Career project completed for working adults with limited Estonian language proficiency
New teaching materials for the work with immigrant students are complete
Professional Estonian language courses for public sector employees began
Additional Estonian language training for students at higher education level
Leaders of non-governmental organisations start language training
Career project completed for working adults with limited Estonian language proficiency
A celebratory thank-you event to acknowledge the participants of and contributors to the project “Career Study Courses for Working Adults with Insufficient Estonian Language Skills” was held in Jõhvi Concert Hall on 1 October.
Led by the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA), around 130 working adults who were given information regarding self-analysis, lifelong learning opportunities, the expectations of employers, career planning and many other skills required in the labour market participated in the courses that began in February of this year and comprised 34 academic hours.
To prepare the project and conduct the courses efficiently, MISA organised a methodology refresher course for 13 career counsellors, with the aim of improving their skills and knowledge in order to prepare them for the task with working adults that have a low level of education and insufficient Estonian language skills. The career counsellors included career information specialists from the Unemployment Insurance Fund, career coordinators from the information and advisory centres of Ida-Viru and Harju counties and career specialists from non-profit associations. The courses were held in Tallinn, Narva, Jõhvi, Sillamäe and Kohtla-Järve.
“We are especially grateful for the enthusiasm and commitment of these people, and, naturally, the strong desire of the participants to study after working hours was a positive surprise for us. In principle, employment may make a person comfortable and unwilling to make an effort to improve one’s set of skills, but there was a keen interest in the courses and the participants would have liked for the course to have lasted longer,” said Eduard Odinets, Head of MISA Lifelong Learning Unit.
“Feedback from the course participants indicates that they feel the course has helped them manage their work life, enabling them to maintain their motivation and passion for work. The course focused primarily on social skills and personal development, and this is the competence that requires constant developing and not for people to sit around until they are just about to lose their jobs,” added Odinets.
Mare Kannikka-Sibrits, a career counsellor who worked in Jõhvi, admitted that the participants’ wish to improve and engage in further development was great. “It was a source of enormous pleasure to see the motivation of working adults, and our entire cooperation was fantastic! Sadly, the employers’ attitude was not always supportive, although improving the competence of an employee who is capable of developing should also be beneficial for business owners,” said Kannikka-Sibrits. “After the course, most of the participants became more interested in their work and 75 per cent of the participants of my course expressed their strong intent to move forward and accept new challenges,” added the career counsellor.
The project was implemented within the framework of the measure “The development of learner-based and innovative vocational education and expanding the opportunities for lifelong learning” of the priority axis “Lifelong Learning” of the Operational Programme for Human Resources Development funded by the European Social Fund.
New teaching materials for the work with immigrant students are complete
The Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) has issued four new methodological teaching materials for schools where study students have arrived from abroad in recent years.
The collection of best practices
“A Student with a Mother Tongue Different to the Language of Instruction at School”is designed as a guidance material for teachers and heads of schools to support the teaching process of new immigrant students. The publication of the material was supported by the Ministry of Culture and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals. The collection is intended to be distributed free and it can be ordered through the MISA Multicultural Education Unit.
In addition, the Foundation has issued three new teaching aids that support Estonian language learning and subject learning in Estonian. The aid “Vocabulary for the subject lessons in basic school” is designed to be used by teachers of the Estonian language and other subjects to provide support in the language learning of students with a mother tongue other than the language of instruction. The material includes lists of word forms most frequently used in the basic school textbooks by subjects, together with examples of use. The compilation of the aid material was funded by the Ministry of Culture and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.
A collection of language learning games “Let’s Play and Learn the Language” includes 150 descriptions of language learning games and is designed for teachers to enliven the Estonian language learning process. For more information about the ordering of the collection, please contact Ave Härsing, Coordinator of the MISA Multicultural Education Unit (ave.harsing@meis.ee). The publication of the collection was funded by the Ministry of Culture and the European Fund for the Integration of Third-Country Nationals.
The teaching material that assembles interactive tasks to teach grammar and other skills is now available for all at the Internet environment LeMill.net. All of the exercises included in this e-collection can be adjusted to the level of language proficiency and the developmental needs of specific students, and they are intended to be applied in the educational process conducted in the Estonian language and in the second language. The teaching material was prepared with the support of the Ministry of Education and Research.
“Several materials that support the organisation of Estonian language learning or subject learning in Estonian for students that have arrived from abroad have been funded from the European Union Funds and the Ministries of Education and Research and Culture in 2010–2012. The materials do not strictly follow the subject syllabuses of the national curriculum but offer support to the new immigrant students at basic school level in learning Estonian and adjusting to life in Estonia,” explained Ave Härsing, Coordinator of the MISA Multicultural Education Unit.
MISA has previously issued an overview entitled
“Welcome to Estonian school!” about how the school system works in Estonia, which is available for everybody in Estonian, Russian and English in the MISA web library.
The materials supporting Estonian language learning and subject learning in Estonian include the e-learning material “Estonian Language in E-learning. Acquiring vocabulary” with a CD, a textbook “Write to Me” that helps improve writing skills, a collection of language development pictures on a CD “A Picture Becomes Words”, and a collection of listening exercises “Listen and Do” with a CD that have previously been published by the Foundation. A grammar exercises collection “Grammar? Yes, with Pleasure!” with a CD and a collection of reading exercises “Let’s Read Together” have also been published.
These materials are intended for free distribution to schools in which there are study students who have arrived from abroad to Estonia. For more information about the materials and how to order them, please contact Ave Härsing, Coordinator of the MISA Multicultural Education Unit.
For more information, please contact: Ave Härsing, MISA Multicultural Education Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9037, e-mail ave.harsing@meis.ee
Professional Estonian language courses for public sector employees began
In the current academic year, the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) facilitated the attendance of 160 public sector employees in Estonian language courses with the aim of improving their professional Estonian language and professional coping skills with support from the European Social Fund.
Within the framework of the activity “Language training for public sector employees” of the programme “Development of language training in 2011–2013” funded by the European Social Fund, ten courses for employees whose native language is not Estonian will be held from autumn 2012 to spring 2013.
At the end of September, language training commenced based on the successful proposals gathered during the second proposals round completed in spring. The first to begin refining their Estonian language skills were the employees whose native language is different than Estonian of those working in the Kohtla-Järve City Government and Narva Vocational Education Centre. In October, professional Estonian language training will begin for the employees of “Kakuke” kindergarten in Kohtla-Järve, Ahtme School of Arts, Narva Music School, Narva 6th School, Narva Vocational Education Centre, Virumaa College of Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn Lasnamäe School of Mechanics, and Tallinn School of Service. Altogether, 160 employees will improve their Estonian language proficiency. In 2012–2013, public sector language training is supported with around 60,000 euro.
“Language training that is organised based on the results of the proposals rounds has taken into account the wishes and needs expressed in the proposals submitted by the authorities, and the language training courses last 60–120 academic contact hours. During the courses, in addition to traditional language training, work-related language practical training will also be conducted in the form of study tours to the specific language environment or in-service training,” commented Eduard Odinets, Head of the MISA Lifelong Learning Unit. “The principle keywords regarding language training at the organisations are targeted and diversified language learning. When the proposals were assessed, special attention was given so that the activities achieve the required results and are motivating for the learners,” added Odinets.
“Up until now, language training courses have been conducted in 27 public sector authorities within the first proposals round in 2011–2012. From September 2011 to April 2012, a total of 640 public sector employees began to learn Estonian, of whom 479 improved their language in Ida-Viru County,” said Odinets, adding that as of September 618 (including 459 Ida-Viru County) out of 640 public sector employees have successfully completed language training. In 2011–2012, MISA supported public sector language learning to the tune of almost 190,000 euro.
For more information, please contact: Jana Tondi, MISA Lifelong Learning Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9069, e-mail
jana.tondi@meis.ee
Additional Estonian language training for students at higher education level
Almost 300 students of six higher education institutions will receive additional Estonian language training in the current academic year with the support of the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) and the European Social Fund.
Within the framework of the activity “Additional language training for students at higher education level” of the programme “Development of language training 2011–2013” funded by the European Social Fund, additional Estonian language courses for students of Estonian higher education institutions that have obtained their secondary education in Estonia and who wish to improve their Estonian language skills and specialised Estonian for their academic studies at higher education level will be conducted.
In this academic year, language training will be offered to students of education, art, social work, agriculture and information technology.
“Additional Estonian language programmes organised for students are compiled based on the proposals submitted by the higher education institutions. Additional Estonian language programmes are a supplementary part of the study programme in addition to advanced Estonian language training funded within the framework of state-commissioned education,” commented Eduard Odinets, Head of the MISA Lifelong Learning Unit. “This type of language training may last up to one year and is organised as summer and autumn schools that run parallel to the studies in the area of specialisation. Additional Estonian language courses and learning materials are developed and implemented in cooperation with experts,” added Odinets.
Additional language training commenced at the end of September in Virumaa College of Tallinn University of Technology, Narva College of the University of Tartu, Estonian University of Life Sciences and Tartu Art College and in October language training will begin for the cadets of the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences. Almost 200 of the learners will participate in the language courses in Ida-Viru County.
MISA supports the language training of students at higher education level based on the second proposals round with almost 80,000 euro.
In the first proposals round, 18 proposals were granted support, and language courses based on that round are still being conducted in the University of Tartu, Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences Mainor and EuroAcademy. In the 2011/2012 academic year, 347 students participated in the language training, of whom 252 students have completed their course by now.
For more information, please contact: Jana Tondi, MISA Lifelong Learning Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9069, e-mail
jana.tondi@meis.ee
Leaders of non-governmental organisations start language training
For the first time, the Integration and Migration Foundation Our People (MISA) facilitated the organisation of additional Estonian language training with the support of European Social Fund for managers and employees whose native language is not Estonian.
Within the activity “Language training for third sector employees” of the programme “Development of language training 2011–2013” funded by the European Social Fund, aid was given to MTÜ Vene Rahvuskultuuriliste organisatsioonide ühendus SADKO in Estonia, Rahvakultuuri Keskus and MTÜ Vähemusrahvuste Liit Balti Rand.
The proposal submitted by MTÜ Vene Rahvuskultuuriliste organisatsioonide ühenduse SADKO in Estonia contained the organisation of a 120-hour language training course for 14 employees of member organisations. In addition to language learning in a class setting, a trip with a cultural programme has been planned. MTÜ Vähemusrahvuste Liit Balti Rand offers additional language training for ten members of the management board who will improve their Estonian language skills by participating in a 120-hour language learning programme, which includes study trips and a joint culture evening to be organised together with the cooperation partners. Rahvakultuuri Keskus organises Estonian language training for the employees of culture associations of national minorities and associations that deal with young people, which allows them to develop the official language skills of 40 people in four study groups.
Within the framework of the activity, language training for third sector employees is offered to those paid employees or members of management boards of non-governmental organisations whose mother tongue is different than Estonian and who need language training to improve their professional coping skills at work.
For more information, please contact: Tea Kotkas, MISA Lifelong Learning Unit, Coordinator, tel 659 9061, e-mail
tea.kotkas@meis.ee
