Katrin Tääker

I graduated from the Tallinn Pedagogical University as an Estonian philologist in 1987 and completed my studies in the Finnish language at Jyväskylä University in 1990.

I have worked as an Estonian lecturer at the Academy of Security Sciences and taught Estonian and Finnish in various companies. At the moment I teach Estonian for foreigners at the Estonian Entrepreneurship University of Applied Sciences and Tallinn University.

I have been working in Multilingua since 2016. I teach Finnish and Estonian on the basis of Russian and English language on the A1-C1 level, both in individual study and in groups.

From the university’s time, I remembered the statement by Professor Mati Hint that a language is primarily a communication tool. As a teacher, I have always tried to follow this truth. Language skills begin with communication, making yourself understood. Grammar only supports it. As a teacher, I am a positive and open communicator, and I expect that also from my students. A warm and supportive environment in the classroom makes language learning a very enjoyable activity. I like students who have a lot of questions and with whom we can discuss issues from around the world.

As an adult educator, I: 

• identify the needs and expectations of the study group; prepare and adapt teaching materials based on the curriculum/training programme;  

• create a physical, mental, and social environment conducive to language learning; support the learners, notice and recognise changes in the learners’ development, and respond to situations in the learning process in a supportive manner; 

• regularly collect feedback from the learners on the learning process; analyse the learning process, assess learners’ learning outcomes; 

• pay attention to my physical, mental, and emotional well-being, maintain a healthy work-life balance; engage in continuous professional development; update training content and teaching methods, revising and modernizing them as needed; 

• use relevant information and communication technology (ICT) tools (e.g., interactive smartboards, online platforms such as Zoom and/or Teams, ML information system, cloud services such as Google Drive and/or OneDrive, e-learning platforms, etc.) in the preparation, delivery, and evaluation of the teaching and learning process, as well as for supporting my own professional development; am able to create, use, and share web-based learning materials. 

I regularly participate in conferences and training events for language teachers.