Abstract:

This presentation focuses on learning Estonian in a computer-based tandem course at the University of Tartu. Impulses for the presentation came from the course “Estonian Conversation Course” that started at the University of Tartu in 2021. This presentation addresses the challenges the students face and aims to investigate the advantages and disadvantages of Internet-based language learning.

Estonian is one of the less–taught European languages belonging to the Finno-Ugric language family. Estonian is taught in various higher education institutions in Europe, America and Asia, in about 30 higher education institutions.

Estonian tandem courses were previously held face-to-face at the University of Tartu, but the spread of the pandemic and the growing need to provide foreign language learners with direct communication experience prompted us to seek new means of training.

The course is attended by language learners from different countries who communicate with students of the University of Tartu whose mother tongue is Estonian. Courses activities are structured around communication via social media and video conferencing.

Data to gain information about student’s opinions about the most difficult aspects of the computer assisted learning and the Estonian language was collected via a questionnaire survey.

Keywords:

Web-based language learning, computer assisted Estonian learning, Learning Estonian on-line, tandem learning.