Do you know that people can learn Estonian in China? There are students studying Estonian since high school and in university for their bachelor’s degree! When the first time I heard about that, trust me, I was as surprised as you! What a unique choice!
Language is the most important tool for humans to communicate. The moment of understanding each other could help us in many ways. When I saw that some people could speak multiple languages, I truly admired their communication talent and their self-discipline. We all know how hard it is to learn a new language, but if you work hard enough, you will see progress.
The Estonian language is not that common to hear in other countries. However, by chance, I learned there is a group of Chinese students learning Estonian in China. I interviewed 4 Chinese students who studied Estonian in China, and currently study at the University of Tartu! It was so interesting to learn about their stories and share them with people.
Let’s get acquainted with these young talented students!
Both Juta (Yutao) and Kaspar (Yilin) have studied Estonian since high school. You might be wondering; how did that happen? A Chinese high school teaching Estonian? I learned that there is a study program named “7-year-program” from 2015 in Beijing, which is part of the “one-belt-one-road program”. There are other languages in this program as well such as Hungarian, Latvian, Romanian, Lithuanian and so on. Unfortunately, due to the difficulties of recruiting students, this program ended in 2020. For the Estonian language there are 2 classes in progress (class 2016 and class 2018). In class 2016 there are 12 students studying Estonian and 13 students in class 2018.
This 7-year-program is divided as 2+1+1+3. Students need to study in Chinese high school for 2 years, then exchange in Estonia for 1 year. After that, they need to go back to study in China for 1 year, then study in Estonia for 3 years. Afterwards, they can get their bachelor’s degree. What a big commitment! Only top students can join this program.
Juta (Yutao) studied Estonian in 2016 and Kaspar in 2018. I bet you want to know why they would choose to be part of the program! They have different stories. For Juta (Yutao), she has some family connections in Estonia, and she knows what she is getting into. For Kasper (Yilin) it is more like a new opportunity, life is just like that beautiful chocolate box, he never knows what is going to get. There is no doubt they are studying Estonian to achieve their dreams! If you want to study in the Estonian taught program in the University of Tartu, you need to get your Estonian language level at least to B2 level.
Right now, Juta (Yutao) is on her last year for Bachelor’s in Estonian. She also has a minor in Korean and Russian. Her Estonian is as fluent as the locals. Kasper (Yilin) is in his first year of Journalism and Communication, he got the C1 level when he applied to the program! That’s amazing!
Ülle (Yu) and Kadri (Jiaxuan) are studying Estonian for their Bachelor’s degree in China. They are studying at the University of Tartu as exchange students. Ülle (Yu) is also the reason I learned that there are students studying Estonian in China. She is very active in all kinds of student activities with all her curiosity and energy! I guess if you come to exchange for 1 year, you’d better do all you can! I could say studying Estonian is just destiny for her. In China, all the students have to pass the national exam (GAOKAO) to get into a university. She picked a bunch of universities she was interested in, and she got accepted by the Beijing International Studies University majoring in Estonian. Destiny it is!
Unlike Ülle (Yu), Kadri (Jiaxuan) knows she is going to pick Estonian as her major. Why? Because it is so unique! Not everyone wants to learn some common language, it is cool to learn something not that well-known. That makes her feel special! Language is not the only thing they learn in school. They also learn the culture, history, and geography of Estonia. Both Ülle (Yu) and Kadri (Jiaxuan) took the Estonian B1 level when I interviewed them. I hope they both passed it!
Learning Estonian in China is a totally different experience from learning it in Estonia. Since the language is a bit on the niche side, the study material is very limited. They only have 1 book for 2 years of study. In Estonia, they can get as many as they want! The studying atmosphere is also better in Estonia because every local could be their teacher. Of course, they are also facing some challenges in Estonia. Homesickness is something we always need to face as international students. Family, friends, and food are very important for all of us. For these Chinese students, they are unsure if they would stay in Estonia, but the experience of studying here would be always in their hearts.
As Kasper (Yilin) told me, language is the key to a country’s history and culture. Learning Estonian has helped him to adapt to life here. The best way to learn Estonian is to simply put yourself in the language environment and use it bravely!
In the end, I would like to thank Yutao, Yilin, Yu and Jiaxuan for interviewing with me. Their story really encourages me to try hard to learn the Estonian language, I hope it also can encourage you! All we need is to make the commitment!
