cohesion - European Centre for Modern Languages

14. Teacher in-service training for minority language
teachers: an Estonian example
Maie Soll
Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia
In Estonia, as in many other countries, one of the roles of educational institutions is to
support the development of the national and ethnic identities of their students. The
shaping of identity is a continuous process and it is influenced by many factors. A
crucial role in this process is played by language. Language knowledge ensures access
to the historical and cultural heritage and experience and gives students the possibility
to communicate with representatives of their own – or other – cultures.
Earlier studies have indicated that representatives of these minorities who have a
connection with the culture of their ethnic country of origin and majority group will
experience less stress in their psychological and social adaptation and will develop a
balanced cultural identity (Schönpflug 2002, Verkuyten 2005). The ability to speak
one's native language is an important factor in the formation of ethnic identity,
particularly among minorities, where the surrounding cultural environment does not
directly support the process.
The languages in Estonia and in education
Representatives of around 100 different nationalities reside in Estonia. Given the
overall population of the country (approximately 1.4 million), their numbers are small.
The largest language minority groups (2007) are Russians (344,280), Ukrainians
(28,158), Belarusians (16,133) and Finns (11,035); 98% of all language minorities
speak Russian as their first language.
Legislation on education in Estonia allows for the creation of schools with any
language of instruction at the level of basic education. In reality this translates to 17%
of all schools having Russian as a language of instruction alongside Estonian and three
schools also teaching in English.
Native language and culture studies are offered by national minority culture societies,
which are supported by the state. The number of schools supported in this way differs
from year to year. The languages represented are Uzbek, Russian, Ukrainian, Azeri,
Dagestani, Chuvash, Kyrgyz, Finnish, Hebrew, Turkish and Armenian.
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