in one and a half years, give a concentrated overview about this area and also receive feedback,” added Odinets.

The information day will be held in the Estonian language and is intended for people working in this area, as well as all others who are interested. Those interested can register for the information day until 15 November on the webpage of the Foundation or vie the e-mail address tea.kotkas@meis.ee.

The “Language Learning Development 2011−2013” programme is implemented within the framework of the measure “Language learning development” of the priority axis “Lifelong Education” of the “Human Resources Development Operational Plan”. The programme budget is almost 2.5 million euro.

For more information, please contact: Eduard Odinets, Head of MISA Lifelong Education Unit, tel 659 9840, e-mail eduard.odinets@meis.ee

In-service training for teachers of vocational education institutions began in October

With the support of the European Social Fund, in-service training for teachers of vocational education institutions during which the teachers can develop their speciality and language skills in a school with a different language of instruction began in October.

The in-service training programme for teachers of vocational education institutions coordinated by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) involves teachers that have already gathered experience in a school with a different language of instruction within the framework of the European Social Fund programme “Language Learning Development 2007–2010” as well as teachers that are participating for the first time.

The first in-service trainee of this academic year is a welding teacher at Tallinn Lasnamäe Mechanics School who will go to Rakvere Vocational School to exchange work and language learning experience. This academic year, a total of 28 teachers will participate in in-service training, assisted by support persons both in the sending and hosting schools.

“In-service training as one type of refresher training is organised for the teachers of vocational schools where the language of instruction is Russian in Estonian language vocational educational institutions and the teachers of Estonian vocational schools in vocational schools where the language of instruction is Russian. The teachers can enhance their skills in a school with a different language of instruction for 12 or 24 days, and before and after such in-service training the trainees are supported in this process by special support persons,” commented Eduard Odinets, the Head of MISA Lifelong Education Unit.

“Interest towards the in-service training is great due to the previous experiences, and agreements between the sending and hosting schools have now been made. The teachers that have not yet expressed their interest also have an opportunity for in-service training and both schools and teachers can let us know about their interest,” confirmed Odinets.

Since 2009, in-service training has been facilitated for 74 teachers from 16 vocational schools, of whom the support persons numbered 33 and trainees 41, assisted by the European Social Fund and coordinated by MISA.

For more information, please contact: Maria Ratassepp, MISA Lifelong Education Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9068, e-mail maria.ratassepp@meis.ee

Dance project “May I be Mozart?” of the Russian Theatre jubilee season

The fourth and most eagerly awaited premier of the Russian Theatre jubilee season will take place on 23 November in the Great Hall of the Russian Theatre. The production is based on Ken Kesey’s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and Anton Chekhov’s story “Ward No. 6”, as well as the works of the famous 20th century poet Vladimir Vysotsky.

The creator of the production is Evgeny Kornyag (Belorussia), who is well known in Europe as a director and choreographer, and also the founder and director of Kornyag Theatre in Minsk. The critics have called him the hope of modern theatre and one of the most scandalous directors. The audience has always had a keen interest in his work and even young people watch his productions many times. Kornyag shows his perspective of the world in an expressive authorial form in which psychological issues are resolved through modern dance dynamics.

“This is a plastic production that mainly relies on movement and dance and there are almost no words,” said Evgeny Kornyag of the production. According to the director, this production is a story about lonely people, their secret world and lack of human warmth. The production speaks about people’s right to have personal desires, the fragility of human talent and the vulnerability of the soul.

Evgeni Kornyag has put the dance performance together using classical pieces from Mozart and other well-known composers. The musical dramaturgy of the production is supported by Triophonix, a popular band in Estonia, the producer and founder of which is Aleksandr Zheledyov, the musical director of the Russian Theatre.

Ksenia Agarkova, Ivan Alekseyev, Aleksandr Zhilenko, Danijl Zandberg, Jekaterina Kordas, Dmitri Kordas, Aleksandr Sinyakovitch, Olga Privis, Lyubov Agapova, Oleg Rogatchyov, Aleksandr Okunev, and Vladimir Antipp are participating in the production.

The premier is on 23 November at 19:00 in the Great Hall of the Russian Theatre. Further information about the performance is available on the homepage of the Russian Theatre.

“May I be Mozart?” is brought to the Russian Theatre with the support of the Interstate Humanitarian Cooperation Fund of CIS Member States.

For more information, please contact: Ksenia Kuzmina, Head of the Sales and Advertising Department of the Russian Theatre, tel 59129197, e-mail ksenia@veneteater.ee.

We have a new address starting next year!
The rescue workers from the Eastern Rescue Services Centre begin additional Estonian language training
“Language Click” turns online learning of Estonian language into a fun experience

We have a new address starting next year!

From 1 January 2013, the operations of Integration and Migration Foundation Our People will move to a new address at Lõõtsa 2a (8th floor), Ülemiste City business centre, Tallinn.

From the second week of December (from 10 December), we ask you to give us advance notice when you wish to meet our employees or visit our office.

The normal everyday working rhythm may be disturbed due to the moving process, so in order to avoid any inconvenience we ask you to contact the person you wish to see beforehand. All our employees’ contacts can be found at our homepage.

The new office location on the map can be viewed here!

For additional info, please contact: Meelika Hirmo, MISA Communication Manager, phone 659 9031, e-mail meelika.hirmo@meis.ee

The rescue workers from the Eastern Rescue Services Centre begin additional Estonian language training

With the help of the European Social Fund programme “Language learning development programme 2011-2013”, 23 rescue workers from the Eastern Rescue Services Centre will participate in an additional training course for the Estonian language.

The Estonian Rescue Board together with the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) have organised labour exchanges, which were made available for the rescue workers during the European Social Fund programme “Language learning development programme 2007-2010”.

“Our goal is to support the workers of the public sector, rescue workers included, in developing their Estonian language skills to bring them in line with the requirements of the Language Act. The Language Act requires B1 level from all rescue workers,” explained Eduard Odinets, Head of MISA Lifelong Education Unit.

“Due to the regional characteristics, the everyday language for the Ida-Virumaa rescue workers is Russian. However, during some rescue operations there could be an Estonian leading the rescue work or some Estonian-speaking citizens who need help, in which case knowledge of the official language is very important,” Odinets added.

According to Karin Ärma, the chief specialist of the Rescue Board’s Personnel and Administration Department’s Administration Division, as of today there are more than 70 rescue workers who joined the service before the B1 level requirement in language proficiency came into effect and consequently require additional tuition in the Estonian language. 

“These are very hard-working people and professionals in their field whose tasks are fire-fighting and rescue work, thereby protecting people, property and the environment. All rescue workers are very well trained and have proven themselves to be brave and composed during rescues,” Ärma commented.

“In the proposal for language training for the Rescue Board’s Eastern Rescue Services Centre, there are step by step descriptions on how to help the rescue workers learn the Estonian language, and we made a proposal to start with A2 level language training, knowing that the language skills of the rescue workers need improvement. If the original actions are successful, our next goal will be the B1 level,” Ärma added.

According to Ärma, in addition to a general labour shortage there is also a qualified labour shortage in Ida-Virumaa, so contributing to the development of their employees is extremely important.

According to the proposal submitted to MISA, 23 people will start the A2 level course in the Narva and Jõhvi study groups with the goal of passing the level exam in 2013. The studying of the Estonian language is planned in the form of a course that includes both classroom and practical work. Discussions on various aspects of everyday life and working issues, playful tasks, reviewing audio and video materials and children films or cartoons will all be used during the learning of the language. At the end of the training, all the participants have the opportunity to visit the Citizen’s House Museum in Rakvere and Rakvere Castle to learn more about Estonian history and culture.

For additional information, please contact: Jana Tondi, MISA Lifelong Learning Unit, Coordinator, phone 659 9069, e-mail jana.tondi@meis.ee

“Language Click” turns online learning of Estonian language into a fun experience

In co-operation with the European Social Fund and the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, a free of charge basic level (0-A2) e-course in the Estonian language, entitled “Language Click”, was developed this year for Russian speaking people living in Estonia: www.keeleklikk.ee.

Using “Language Click” makes learning the language interesting and fun as well as effective.

“Language Click” consists of about one thousand interactive exercises, a hundred funny videos and a couple of hundred cartoons that help the student progress from the first words to basic level language skills.

”Language Click” is suitable for independent language learning or as an additional aid for people who participate in Estonian language courses. The student can choose the place and time for learning; the number of students is unlimited. Users can submit their homework for teachers to check and add comment.

The Language Click e-course had more than 8,000 registered users in November.

User comments about the e-course can be read here!

For additional information, please contact: Asko Uri, Keeleklikk (Language Click), phone 55657400, e-mail asko@c-m.no

More than 5,200 people took part in the Citizen’s Day Quiz
The study of the effect of language learning development is now underway
New episodes of Köögikodanikud (Citizens of Kitchen) now broadcast on ETV
New website integratsioon.ee collecting ideas for the new integration strategy
The location of our office has changed!

More than 5,200 people took part in the Citizen’s Day Quiz

5,217 people took part in the Citizen’s Day e-Quiz, which was organised by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) for the tenth year.

“The e-quiz, which was previously only available to school students, was also open to all other enthusiasts for the first time, and they actively took advantage of the opportunity. 3,680 students took part in the quiz and 1,537 people participated in the later quiz open to everyone, with 1,206 people registering a result,” commented Toivo Sikk, co-ordinator of the Multicultural Education Unit of MISA.

“Its purpose is to improve Estonian residents’ knowledge of the constitutional institutions of the Republic of Estonia, human and civil rights, freedoms and duties. Hopefully, the Citizen’s Day Quiz was a useful and fun experience for the participants,” Sikk said.

The results of the students’ round indicated that 34.65 per cent of people who tested their knowledge came from schools with Russian as the language of instruction, and the language of instruction of 65.35 per cent of participants was Estonian. More than half of the participants came from schools in Harju county (56.01 per cent). Harju county was followed by Tartu county with 14.78 per cent.

The best result was achieved by Karl Kius Saar, a 10th grade student from Tallinna Reaalkool (Tallinn Secondary School of Science) and Kaur Aarne Saar, a 12th grade student from Hugo Treffner School. Ülenurme Secondary School, Commercial School of Tartu and Saku Secondary School also showed good results. The maximum score of the quiz was 72 points.

In the open e-quiz round, 28.77 per cent of participants had Russian as their first language and for 65.34 per cent of participants it was Estonian. The greatest portion of participants came from Harju county (40.63 per cent), Ida-Viru county (12.52 per cent) and Jõgeva county (11.19 per cent). Participants from Harju county had the highest score and the top score in the public round was 65.

You can view the results of the students’ round of the Citizen’s Day Quiz here. The report on the results of the public round can be found here.

The Citizen’s Day e-Quiz is funded by the Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of the Estonian Integration Strategy 2008-2013.

For additional information, please contact: Toivo Sikk, co-ordinator of the Multicultural Education Unit of MISA, phone: 659 980, e-mail: toivo.sikk@meis.ee.

The study of the effect of language learning development is now underway

In December, the pollster Saar Poll, commissioned by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA), began studies on the effect of two programmes financed by the European Social Fund: Language Learning Development 2007-2010 and Language Learning Development 2011-2013.

The study has two purposes: to summarise the activities carried out in the course of the year and to give input to initiatives essential for the further development of language learning.

The general aim of the programmes is to ensure equal opportunities to aquire education and succeed in the labour market for all residents of Estonia regardless of their first language, age, nationality. The target group of the programmes are people with insufficient knowledge of Estonian, including vocational students, students, teachers, public sector employees and many others.

The study is carried out from December 2012 to April 2013.

For additional information, please contact: Maria Ratassepp, co-ordinator of the Lifelong Learning Unit; phone 659 9068; e-mail: maria.ratassepp@meis.ee.

New episodes of Köögikodanikud (Citizens of Kitchen) now broadcast on ETV

ETV’s presenter Priit Kuusk has once again collected a multitude of experiences and recipes from food specialists in order to bring them to viewers in the 16-episode series Köögikodanikud.

In the course of his fascinating journey introducing ethnic restaurants, which began last autumn, Priit Kuusk also took on several jobs in the kitchens. Returning this year, he admitted that Estonia is home to vast undiscovered exotica in tastes, smells, locations and, of course, people.

The first episode took them to Villa Thai on the edge of the Kadriorg area of Tallinn, where the kitchen adventure began in the Indian kitchen under the command of Nepalese gourmet gurus.

Food connoisseurs, who have made their homes in Estonia, share both their cuisine as well as philosophy with the viewers. The kitchen milieu is also the place where people who have come from abroad talk about adapting to Estonian life, learning the language, founding a family, looking for work.

At the end of each episode, one of the chefs uncoveres his or her favourite recipe and makes the dish in front of the camera. Video clips and texts with the recipes will be available online immediately after the episode is broadcast: retseptid.err.ee/köögikodanikud.

The second season of the series will air from 14 December on Fridays at 7:35; ETV2 will broadcast the programme with Russian subtitles on Wednesday evenings.

The programme is supported by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals (EIF) and by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA).

The series is produced by Filmiklubi MP DOC.

The home page of the series: www.etv.ee/köögikodanikud. Also, have a peek at the trailer!

For additional information, please contact: Anneli Tõevere-Kaur, head of Media Relations, Estonian Public Broadcasting, phone 628 4511, e-mail anneli.toevere-kaur@err.ee

New website integratsioon.ee collecting ideas for the new integration strategy

On the initiative of the Ministry of Culture, a new website called www.integratsioon.ee is now online with the aim of involving enthusiasts in the process of working out the strategy Integrating Estonia 2020 and informing the public.

“The new website aims to report on the process of preparing the development plan Integrating Estonia 2020, so that both the media and ordinary citizens have an overview of all stages of preparation for the development agenda and planned activities. Also, all enthusiasts have the opportunity to submit their suggestions via the website,” said undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Anne-Ly Reimaa.

The website allows people to be informed about all aspects of preparation of the development agenda - for example, you receive an overview of who is involved in preparing the development agenda, and to what extent, and which subjects are discussed. The website, which is in Estonian, Russian and English, also includes study materials related to the field and policy papers.

According to Reimaa, the possibility of submitting suggestions is extremely important. “One of the keywords for the preparation of our development agenda is involvement. That is to say that we wish that people who feel connected to the subject but do not find any other way of communicating their valuable suggestions to the steering group would also have the opportunity to participate in the preparation of the development agenda.”

Suggestions can be made via a special form on the website.

Area-based discussions and working groups start this year and all up-to-date information related to the work process will also find its way to the website in the future. As of now, the website gives an overview of the stages of the preparation of the development agenda and timetable and it draws together studies related to the subject and all relevant news.

The proposal to prepare the Integrating Estonia 2020 development agenda was approved by the government in October. The agenda with the implementation plan is set to be completed by December of next year.

For additional information, please contact: Mari Klein, contact for Estonian-language media, e-mail mari.klein@integratsioon.ee; Natalja Kitam, contact for Russian-language media, e-mail natalja.kitam@integratsioon.ee

The location of our office has changed!

From 1 January 2013, the operations of Integration and Migration Foundation Our People are based at a new address at Lõõtsa 2a (8th floor), Ülemiste City business centre, 11415 Tallinn.

The new office location on the map can be viewed here!

PUBLIC TRANSPORT FOR LÕÕTSA STREET

MISA to support the language studies of public sector employees with more than 60,000 euros
Invitation to tender for organising language camps for young expat Estonians
A new round of proposals for organising language learning in institutions of higher education about to open
Eighty teachers of vocational schools completed their content and language integrated learning training
MISA recognised the best of the Citizen’s Day Quiz and essay competition
Preparations for fellowships for teachers of vocational education institution are underway
Additional training for counsellors of vocational schools is now completed

MISA to support the language studies of public sector employees with more than 60,000 euros

This year, with the support of the European Social Fund, the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) will arrange Estonian lessons for nearly 200 public sector employees.

In 2013, within the framework of the activity “Language Learning for Public Sector Employees”, which is part of the programme “Language Learning Development 2011−2013”, ten courses will be held for public institution employees whose first language is other than Estonian.

“The aim of the courses is to improve the professional performance of public sector workers, whose first language is not Estonian. The courses will be held according to the best proposal submitted to the public proposal round, providing language studies that take into account the needs and particulars of various institutions,” Eduard Odinets, Head of the Lifelong Learning Unit of MISA explained.

The employees of the Ulei Youth Centre of Sillamäe will be the first to start honing their offical language skills, followed by the employees of the Narva City Development and Economics Office and Narva Central Library, the teachers of Narva kindergartens Tareke, Kirsike and the service staff of Kuldkalake. Additionally, Estonian courses will be held for the staff of kindergartens Helesinised Purjed, Rukkilill, Päikseke, Pääsupesa and Jaaniussike in Sillamäe and to the teachers of the Ümera kindergarten in Tallinn, the teachers of the kindergarten Kirsike in Narva and the teaching directors of Narva kindergartens. All in all 194 people will be enhancing their language skills.

For additional information, please contact: Jana Tondi, Co-ordinator of the Lifelong Learning Unit of MISA, phone 659 9069, e-mail jana.tondi@meis.ee

Invitation to tender for organising language camps for young expat Estonians

The Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) has announced an invitation to tender for the service “Organising language camps in 2013 for young Estonians living abroad”.

We invite the camp organisers to take part in the tender aiming to commission the service of organising a language camp for young Estonians living abroad from 26 June to 6 July, 9-20 July and 30 July to 10 August 2013.

A contract for services will be signed with the winner of the tender in the first quarter of 2013.

The aim of the tender is to organise a language camp that enables young expat Estonians to receive organised and purposeful language instruction, interact with their expat Estonian contemporaries in the camp environment, take part in age-appropriate common activities, participate in the sports and amateur activities, get to know Estonia and its culture, and take part in excursions.

The camp participants are young people of Estonian origin – young people aged 13-18 who have ethnic Estonian roots and are living outside the territory of the Republic of Estonia. Finding participants for the camps will take place according to the list presented by MISA. Additionally, participants of the camp activities will include young support persons who speak Estonian as their first language and who will support the language studies of the youth of Estonian origin. Finding, training and enlisting these support persons is the task of the proposal presenter.

There are 90 youths in total participating in three turns of the language camps – 30 youths per turn, at least 22 of whom are Estonians living abroad.    

Information on the tender and detailed terms and conditions can be found at the foundation’s website.

The deadline for the tender is 19 February.

For additional information, please contact: Kaie Kullik, Co-ordinator of the Multicultural Education Unit at MISA, phone 659 9025, e-mail kaie.kullik@meis.ee

A new round of proposals for organising language learning in institutions of higher education about to open

The Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) will shortly announce the third round of proposals for organising Estonian language lessons in institutions of higher education.

Within the framework of the programme “Language Learning Development 2011−2013” funded by the European Social Fund, additional Estonian language classes will be provided to students who have completed their secondary education, are studying in Estonian institutions of higher education and wish to acquire Estonian skills necessary for academic studies at a higher education level and specialised Estonian language.

“In 2011 and 2012, additional Estonian language studies were completed by 287 students from 11 different institutions of higher education. There are 131 more students from seven institutions of higher education perfecting their language skills, and there are agreements for organising studies for 103 students of the University of Tartu Narva College, the Tallinn University of Technology (TTÜ) Virumaa College, and the Pedagogical Seminary of the University of Tallinn,” Eduard Odinets, Head of the Lifelong Learning Unit of MISA explained.

Presently, there are lessons being conducted at the Narva Study Group of the Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences Mainor, Euroacademy, the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, the Virumaa College of TTÜ, Estonian University of Life Sciences, University of Tartu Narva College and the Tartu Art College.

Nearly 32,000 euros are allocated for organising the language courses within the framework of the round of proposals held in the winter of 2013. Over the course of three years, MISA will provide nearly 160,000 euros for Estonian language studies in institutions of higher education.

For additional information, please contact: Jana Tondi, Co-ordinator of the Lifelong Learning Unit of MISA, phone 659 9069, e-mail jana.tondi@meis.ee

Eighty teachers of vocational schools completed their content and language integrated learning training

An additional training programme of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) for teachers of vocational schools, totalling 130 lessons, finished last December, in the course of which teachers improved their skills in using CLIL methods in their everyday work.

Commissioned by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) and organised by the foundation Development Centre for A Unique School, 80 teachers received additional training. The teachers also completed their practical observation in schools in Tartu, Tallinn and Kohtla-Järve, which they use CLIL methods in their everyday teaching.

“As a result of the training, the teachers will now know how to use CLIL methods in their everyday work and how to compile and adapt the required teaching materials. The scale of subjects covered is extensive and also covered the basics of CLIL learning and practical examples, the development of teachers and students as well as shaping the teaching environment and other subjects,” Eduard Odinets, Head of the Lifelong Learning Unit of MISA commented.

According to Odinets, the feedback of the participants indicates that new knowledge is essential in working with students of vocational schools, and the teachers considered visiting lessons where CLIL methods were used especially valuable, as it gave them confidence to use the method in their work.

“The expectation was that the training would provide new knowledge on integrated content and language learning; however, the training turned out to be immensely more useful than initially hoped. The training transformed my attitudes and understanding of the role of a teacher,” Sille Lillestik, a teacher of the Tartu Vocational Education Centre commented.

The training was funded by the European Structural Fund through the programme Language Learning Development 2011-2013, which is part of the measure Language Development under the priority axis Lifelong Learning, of the Implementation scheme of the Operational Programme for Human Resource Development.

For additional information, please contact: Maria Ratassepp, Co-ordinator of the Lifelong Learning Unit at MISA e-mail maria.ratassepp@meis.ee, phone 659 9068

MISA recognised the best of the Citizen’s Day Quiz and essay competition

On 24 January, the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) recognised students who showed good results at the Citizen’s Day e-Quiz and essay competition.

The students were recognised at the reception given by the Estonian Olympic Committee at the Audentes Secondary School of Sports, followed by a formal concert and award ceremony at the House of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads.

The best result was achieved by Karl Kius Saar, a 10th form student from Tallinna Reaalkool (Tallinn Secondary School of Science) and Kaur Aarne Saar, a 12th form student from Hugo Treffner School. Students of Ülenurme Secondary School, Commercial School of Tartu, Saku Secondary School, Tallinn Rahumäe Secondary School and Lasnamäe School of Mechanics of Tallinn also showed good results. More than 5,200 people took part in the Citizen’s Day e-Quiz and for the first time, the e-quiz, which was previously available only to school students, was also open to all other enthusiasts.

The essay competition held for the second time focused on the ties between sports and citizens’ awareness. The winner of the essay competition “How do sports advance the awareness of being an Estonian citizen?” for forms 7 to 9 was Nika Karabelskaja, a 9th form student of the Tallinn Central Russian Secondary School. Marina Vinkel, an 11th form student from Rakvere Private Secondary School won in the category of forms 10-12 of general education schools.

In the category of forms 7-9, second place went to Gert Müür and Liis Viljamäe, 9th form students of Saku Secondary School. Third place was also won by a student of the 9th form of Saku Secondary School - Taavi Ustal. In the upper secondary school category, second place was awarded to Fred Anton and Kadi-Liis Laaspere, 12th form students of Saku Secondary School. Saku Secondary School also won third place in this category - it was awarded to 12th form student Stina Kaldma.

In addition, MISA recognised seven teachers for their active supervision.

The Citizen’s Day e-Quiz is funded by the Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of the Estonian Integration Strategy 2008-2013.

For additional information, please contact: Toivo Sikk, Co-ordinator of the Multicultural Education Unit of MISA, phone: 659 980, e-mail: toivo.sikk@meis.ee

Preparations for fellowships for teachers of vocational education institution are underway

This year, the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) will continue providing fellowships for teachers of vocational education institutions in order to enable the teachers to develop their professional and linguistic skills in Estonian schools.

“Fellowships as a form of additional training are organised for teachers from vocational schools, where Russian is the language of study, in vocational education institutions with Estonian as the language of study and for teachers of Estonian vocational schools in vocational schools where the language of study is Russian. The teachers can enhance their skills at a school with a different language of study for 12 or 24 days and they are supported in this process both before and after the training by a special support person,” Eduard Odinets, Head of the Lifelong Learning Unit of MISA commented.

Teachers, who have so far not indicated their wish to participate continue to be eligible for the fellowships, and both schools and pedagogues can let us know of their interest,” Odinets assured and added that there is a positive trend of Estonian-speaking vocational education institutions showing interest in the fellowship programme.

Supported by the European Social Fund and co-ordinated by MISA, 45 teachers have been able to obtain a fellowship since 2009.

Most of the participants of the programme, which began in October, will begin their fellowships in the first half of this year.

The fellowships are also arranged within the programme “Language Learning Development 2007−2010” for these teachers who have not participated in the programme before.

Teachers and schools interested in becoming a receiving or sending school should contact Maria Ratassepp, Co-ordinator of the Lifelong Learning Unit at MISA by e-mailing maria.ratassepp@meis.ee or by phoning 659 9068.

The fellowships for vocational school teachers are arranged within the programme “Language Learning Development 2011-2013” funded by the European Social Fund.

For additional information, please contact: Maria Ratassepp, Co-ordinator of the Lifelong Learning Unit at MISA e-mail maria.ratassepp@meis.ee, phone 659 9068.

Additional training for counsellors of vocational schools is now completed

Last December, the six-month additional training programme on multiculturalism for teachers' counsellors of vocational educational institutions commissioned by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) was completed.

Nine counsellors took part in the training, gaining knowledge on various subjects characteristic of the multicultural teaching system. The training covered cultural differences, various ways of implementing language studies, the principles of counselling teachers, the characteristics of the composition of multicultural teaching, etc. Also, the programme focused on how to ease the psychological pressures arising from differences in culture, religion, values, etc.

“The training broadened my understanding of the role of a counsellor and the practical training provided a great opportunity to implement the knowledge I had acquired in a practical counselling situation,” Jelena Ohakas, who took part in the training, commented. “The seminar on the Finnish counselling system as well as counselling cases and simulations was also useful – it encouraged me to continue my work as a counsellor."

The programme constituted continued training and as a result, the counsellors will advise the heads of vocational educational institutions on developing multicultural learning systems. The training was commissioned by MISA and organised by BDA Consulting. The volume of the training was 120 lessons and included an additional two-day seminar on the counselling experiences and role of counsellors in Finland.

In 2010, the counsellors completed an initial training programme aimed at preparing the counsellors for advising heads of vocational educational institutions and domain leaders.

“Switching to actually teaching in Estonian in vocational educational institutions takes time and effort, and it requires school heads to be informed about managing the situation and ready for changes. In addition to a more general training in the field and preparation in multiculturalism, the counsellors are also familiar with the characteristics of vocational educational institutions,” Eduard Odinets, Head of the Lifelong Learning Unit of MISA explained.

The additional training programme was funded by the European Structural Fund through the programme Language Learning Development 2011-2013, which is part of the measure Language Development under the priority axis Lifelong Learning, of the Implementation scheme of the Operational Programme for Human Resource Development.

For additional information, please contact: Maria Ratassepp, Co-ordinator of the Lifelong Learning Unit at MISA e-mail maria.ratassepp@meis.ee, phone 659 9068.
 

The Minister of Culture confirmed the members of the Supervisory Board of MISA
MISA invites all foreigners living in Estonia to test the new participant portal
The participants of the youth career education project were most interested in enterprise and working abroad

The Minister of Culture confirmed the members of the Supervisory Board of MISA

According to the 14 February directive of Minister of Culture, Rein Lang, the new six-member Supervisory Board of the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) took office.

The new board of MISA includes Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, Marlen Piskunov, and Members of Parliament, Eldar Efendijev and Deniss Boroditš. Members of Parliament, Mart Nutt and Paul-Erik Rummo, and acting head of the state budget department of the Ministry of Finance, Kaie Koskaru, will continue as members of the board.

At the first meeting held in 26 February, Marlen Piskunov was unanimously elected chairman of the board and Mart Nutt was elected vice chairman of the board.

At the first meeting of the board, the head of MISA, Tatjana Muravjova, gave an overview of the economic activities of the foundation and the activities of the audit committee. The board approved MISA’s plan of action for 2013, according to which MISA will carry out 36 activities in total this year, including holding 15 project competitions and numerous tendering procedures.

The task of the board is supervising the foundation’s activities. The Supervisory Board shall comprise up to thirteen members, who shall be appointed by a decree by the Minister of Culture for a term of three years.

MISA’s task is to encourage integration processes in Estonian society and co-ordinate and support activities related to immigration and emigration and publish relevant information.

For additional information, please contact: Tatjana Muravjova, manager of MISA, phone 659 9021, e-mail Tatjana.Muravjova@meis.ee

MISA invites all foreigners living in Estonia to test the new participant portal

The Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) invites all foreign nationals living in Estonia to take part in a pilot project concerning migration and test the website that supports adapting to life in Estonia.

Estonia is taking part in an international pilot project that has resulted in a pilot version of an information portal assembling information on migration laws, job market, support services, etc. in different states.

The migration web platform will make it easier for immigrants to find essential information on migration, since to date the relevant information of the European Union and separate member states has been dispersed between different offices and is therefore difficult to find for the target group. Additionally, the platform makes it possible to express opinions, take part in improving services and policies, and compare practices of different states.

“The main aim of the project is to provide immigrants, migration policy makers, officials and experts with modern information technology instruments for getting information, participating in decision-making processes, collecting feedback and making the shaping and application of migration policy more inclusive,” Tea Tammistu, Coordinator of the Civil Education and Migration Unit, said.

Estonia participates in the pilot project ImmigrationPolicy2.0 with Germany, Italy, Greece and Spain. The information portal is open for testing in Estonian, English, Russian, Spanish, Italian, German, Turkish, Greek and Serbian.

“All non-Estonians who would like to contribute to making it easier for foreigners to adapt to Estonian life, finding information and having a say in society should contact us and test the platform. Estonians, whose foreign acquaintances have moved to Estonia in the past few years, are very welcome to spread the information,” Tammistu appealed.

MISA asks all people interested in increasing the user-friendliness of the migration portal to contact the foundation via e-mail (Tea.Tammistu@meis.ee).

The project is funded from the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme of the European Commission and by the Estonian Ministry of Culture.

The migration project can be accessed here!

For additional information, please contact: Tea Tammistu, Coordinator of the Civil Education and Migration Unit, phone 659 9027, e-mail Tea.Tammistu@meis.ee

The participants of the youth career education project were most interested in enterprise and working abroad

On 27 February, the closing event of the European Social Fund’s project “Offering career education services for Russian-speaking students of vocational schools” was held, recognising all those who contributed to the career education of students and thanking all co-operation partners who participated in the project.

From the spring of 2012, more than 1,600 students of vocational schools from Tallinn and Ida-Virumaa took part in the project, acquiring skills for getting to know themselves, the labour world, career planning and necessary skills for succeeding in the job market. In the course of the project, all participants were able to pass 1-2 career education subjects.
According to a participant from Sillamäe, the courses were intense and interesting and the information was easily understandable and available: “The questions asked at the training were related to the job market, finding employment and the expectations of employers. Sometimes the discussions were held in the format of games and practical exercises were also solved in the course of the training.”

According to career counsellor Jelema Lohmatova, who held career education lessons for second year students of Sillamäe Vocational School, making video clips, Steve Jobs’s speech, a cartoon about motivation, perseverence and job interviews were most popular among the students. “There was also great interest in dealing with various contracts and the discussion on undeclared income. After the training, many youths asked about becoming an entrepreneur and whether it is worth establishing a company with their friends. There were a lot of questions about working abroad. The students liked sharing their thoughts, experiences of their parents and friends and their future plans,” Lohmatova commented.

Prior to the career education courses, 35 vocational school teachers and career counsellors went through methodical additional training on training students of Russian-speaking vocational schools. Also, the project resulted in the publication “Your Own Path” in two languages and employment data sheets in Estonian and Russian for subjects worked out by career guidance. Additionally, the publication “Career education guidebook for vocational schools” by the Innove foundation was adapted to Russian-speaking students and the additional teaching material “Integrating career education with practical training” was translated.

The project was carried out in 2011-2013 within the framework of the measure ‘The development of student-centered and innovative vocational education and broadening opportunities for lifelong learning’ under the priority axis Lifelong Learning, of the operational programme for Human Resource Development, funded by the European Structural Fund.

Additional information: Liilika Raudhein, co-ordinator of the Lifelong Learning Unit, phone 659 9841, e-mail Liilika.Raudhein@meis.ee

Project competition to increase civic awareness and tolerance of young people
Jana Tondi appointed head of multi-cultural education unit
Free support person service offered to foreigners that have recently come to Estonia

Project competition to increase civic awareness and tolerance of young people

Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) has announced a project competition through which altogether 31,960 euro will be allocated to improve civic awareness of 7–23 year old young people.

The aim of the competition is to extend the knowledge of pupils whose language of instruction is Estonian and Russian about Estonian society, recognise Estonian citizenship and being a citizen, maintain citizen’s day tradition and improve tolerance in multi-cultural organisations.

Events and materials regarding civic awareness and tolerance, including multi-cultural events, cooperation between young people from different ethnic groups, creation of thematic materials and aids, organised by non-profit organisations registered in Estonia, state authorities or local governments will be supported within the framework of the competition.

“Similar projects have been written and implemented during similar competitions since 2003 and pupils have organised joint events focused on various topics from quizzes celebrating the citizen’s day to tolerance-themed events and photo competitions during these years,” commented Toivo Sikk, coordinator of the MISA multi-cultural education unit.

According to Sikk, hikes introducing the topic of citizenship have been organised, meetings with interesting people from Estonia have been held, school newspapers have been published, photo boards and other various informative materials have been put together.

The deadline for project submission is 15 April at 16:00. Additional information regarding the requirements of the project competition and necessary documentation are available on the MISA home page.

Implementation of the competition is supported by the Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of “Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013”.

Further information: Toivo Sikk, MISA multi-cultural education unit, coordinator, tel. 659 9850, e-mail toivo.sikk@meis.ee

Jana Tondi appointed head of multi-cultural education unit

Jana Tondi works as head of the multi-cultural education unit of Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) from 20 March.

Jana Tondi has been working as a life-long education unit coordinator in MISA since 2010. She was responsible for the language learning activities financed from the European Social Fund and she coordinated additional Estonian language learning activities for public sector employees and students at higher education level.

Jana Tondi graduated from the Faculty of Philology of Tallinn Pedagogical University specialising in teaching Russian language and literature in Estonian schools.

She has worked as senior researcher at the Russian language department of Tallinn Pedagogical University, lecturer on the Estonian language as a foreign language at Narva College, and Narva College of the University of Tartu where she worked as head of the administrative unit and also as acting director.

Further information: Jana Tondi, head of MISA multi-cultural education unit, tel. 659 9069, e-mail jana.tondi@meis.ee

Free support person service offered to foreigners that have recently come to Estonia

With the help of the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA), support person services  are offered to third-country nationals that have been in Estonia less than three years.

The project “Support person service for integration of new immigrants in Estonia” (Tugiisikuteenus uusimmigrantide lõimumiseks Eestis - TULE) is designed for new immigrants that are third-country nationals, have been living in Estonia less than three years and have legal grounds for staying in Estonia.

With this project MISA wishes to strengthen the network of support persons and improve the capability and readiness of the state to provide the target group with the necessary support to integrate into and manage in Estonian society.

The project enables to offer support person services to at least 60 new immigrants all over Estonia with the help of support persons that have undergone the appropriate training.

“Johannes Mihkelsoni Keskus, the winner of the MISA project competition, provides the support person service which in addition to personal private counselling offers also an Internet-based e-counselling platform,” explained Ruslan Prohhorenko, coordinator of the MISA civic education and migration unit.

“Support person services is a new option in addition to an already well-established new immigrant adaptation programme and enables us to deal with people’s needs more individually. Support persons assist third-country nationals that have come to Estonia in finding information on different topics starting from education or Estonian language learning to medical care and social services,” explained Prohhorenko.

According to Prohhorenko, the support persons also introduce third-country nationals to Estonian society, way of life and culture and help them to adapt to life in Estonia.

“If necessary, psychological counselling is offered, help is provided in case there is a need for interpreting, they are aided in finding a job or in-service training opportunities and all necessary assistance is offered to make the transition to life in Estonia as smooth as possible,” said Prohhorenko.

You can find the e-counselling platform of the project for new immigrants here. The project lasts from 1 August 2012 to 30 November 2013.

The Integration and Migration Foundation Our People finances the project from the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals and the national budget through the Ministry of Culture. The project cost is 29,986 euro.

Further information about the support person service: Veronika Varep, project manager of Johannes Mihkelsoni Keskus, tel. 530 638 93, e-mail veronika@jmk.ee, home page www.jmk.ee

General additional information: Ruslan Prohhorenko, MISA civic education and migration unit, coordinator, tel. 659 9035, e-mail ruslan.prohhorenko@meis.ee

15th year of activity for Integration and Migration Foundation Our People
MISA funded the activity of 87 ethnic cultural societies with a grant round
An active training month awaits the teachers of Sunday schools of ethnic minorities
Drafting development plan “Integrating Estonia 2020” is about to begin

15th year of activity for Integration and Migration Foundation Our People

On 31 March, the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) celebrated its 15th year of activity.

MISA was established on 31 March 1998 under the name of Non-Estonians Integration Foundation. The organisation was called Integration Foundation between spring 2008 and the end of 2009. On 1 January 2010, the Integration Foundation merged with the Estonian Migration Foundation, founded in 1992. Since then, the merged organisation has carried the name Integration and Migration Foundation Our People.

The functions of the Foundation are to facilitate integration processes in Estonian society, coordinate activities related to inbound and outbound migration, publish relevant information and draw up reviews.

We would like to publish here a short version of the speech by two long-serving employees of MISA, Ave Härsing and Eda Silberg, which was delivered at the reception organised to celebrate the anniversary of the Foundation on 11 April. Ave Härsing worked in MISA from 1998 to 2012 and Eda Silberg was employed by MISA in 1999.

Ave Härsing: “In addition to the remarkable weather conditions, 31 March 1998 was important for Estonia for several other reasons, because on that very same day the accession negotiations between Estonia and the European Union commenced, led by the current President of the Republic of Estonia Toomas Hendrik Ilves, the then Minister of Foreign Affairs.”

Eda Silberg: “The 1990s were characterised by the rapid development of Estonian state and society in various areas and by the middle of the 1990s it was clear that the time of illusions had come to an end – the hopes harboured by non-Estonians that the non-Estonians living in Estonia would be automatically granted Estonian citizenship and the bilingual state would continue to exist were crushed. As ended the hopes of Estonians that non-Estonians would leave Estonia or that they would learn the Estonian language quickly and this would resolve all problems.

A lot more attention was given to the topics related to teaching the Estonian language and integration at the beginning of the 1990s. The first Estonian language teaching programmes with the assistance of the EU Phare programme were implemented in the middle of the 1990s. Initiatives were many then but they lacked a common goal and it was difficult to coordinate them. A clear need for a systemic national integration policy emerged, i.e. the need for reform of Russian language schools to integrate them into the unified educational system in Estonia, the separation of Estonian and Russian language media, the complicated socioeconomic situation in the northeast of Estonia that ensued after extensive reorganisations, etc. Here are some numbers for comparison: in 1999, there were 120 general education schools with Russian as the language of instruction and around 200,000 people whose citizenship was unspecified in Estonia. Currently, there are around 80 Russian-language general education schools and 90,000 people with unspecified citizenship.

Ave Härsing: “March has always been a time for pivotal events throughout the history of the Foundation. In 1997, the expert committee established by the Government developed the principles of integration policy, which brought fourth the future Foundation. It took less than three quarters of a year for the Foundation to be established on 31 March 1998. A year later, in March 1999, the Foundation was assigned the task of preparing the national integration programme, which was approved by the Government in March 2000. That was our first integration strategy.

Today, it may sound light and blithe that “oh, it was assigned this task” and then “oh, it was prepared” and “see, then it was already approved”, but in reality it was a stressful and painful time when social agreements were made and different ministries were brought together to work as a team.

When looking back on these 15 years and the two integration strategies now, there is no area that the kind helping hand of the Foundation has not touched, no matter how hard you try to find one.

Our projects cover every stage of a generation; they have followed Estonian people from their birth. For example, our cooperation with Tallinn Maternity Hospital in providing information on early bilingualism. Our activity has touched Estonian crèches and kindergartens, basic schools and upper secondary schools, vocational schools, universities, workplaces and retiree language clubs. It is likely that there is a separate shelf to hold all the materials created by MISA at the National Library of Estonia.

With our activities we have conquered every location in Estonia from Valga on the boarder with Latvia to Kopli peninsula, from the western shore of Saaremaa to Lake Peipus.

Language camps and school trips have taken participants to underground caves and to the heights of Munamägi, the highest point in Estonia, although it is now one metre lower. We have brought people to Estonia from every corner of the world and sent our people all over the world. Once we had a plan to mark every cooperation partner on a Regio world map with pins, but our plan failed, because the map was not visible under all the pins.

We have entered into all areas of life in Estonia, except for animal husbandry and the production of alcohol.

With its projects and cooperation, the Foundation has warmed hearts at Eesti Raudtee, Kreenholm and Silmet, in aviation and electronics industry, schools, hospitals, prefectures, prisons and local authorities. As regards different spheres of culture, we have supported all types of media, national culture and physical fitness, visual arts and literature, singing, dancing and theatre.

We should not end the list of the Foundation’s achievements with the theatre, because people tend to remember only the last part of a long speech. Then what they will remember about MISA is that they are putting on a show! So what good has this hard work given us?!”

Eda Silberg: “I remember a speech by Paul-Eerik Rummo where he said that the key importance of the Foundation has been its role as a breeding ground and testing laboratory for integration ideas. Today we can say that most fields of our work such as language and citizenship training, support projects in the area of the labour market and supporting the identity of minorities have been expedient. While ministries or other foundations have continued with these activities on a larger scale, some of the activities have remained part of the Foundation’s activity programme. For example, the organisation of Estonian language camps, supporting the projects of the societies of ethnic minorities, projects to increase the mobility of labour market and many other tasks”.

Ave Härsing: “In our opinion, the Foundation has its place in the arena of integration as the main professional driver of bold and novel initiatives and this characteristic can be considered the strength of MISA, now and in the past. When we think about it, we have what we need to go forward.”

Eda Silberg: “The value of the Foundation has not been and is not in beautiful premises and modern laptops, but in the people who have been working and will continue to work to improve our society, so that it is more tolerant and offers equal opportunities.”

Ave Härsing: “We feel that it has been a privilege and an honour to be fellow travellers to exceptional people who have worked and are working at the Foundation. It has been a rare opportunity to know you, the people in the audience, to learn from you and together be of benefit to others. Without the years spent in MISA and the people, we would not be who we are today.”

Eda Silberg: “We believe that none of us will stop half way. Thank you and more power to all of us!”
  

MISA funded the activity of 87 ethnic cultural societies with a grant round 

According to the decision adopted by the assessment committee, the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) granted aid to a total of 87 ethnic cultural societies via 9 umbrella organisations. The total amount granted was 135,740 euro.

The results of the application round for base financing of cultural societies of ethnic minorities can be found on the MISA homepage.

The goal of the application round is to strengthen the activity of cultural societies of ethnic minorities as well as support the preservation and promotion of their ethnic cultural heritage and language in Estonia. An additional goal of supporting the activity of cultural societies of ethnic minorities is to draw attention to the multicultural aspect of Estonian society, introduce the specific features of traditional national cultures and inform Estonian society about the activities of the cultural societies of ethnic minorities. The grant round also helps to develop cooperation between the cultural societies of ethnic minorities and with Estonian cultural societies.

MISA will organise the second round of base financing of ethnic cultural societies in May. To keep track of MISA project competitions, please visit the homepage of the foundation http://www.meis.ee/konkursid.

The project competition is financed by the Ministry of Culture within the framework of “Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013”.

For more information, please contact: Kristina Pirgop, Coordinator, MISA Multicultural Education Unit, tel 659 9024, e-mail kristina.pirgop@meis.ee

An active training month awaits the teachers of Sunday schools of ethnic minorities

Two counselling meetings of the European Language Portfolio for the teachers of Sunday schools of ethnic minorities will be held on 8 and 11 May in Tallinn. In addition, training entitled “How to captivate a student?” will be held on 24 and 25 May.

The participants of the counselling meeting can recollect what they learned last autumn with the help of active learning methods, as well as exchange experiences and learn some new methods.

The European Language Portfolio includes generally accepted international standards for measuring and comparing the competence of different languages. The European Language Portfolio enables students to adequately assess their language skills, language learning needs and motivation.

The aim of the European Language Portfolio is to motivate students to expand and diversify their language skills and register their obtained language and cultural skills.

The participants of the counselling meeting will be the teachers that underwent the training introducing European Language Portfolio last autumn. The lecturers were Evelin Müüripeal, Leili Sägi and Merle Taggu. Altogether, 46 teachers can participate in the training.

A four-hour long training session entitled “How to captivate a student?” for 30 teachers will be held on 24 and 25 May in Tallinn. During the training, a sample language class will be given and the participants will be learn how to involve students in the learning process and command their attention. The training will be held by Evelin Müüripeal. Teachers of Sunday schools registered as hobby schools in the Estonian Education Information System are being primarily sought as participants in the training.

The deadline for registration for the training is 15 May. The organisation of the training is financed by the Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of “Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013”.

For more information and registration, please contact: Kristina Pirgop, Coordinator, MISA Multicultural Education Unit, tel 659 9024, e-mail kristina.pirgop@meis.ee

Drafting development plan “Integrating Estonia 2020” is about to begin

The working party of the development plan “Integrating Estonia 2020” has completed the first stage of drafting the plan, i.e. mapping the situation, and is about to start drafting the development plan. The summaries of working parties addressing specific topics that mapped the situation can be found at www.integratsioon.ee.

“In February and March, 15 working parties gathered, the objective of which was to get an overview of the problems in the area, possible solutions and connections with other policy areas,” said Anne-Ly Reimaa, Undersecretary of Cultural Diversity of the Ministry of Culture. According to Anne-Ly Reimaa, the steering group now has an overview of the current situation and problem areas, based on which the focal points of the new development plan for the period of 2014–2020 will be defined.

The summaries of all working parties are posted on integratsioon.ee, a page that introduces the drafting process of the development plan. Overviews about integration indicators in Estonia, the European Union and selected member states; integration terminology; target groups and stakeholders in the field of integration; the situation of Roma people in Estonia; the practice of integration contracts in Europe; and studies and surveys conducted in the field of integration in 1998–2012 in Estonia have been freshly posted to the page.

Most of the mentioned surveys and studies have been carried out by the Institute of Baltic Studies, together with one by SA Poliitikauuringute Keskus Praxis. A working document that supports preparing the new integration plan, entitled “Theoretical assumptions of and current conceptual trends in the integration process” written by the politics professor Raivo Vetik, is also made available on the webpage. 

All surveys can be found on the webpage and summaries of working parties addressing specific topics can be found here.

The steering group of the integration plan consists of representatives of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, State Chancellery, SA Innove, the Police and Boarder Guard Board, the Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People. The “Integrating Estonia 2020” development plan will be completed by the end of this year.

The government approved the proposal for drafting the development plan in autumn 2012. The drafting of the development plan is coordinated by the Ministry of Culture.

For more information, please contact: Anne-Ly Reimaa, Undersecretary on Cultural Diversity of the Ministry of Culture, tel 628 2217, GSM 522 3305, e-mail anne.ly.reimaa@kul.ee   

Nearly 50 children received their certificates of citizenship at the Open Air Museum
The work of 27 Sunday Schools were financed via MISA in this school year
MISA presents the results of a study on the effect of language learning development programmes
In-service training programme for teachers of vocational educational institutions is coming to an end

Nearly 50 children received their certificates of citizenship at the Open Air Museum

A festive family information day was held on Sunday, 2 June, at the Estonian Open Air Museum, where Laine Randjärv, Vice-President of the Riigikogu, presented the certificates of citizenship of the Republic of Estonia to nearly fifty children.

The family information day, which has been organised several times in the past, has become a tradition with which the Estonian state remembers its new citizens.

“It is easy to apply for Estonian citizenship for a child below 15 years of age. A child is not required to take the tests on the knowledge of the Estonian language, the Constitution and the Citizenship Act. If all other established conditions are met, it suffices that one parent lodges an application for acquiring the citizenship,” commented Kristi Anniste, Coordinator of the MISA Civic Education and Migration Unit.

“We encourage parents to use this opportunity because later on the procedures are more complicated and time-consuming. Over the years, MISA has offered adults free preparative courses for taking the citizenship test that have to take the tests, and we would like to continue with this in the future,” said Anniste.

More detailed information about applying for citizenship using a simplified procedure can be found on the MISA webpage. Interested parties can get information about free citizenship courses by writing to kodanik.kursused@meis.ee.

The informing project and organisation of free citizenship courses are financed by the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals and via the Ministry of Culture through the state budget within the framework of the “Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013”.

For further information, please contact: Kristi Anniste, Coordinator of MISA Civic Education and Migration, tel 659 9062, e-mail kristi.anniste@meis.ee

The work of 27 Sunday Schools were financed via MISA in this school year

27 Sunday Schools of Societies of Ethnic Minorities received support from the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) and the Ministry of Education and Research.

“During the school year, a total of 519 children studied and 72 teachers taught in those 27 Sunday Schools of Societies of Ethnic Minorities. 3–18 year old children and young people from Azerbaijan, Russian, Ukrainian, Uzbekistan, Ingrian-Finnish, Korean, Armenian, Lezgian, Kabardian, Georgian, Tatar and Belarusian origin got an opportunity to acquaint with the language and culture of their ancestors within the framework of supported activities, which is very important for the preservation of cultural traditions,” commented Kristina Pirgop, Coordinator of MISA Multicultural Education Unit.

“In most Sunday Schools the school year ends with an educational tour to various places in Estonia that help the pupils understand their own cultural background and connect with life in Estonia. In many cases, the tour goes to locations with several historical multi-cultural connection points that show the pupils how differences in cultures can enrich society,” said Pirgop.

For example, the pupils of Tallinn Russian Sunday School will visit Keila-Joa manor, where they can study the places that according to a popular belief inspired the creation of the anthem of the Russian tsar “God Save the Tsar!”.

“These trips help young people to be proud not only of their heritage but also the Estonian cultural environment. This is extremely important for the enrichment of Estonian society and improving the mutual understanding of people living here,” said Pirgop.

Viljandi Society of Friends of Russian Culture has planned to celebrate the successful school year with a trip for pupils and their parents to Haapsalu on 8 June. “The pupils of the Sunday School will go on a trip to Haapsalu with their parents, the aim of which is to introduce the pupils and their parents to Estonia and the traditions of Estonians and Russians. In Haapsalu, they will visit historic sights and the “Russian cottage” of the Russian Museum, but also Ilon Wikland Wonderland and Haapsalu Episcopal Castle,” said Sažida Jalak, Head of the Sunday School of Viljandi Society of Friends of Russian Culture.

The base funding of Sunday Schools of ethnic minorities is provided by the Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of the “Estonian Integration Strategy 2008–2013”.

For further information, please contact: Kristina Pirgop, Coordinator, MISA Multicultural Education Unit, tel 659 9024, kristina.pirgop@meis.ee

MISA presents the results of a study on the effect of language learning development programmes

Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) presents the results of the effect of language learning programmes financed from the European Social Fund. The presentation will take place in the National Library of Estonia on the 25th of June at 11.00 a.m.

A study on the effect of the European Social Fund financed programmes “Development of Language Learning 2007–2010” and “Development of Language Learning 2011–2013” contracted by MISA and conducted by Saar Poll OÜ will be completed in the beginning of June.

“The goals of the study were to summarise the activities performed over six years and provide an input for future initiatives that are important for the development of language learning. During the study, documents related to the programme were analysed, the target groups of the programmes were surveyed, and experts and service providers were interviewed,” explained Eduard Odinets, Head of the MISA Lifelong Learning Unit.

“The main goal of language learning development programmes is to ensure equal opportunities for obtaining education and coping in the labour market for all Estonian residents, regardless of their mother tongue, age or nationality. The target group of these programmes consists of people that do not know Estonian sufficiently, including pupils of vocational schools, students, teachers, public sector employees and many others. The study gives us an overview on how the activities implemented so far have helped people and what new approaches are necessary to be taken in future,” added Odinets.

The study is carried out from December 2012 to June 2013. If you wish to participate, please contact Maria Ratassepp (maria.ratassepp@meis.ee).

For further information, please contact: Maria Ratassepp, Coordinator, MISA Lifelong Education Unit, tel 659 9068, e-mail maria.ratassepp@meis.ee
 

In-service training programme for teachers of vocational educational institutions is coming to an end

In June, 30 teachers of vocational schools that were given the opportunity to improve their knowledge in a school with other language of instruction will complete their in-service training programme at vocational educational institutions.

During in-service training, the teachers can develop their professional and linguistic skills, communicate with colleagues, and participate in cultural events. The in-service training programme is organised with the assistance of the European Social Fund by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) in cooperation with vocational educational institutions in Estonia.

“In-service training as one type of continuing education is organised for the teachers of vocational educational institutions with Russian as the language of instruction in Estonian-language vocational educational institutions and the teachers of vocational educational institutions with Estonian as the language of instruction in Russian-language vocational educational institutions. The teachers upgrade their skills in a school with the other language of instruction over 12 days. In addition, support persons assist the teachers before, during and after their in-service training in sending as well as hosting educational institutions,” described the in-service programme Eduard Odinets, MISA Lifelong Education Unit.

In June, the last teacher will complete this stage of in-service training and so 30 teachers will have taken part in the in-service training since January 2013. The teachers whose mother tongue is Russian and who teach in Russian schools used the opportunity for in-service training most, but there were also teachers whose mother tongue is Estonian that participated in the programme to take an opportunity to be in a Russian language environment. The final event of the in-service training programme will be held on 19 June at Tallinn Flower Pavilion.

“Being in an Estonian language school and in an Estonian language environment was extremely important for me,” said Natalja Tarassova, the teacher of cooking at Sillamäe Vocational School, who took part in the in-service training in Tallinn. “I had the opportunity to practice Estonian and learn new professional skills; I experienced Estonian culture and met Estonian people. The people in the hosting school were warm and knowledgeable.”

An opportunity to partake in in-service training is still open for teachers who have not yet informed about their wish and both schools and teachers can inform MISA of their interest. “It is important to stress that the Estonian teachers are not required to know Russian, because they enter into another language environment with the aim of participating in the study work of the school as the carriers of Estonian language; therefore, teachers whose mother tongue is Estonian are very welcome in the programme,” noted Odinets.

Teachers and schools interested in the in-service training can inform Maria Ratasepp, Coordinator of MISA Lifelong Education Unit, of their wish to be a sending or hosting school via e-mail address maria.ratassepp@meis.ee or telephone 659 9068.

The in-service training of teachers of vocational educational institutions is organised within the framework of the “Development of Language Learning 2011–2013” programme financed by the European Social Fund.

For further information, please contact: Maria Ratassepp, Coordinator of MISA Lifelong Education Unit, tel 659 9068, e-mail maria.ratassepp@meis.ee