Mirjam Kuuse

I graduated from Tallinn University in 2009 with a degree in Estonian philology. Later I have been developing myself in the field of andragogy and teaching Estonian as a foreign language in Estonia.

For the last 20 years I have been giving private lessons to people with different levels of language proficiency. I have prepared school students and adults for examinations and worked as a teacher of Estonian language and literature in general education for 6 years. For the last 5 years I have been teaching Estonian to adults at A1-C1 level. I have had the most learners at B2 level. I have had individual learners as well as language groups with different levels.

I teach Estonian in both contact and online learning. In the first lesson, I set goals and objectives with the learners.This helps me to understand what the learners’ expectations are. If I feel that there are not enough exercises for the topic being studied and that it needs more repetition, I create additional materials myself. If necessary, I change and update them. I will share useful web links during lessons. I like to play games with the students in class because I believe that purposeful play is a fun and useful way for students to learn a language. In addition, I do a lot of group and pair work in lessons, which gives learners the opportunity to learn Estonian from their peers. In addition to teaching grammar, I also pay attention to teaching Estonian culture, because I believe that culture and language go hand in hand. 

Speaking can be the most difficult skill for some learners, so I put a lot of emphasis on developing this. By being positive and friendly myself, I create a relaxed atmosphere where everyone’s thoughts are welcome. I encourage learners to ask questions if something is not clear. I find and think of interesting real-life topics to talk about in class. Everyone can say a few sentences in class about something exciting that has happened in their life, and we can also celebrate together when something great has happened. I believe that a lesson should not be a monologue by the teacher, but rather that the learners are the more active part of the lesson.

I really like my job because I love our singing fairy language. I’m happy that I can bring this secret language a little closer to others and make it more understandable.