Tallinn University’s summer course in Estonian Language & Culture: July 15 - August 2, 2013

Across the globe there are millions of people who can speak English, but only one million speak Estonian. The language is part of the Finno-Ugric group, related to Finnish and Hungarian. Tallinn University’s summer course in Estonian Language and Cultureoffers an opportunity to study an unusual and entrancing language, all amongst the backdrop of a well-preserved medieval city. The course aims to familiarize a wide range of international students not only with the Estonian language, but also with the country’s rich culture, history, art and lifestyle.

After a short written test, students will be divided into groups based on their initial proficiency in the Estonian language.

The courses will then foster skills at the following levels:

Beginner – students will develop basic Estonian communication skills and master day-to-day conversation. The course programme includes pronunciation practice, listening comprehension and easy communication.

Intermediate – students will further develop their speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar skills. The students should be familiar with basic Estonian structures. The course programme includes activities on various everyday-life situations.

The languages of instruction are Estonian and English and course materials are distributed during the course.

Timetable for language classes

09:30 – 11:00 Language lessons

11:00 – 11:30 Coffee break

11:30 – 13:00 Language lessons

In the afternoons following language classes, specialised lectures and discussions will take place, delving into aspects of Estonian culture, history, art, music, and traditions. Students will be presented with material that not only reviews and analyses Estonia’s past, but also its present social and political conditions. Read more about Cultural Programme

Further instruction outside of the summer period of the program is available through a follow-up online course offered by instructor Mall Pesti.

Participants

The course is suitable for students of all levels of competence in the Estonian language, from complete beginners with no practical experience to conversationally capable speakers.  The three week intensive course contains 60 hours teaching language. A total of 3 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits will be awarded for the combined linguistic and cultural elements of the program. In order to get the summer school certificate, students have to participate in at least 75% of the classes and pass an exam at the end of the course.

Course fee

420 EUR. For students 390 EUR. Price is not including textbook "E nagu Eesti" or "T nagu Tallinn".

Contact  Birgit Kirsimägi | birgitk@tlu.ee

Lastelaagrite konkurs / Stipendiums available for Estonian Children's Summer Camps

Annan teada, et Haridus- ja Teadusministeerium ja sihtasutus Archimedes kuulutasid välja rahvuskaaslaste programmi lastelaagrite konkursi.

Stipendiumi saavad taotleda noored väliseestlased, kes pole viimased kümme aastat Eestis alaliselt elanud. Üldjuhul võivad kandideerida 8-14 aastased lapsed, kuid vanus sõltub laagrist.

 

Taotlused tuleb esitada sihtasutusse Archimedes, esitamise tähtaeg on 01. mai 2013.

 

Täpsem info sihtasutusest Archimedes: julia.duh@archimedes.ee, tel +372 699 6496

http://archimedes.ee/stipendiumid/rahvuskaaslased/lastelaagrid/

 

Heade soovidega

-- 

Raina Reiljan

välisõppe koordineerija

Eesti Instituut

Suur-Karja 14

10140 Tallinn

Eesti

Tel +372 6314 355

http://ekkm.estinst.ee 

http://www.estinst.ee

Registration for Estonian Language Camps / Alanud on eesti päritolu noorte keelelaagrisse registreerimine

Dear friend of Estonia living abroad,

We are glad to inform you that this year as well, the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (www.meis.ee, hereinafter Foundation) will hold an Estonian language camp for young people of Estonian origin living outside the Republic of Estonia. These camps have been held since 2000.

Estonian language camps are held for youth of Estonian origin as part of the national “Compatriots Programme 2009-2013”. The programme is designed to support Estonians living outside the Republic of Estonia and promote cooperation. The language camps are traditionally held in Estonia. The camp is supported by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Research.

In summer 2012, there will be three separate camps for children between the ages of 13 and 18.

1) I camp: 26 June-6 July 2013, for campers who have weak Estonian language proficiency or lack proficiency altogether;

2) II camp: 9 -20 July 2013, for campers proficient in Estonian;

3) III camp: 30 July-10 August 2012, for campers with limited or good proficiency in Estonian. 

The camp will take place in different parts of Estonia.  

I camp at Merelaiu Puhkeküla by the sea in Pärnu County - http://www.hot.ee/m/merelaiu/

II camp on the southern part of Estonia at Annimatsi Camping in Otepää http://www.annimatsi.ee/ 

III camp at Venevere puhkeküla in Viljandi county - http://veneverepuhkekyla.eu/    

The camp selected:

• ensures an environment for Estonian language interaction;

• is quaint and child-friendly, with the necessary spaces for group activities, sports grounds, dining facilities and accommodations;

• conforms to the requirements of legislation established for camps, including health, food service and lodging, fire safety, medical care, lifeguard service, personnel requirements etc; 

• ensures that the children will have accommodation and three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner);

• ensures the necessary sanitary conditions (including hot water, WC);

• ensures that the children have the possibility of staying in touch with their parents or guardians as well as to be by themselves when they need to.

The primary goal of the camp is to expose the children to Estonian language studies and Estonian culture. It is important that the children at the camp be interested and motivated to learn Estonian and learn about the Estonian culture.

Registration for the camp will run until April 21, 2013.

If you are interested in having your son or daughter attend this camp in Estonia, we would welcome information on potential campers. We will make a selection of applicants based on the child’s language proficiency, motivation, age, country of residence, the amount of time they have lived outside of Estonia, number of times they have previously attended the camp and travel costs.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS:

Prospective participants in the Estonian language camp should:

a) fill in the registration form

b) write a brief explanation of why they are interested (included as a section of the form)

a) You will find the registration form on the Foundation’s website: 

b) The form includes the following data:

 

- First and last name of camp participant (as listed on the travel document)

- Date of birth

- Gender

- Place of residence

- Name and date of birth of parent or guardian

- E-mail (for both the applicant and the parent/guardian)

- Telephone (for both the applicant and the parent/guardian)

- Information about relatives with an Estonian background (father, mother, grandmother, grandfather. No need to list names.)

- Need for visa

Please contact Kaie Kullik in case you should have any questions:

> Kaie Kullik [mailto:Kaie.Kullik@meis.ee]

> Integration and Migration Foundation Our People

> Co-ordinator

> +372 6599 025

Online Estonian Language Course for English Speakers Launched

...The Estonian Ministry of Education and Research opened an online Estonian language course for English-speaking learners.

The course, called Keeleklikk, is a modern online Estonian course for beginners that is suitable for individual study and also for classroom use. Keeleklikk targets adult learners who want to learn how to communicate in everyday situations, spokespeople for the Ministry of Education and Research said. The e-course can be accessed at www.keeleklikk.ee .

The course consists of 16 comprehensive language learning units that include a total of 200 animations, over 100 videos that explain grammar, and roughly 1 200 exercises. Keeleklikk also features a real Estonian teacher with whom students can exchange letters via e-mail.

Keeleklikk is free of charge for anyone who wishes to use it. The launch of the English-language version was timed to coincide with Estonian Language Day, 14 March.

The project has been financed by the European Social Fund and the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research.

Sihtasutus Archimedes kuulutab välja rahvuskaaslaste programmi õppestipendiumi konkursi. / Archimedes Study Scholarships

Rahvuskaaslaste programmi stipendiumide väljaandmise eesmärk on toetada noorte väliseestlaste õpinguid Eesti avaõiguslikes ülikoolides, riiklikes rakenduskõrgkoolides ja kutseõppeasutustes. Programmi raames toetatakse õpinguid eestikeelse õppekavaga erialadel. Valituks osutunud stipendiaatidel tuleb enne õpingute algust sooritada eesti keele eksam. Kui taotleja eesti keel ei ole edukaks õppetööks piisav, alustab ta õpinguid eesti keele intensiivõppe aastast. 

 

Stipendiumi võivad taotleda kesk- või kõrgharidusega noored väliseestlased, kes pole alaliselt Eestis elanud vähemalt viimased 10 aastat. Erandkorras võivad stipendiumile kandideerida ka konkursi teistele tingimustele vastavad noored, kes on kantud Eesti õppeasutuste õpilaste/üliõpilaste nimekirja taotluse esitamisele eelneva aasta jooksul. 

 

Stipendium sisaldab elamis- ja reisitoetust,  vajadusel kaetakse õppemaks, tervisekindlustus ja elamisloa riigilõiv. 

 

Stipendiumi taotlemiseks tuleb edastada:

• taotlus http://archimedes.ee/stipendiumid/rahvuskaaslased/oppestipendium/taotlusdokumendid/

• elulookirjeldus/CV;

• keskharidust tõendava dokumendi koopia, selle puudumisel väljavõtte keskkooli lõpu­klassi õpingu­tulemustest ja koopia eelviimase klassi tunnistusest. Magistrantuuri astuda soovijatel tuleb esitada kõrgharidust tõendava dokumendi koopia ning akadeemiline õiend, selle puudumisel tõend õppetulemuste kohta;

• passi isikuandmetega lehe koopia;

• sünnitunnistuse koopia;

• 2 soovituskirja (kohalikult eesti seltsilt, eesti kogukonna esindajalt, eesti keele või mõne teise aine õpetajalt, juhendajalt).     

 

Taotlused peavad olema laekunud hiljemalt 15. aprilliks 2013 posti teel aadressile:

Rahvuskaaslaste programm

Kõrghariduse arenduskeskus

Sihtasutus Archimedes

Koidula 13A

10125 Tallinn

Eesti

 

Põhjaliku info leiate SA Archimedes veebilehelt: http://archimedes.ee/stipendiumid/rahvuskaaslased/oppestipendium/

 

Kui on küsimusi, vastan meeleldi.

 

Lugupidamisega,

 

Julia Duh

________________________

Mobiilsusbüroo konsultant

Kõrghariduse arenduskeskus

SA Archimedes

Koidula 13a

10125 Tallinn

tel 699 6496

http://archimedes.ee/stipendiumid/

========================================================================

The aim of the scholarships administered by Archimedes and offered by the Compatriots Programme is to support the studies of young expatriate Estonians in Estonia’s public universities, national institutions of applied higher education and vocational education centres. Applications for scholarships are invited from young expatriate Estonians who have not resided in Estonia on a permanent basis at least during the last 10 years and who possess a secondary or higher education. Those students, who have studied in Estonia for less than 1 year and meet other requirements, can apply for scholarship in exclusive cases.

The programme will support successful applicants who wish to enroll for curricula taught in the Estonian language. If an applicant’s command of the Estonian language is insufficient to successfully cope with learning in that language, the applicant can request a grant to support his/her participation in an intensive Estonian language course prior to engaging in substantive studies under the curriculum chosen. The Compatriots Programme cannot support studies in languages other than Estonian.

The Council of the Compatriots Programme considers applications for scholarships once a year. The applications must be received at the Foundation Archimedes by April 15th at the latest. The Council will not consider any applications received after this deadline.

The contact person in relation to the scholarships of the Compatriots Programme at the Foundation Archimedes is Ms Julia Duh (julia.duh@archimedes.ee, phone +372 6996496 ).

ÜEKN stipendiumid õppeaastaks 2013-2014 / Estonian World Council scholarships for 2013-2014

ÜEKN-i Margot ja Herbert Linna nimelised stipendiumid on avatud eesti rahvusest üliõpilastele üle maailma, toetamaks nende õppimist ülikoolides ja kutsekõrgkoolides.

Stipendiaatidel on moraalseks kohustuseks omandatud teadmisi rakendada Eesti Vabariigi huvides. Stipendiumi määramisel arvestatakse õppetöö edukust ja ühiskondlikku tegevust eestluse edendamisel.

Stipendiumi suurus oleneb taotleja majanduslikust seisust ja taotletavast akadeemilisest kraadist või kutsest. Stipendiumi suurus on 1500 kuni 3000 USD.

Stipendium on ühekordne ja konkurss ei ole avatud neile, kes on varem saanud ÜEKN´i stipendiumi.

Sooviavalduse blankett koos juhistega on saadaval http://www.uekn.org. Kui võimalik, kopeerige blanketi eraldi word-failile enne täitmist ja ärasaatmist

Kui taotlemisega esineb raskusi, siis palume sellest teatada aadressil: aho.rebas@hm.ee või ahorebas@yahoo.se .

ÜEKN teeb lõplikud otsused stipendiumite kohta hiljemalt 1. septembriks 2013. Otsustest teatame ÜEKN koduleheküljelwww.uekn.org ja ka kirjalikult kõigile taotlejatele.

Stipendiumite väljamaksmiseks vajame stipendiaadilt tõendit, et ta on vastu võetud kooli, kus tal on kavatsus jätkata õpinguid. Stipendiumi komisjon ei tagasta temale saadetud dokumente. Stipendiumi komisjoni otsused on lõplikud.

Sooviavaldused palume saata allpool märgitud aadressile ainult lennupostiga, mis kannab hiljemalt 31. mai 2013 postitemplit. Hilinenud avaldustega ei arvestata.

 

Estonian World Council, Inc

P.O. Box 2205

Gaithersburg, MD 20886-2205

USA

========================================================================================================

 The Estonian World Council is accepting applications for the 2013-2014 academic year. Amounts will range from $1500 to $3000.  College students of Estonian background living anywhere outside of Estonian can apply by downloading an application at http://www.uekn.org.  

Applications must be mailed first class by May 31, 2013, to:

Estonian World Council, Inc

P.O. Box 2205

Gaithersburg, MD 20886-2205

USA

If you have any questions, please contact Aho Rebas at  aho.rebas@hm.ee or ahorebas@yahoo.se .

ÜEKN stipendiumid õppeaastaks 2013-2014

ÜEKN-i Margot ja Herbert Linna nimelised stipendiumid on avatud eesti rahvusest üliõpilastele üle maailma, toetamaks nende õppimist ülikoolides ja kutsekõrgkoolides.

Stipendiaatidel on moraalseks kohustuseks omandatud teadmisi rakendada Eesti Vabariigi huvides. Stipendiumi määramisel arvestatakse õppetöö edukust ja ühiskondlikku tegevust eestluse edendamisel.

Stipendiumi suurus oleneb taotleja majanduslikust seisust ja taotletavast akadeemilisest kraadist või kutsest. Stipendiumi suurus on 1500 kuni 3000 USD.

Stipendium on ühekordne ja konkurss ei ole avatud neile, kes on varem saanud ÜEKN´i stipendiumi.

Sooviavalduse blankett koos juhistega on saadaval http://www.uekn.org. Kui võimalik, kopeerige blanketi eraldi word-failile enne täitmist ja ärasaatmist

Kui taotlemisega esineb raskusi, siis palume sellest teatada aadressil: aho.rebas@hm.ee või ahorebas@yahoo.se .

ÜEKN teeb lõplikud otsused stipendiumite kohta hiljemalt 1. septembriks 2013. Otsustest teatame ÜEKN koduleheküljelwww.uekn.org ja ka kirjalikult kõigile taotlejatele.

Stipendiumite väljamaksmiseks vajame stipendiaadilt tõendit, et ta on vastu võetud kooli, kus tal on kavatsus jätkata õpinguid. Stipendiumi komisjon ei tagasta temale saadetud dokumente. Stipendiumi komisjoni otsused on lõplikud.

Sooviavaldused palume saata allpool märgitud aadressile ainult lennupostiga, mis kannab hiljemalt 31. mai 2013 postitemplit. Hilinenud avaldustega ei arvestata.

 

Estonian World Council, Inc

P.O. Box 2205

Gaithersburg, MD 20886-2205

There is a European Sauna Race every year!

Six hundred people in Otepaa, Estonia, got together on Sunday to race from sauna to sauna in below-freezing temperatures.  

Read the story and view more photos here:  http://www.buzzfeed.com/

eesti keele õppe projekt

Täiskasvanute keeltekool Sugesto viib Euroopa Haridusprogrammi Grundtvig raames 2013. a läbi nädalase (25.06.-02.07.2013) eesti keele intensiivkursuse, mis on mõeldud Euroopa Liidu kodanikele või seal õppivatele ja ajutiselt elavatele muudest maadest eesti keele huvilistele. Kursusel osalejatel peaks olema juba mõningane eesti keele oskus (tasemel A2) ja nende eesmärgiks täiendada ja praktiseerida eesti keelt Tallinnas. Kandideerida saavad ka eesti juurtega täiskasvanud. 

Kursus, sõit Eestisse ja elamine Tallinnas on õppijale tasuta!

Manuses on põhjalikum info kursusest ja osaleja registreerumisvorm. Täpsemat infot saate kirjutades aadressil info@sugesto.ee

Kandideerimistähtaeg on 01. veebruar 2013.

Lugupidamisega,

Monika Veisson

Keeltekool Sugesto direktor

-- 

Raina Reiljan

välisõppe koordineerija

Eesti Instituut

Suur-Karja 14

10140 Tallinn

Eesti

Tel +372 6314 355

http://ekkm.estinst.ee 

http://www.estinst.ee

Tallinn, land of startups and Skype, is making an epic transformation

By Kalpana Sunder, Oct 28, 2012. The author is a Japanese language specialist, blogger and travel writer based in Chennai, India.

Read the article here.  Very interesting impressions of Tallinn from a foreigner's perspective.

Woodrow Wilson International Center East European Studies Scholarships

East European Studies of the Woodrow Wilson Center and the National Council for Eurasian and East European Research are soliciting applications for various research scholarships in East European studies. 

Eligibility: These scholarships are available to U.S. citizens. While Southeast Europe remains a primary focus, projects on Central Europe and the Baltic states are again eligible. Projects should focus on fields in the social sciences and humanities including, but not limited to: Anthropology, History, Political Science, Slavic Languages and Literatures, and Sociology. All projects should aim to highlight their potential policy relevance.

Applications Deadlines:

East European Studies Research Scholarships and Grants Application Deadline: December 1, 2012 

East European Studies Short-Term Research Scholarships Application Deadline: December 1, 2012 

East European Studies Summer Research Scholarships Application Deadline: March 1, 2013 

East European Studies Junior Scholars' Training Seminar Application Deadline: April 15, 2013

Details and applications are at www.wilsoncenter.org/fellowships-grants, or contact: 

East European Studies

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

One Woodrow Wilson Plaza

1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004-3027

email to: European.Studies@wilsoncenter.org

Estonian Students Fund in USA

The Estonian Students Fund in USA is hoping to reach greater numbers of 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation Estonian-Americans. Scholarship amounts can range from $1,500-$5,000 depending on the applicant’s background, financial need, grades, etc. The applicant’s interest and participation in the Estonian-American community are also taken into account as are basic Estonian language skills (though this is not a requirement). 

The Fund also provides special scholarships to those US-born students who wish to study in Estonia for a semester, a year or longer. 

Information about the Estonian Students Fund in USA can be found online at www.esfusa.org. The scholarship application is posted to the website.

Applications for the 2013/2014 academic year will be accepted beginning December 1, 2012. 

Also, for those who use Facebook, the Fund has a page there that can help keep you informed about news, deadlines and other relevant information from ESF. Simply log on to Facebook, search on “Estonian Students Fund in USA” and give us a “Like”.

"Kati and Me" Video Causes Sensation on the Net

Published: 02.11.2012 13:39, ERR News

"A Canadian film clip introducing Estonia has become the focus of the nation's YouTube watchers, earning an unusually high number of views late this week. Produced by Toronto couple Kim Bagayawa and Mike Dell, "Kati and Me" is a seven-minute film that follows the pair's discovery of Estonia by virtue of befriending their Estonian housemate and later traveling to the country. In a simple and endearing style, it presents basic information about Estonia, painting it in a highly positive light.

The film took third place at the EstDocs documentary film festival in mid-October.

Though it was posted on YouTube weeks earlier, it had not garnered much attention until Thursday, the same day local media reported its internet success. Since then it has seen its number of views jump to over 27,000 (as of early Friday afternoon), a rare feat for material related to the small nation."

View the video

Estonian World - How Estonians See It

Estonian World is a London based online magazine founded in 2012 to write about cosmopolitan Estonians and their views, ideas, experiences and achievements. EW also writes about Estonia’s global success stories in technology, business and arts.  Here is the link to its homepage.

ESTOWEAR

Estonian handicrafts and design available at ESTOWEAR.

"Külakiik" project in Wisconsin funded by Kickstarter.

"Külakiik - the Village Swing" was fully funded by contributions to Kickstarter this summer.  The swing was built on a farm in Gays Mills, Wisconsin, as part of a new public sculpture park.  Read more about the project and about külakiigud.

Foreign Ministry to Share Travel Info in Facebook / Välisministeeriumi jagab Facebookis reisiinfot

The Foreign Ministry’s “Foreign Ministry Web Consul” page was launched in Facebook today. On the page www.facebook.com/veebikonsul, officials from the Foreign Ministry’s consular department share information regarding travel and consular services and answer questions. In a crisis situation the page will be used to provide updates and advice.

Lehel www.facebook.com/veebikonsul jagavad välisministeeriumi konsulaarosakonna töötajad reisiinfot ja konsulaarteenuseid puudutavat teavet ning vastavad inimeste küsimustele. Samuti jagatakse seal vajadusel nõuandeid ning infot kriisiolukorras.

"Estonia and the Wisdom of the Ages"

From Science and Culture Blog by Stuart Kauffman, National Public Radio (NPR) staff, June 4, 2012:

"The boat is shallow draft, some 40-feet long and 18-feet of beam, tar pitched, almost clinker built, wide on the Mother of Rivers, the Emajõgi. For 600 years these boats, with their single square sails, plied the Mother of Rivers from Estonia half way to Moscow with spices, returning with furs.

The last of these boats worked some 70 years ago. A federation of Estonians have gathered lost knowledge and built just one, wide on the river, easing its way, Estonian pastries for the guests, of which I am one. Magic."  Read entire blog and reader comments.

YouTube Presentation on Estonia

Fun intro to Eesti...  Amateur student video by "Mr. Melomaan."

Estonian Embassy in Washington

Embassy of Estonia in Washington, DC - www.estemb.org.

2131 Massachusetts Av., NW 

Washington, D.C. 20008 USA  

tel. (1 202) 588 0101   

fax (1 202) 588 0108  

e-mail: info@estemb.org 

The embassy is open:  

Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.   

The embassy is closed on weekends and official Estonian holidays.