{"id":93370,"date":"2026-09-21T15:34:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T12:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/multilingua.ee\/opetaja\/maria-kass\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T22:09:48","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T19:09:48","slug":"maria-kass","status":"publish","type":"tribe_organizer","link":"https:\/\/multilingua.ee\/en\/teacher\/maria-kass\/","title":{"rendered":"Maria Kass"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I am a philologist by training and have been teaching Estonian as a foreign language for over ten years. During this time, I have helped learners from a wide variety of countries and cultures \u2013 from those taking their very first steps with the Estonian language to those preparing for proficiency exams or wishing to express themselves more confidently at work and in everyday life. \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">I have continually updated my skills through training courses on teaching Estonian as a foreign language, and I have also learnt a great deal from my students. I believe that a good teacher is a life-long learner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">My lessons are playful, varied, and full of improvisation. I consider speaking to be the most important aspect \u2013 because language is, first and foremost, a means of communication. My aim is to create a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere in the classroom, where making mistakes is not a problem but a natural part of the learning process. \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f\u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As well as the language, I\u2019m interested in Estonian history, culture and traditions, and I\u2019m happy to incorporate these topics into my lessons. For me, language isn\u2019t just a set of grammatical rules \u2013 it\u2019s a way of understanding people, their way of thinking, and the world. \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f \u202f <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">And finally, a promise: in my lessons, you can make mistakes, laugh and ask as many questions as you need to. The only thing I don\u2019t want to hear in my lessons is the phrases \u2018I don\u2019t know Estonian!\u2019 or \u2018Estonian is so difficult!\u2019. Usually, these are soon replaced by the joyful realization: \u2018I can already speak a little!\u2019 \u2013 and from there on, learning goes much more smoothly.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:false,&quot;134233118&quot;:false,&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I am a philologist by training and have been teaching Estonian as a foreign language for over ten years. 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