All the native or fluent Estonian speakers are welcome to participate in the Language Friends programme to converse with language learners in Estonian as volunteer mentors. Please register by 6 February 2025 to confirm your willingness to help language learners.
‘Language learners are eager to find someone to converse with in Estonian. These conversations give learners the experience they need most – the courage to communicate in Estonian and the will to continue learning,’ said Ave Landrat, Head of the Language Friends programme and Head of Partnerships of the Integration Foundation. ‘The number of Estonian language learners is growing, which makes the support offered by Estonian speakers – communication in Estonian – even more vital,’ she added.
An Estonian language mentor’s role is to serve as a supportive conversation partner for learners looking to practice and improve their Estonian skills. To achieve this, the mentor will engage in weekly or more frequent conversations with the learner on topics of mutual interest for a period of three months (from 14 February to 14 May 2025). The conversation partners select a communication channel that works best for both (Messenger, phone, etc.).
The mentor should be a native speaker or have a very good command of Estonian and be willing to communicate with the language learner. The mentor will receive support from the Language Friends programme team, who will provide advices and materials.
The number of mentors determines the number of language learners who can participate in the Language Friends programme. Over the past five seasons, almost 2,700 mentors have participated in it. People of all ages, from all walks of life, and from many countries have contributed to the learning of the Estonian language.
Estonian language learners will be able to join the Language Friends programme from 7 February, when registration opens. The programme team will start bringing together mentors and learners on Valentine’s Day, 14 February. Language friends can communicate with each other until 14 May.
To participate as a mentor in the Language Friends programme, please register on the website of the Integration Foundation at https://integratsioon.ee/en/language-friends-program by 6 February at the latest. The website also lists information on the programme.
The Language Friends programme was initiated in 2020 by the Integration Foundation with the aim of bringing together language friends – Estonian language learners and volunteer mentors with excellent Estonian language skills – to converse in Estonian. In five years, a total of 5,365 people has taken part in the Language Friends programme.
