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Estonia participates in the work of the European Federation of National Institutions for Language (EFNIL) and many international language organizations (terminology, language technology, etc.).
Participation in the work of the European Centre for Modern Languages in Graz (Austria) allows us to shape the principles of teacher training, develop study materials, etc. The programme of the Centre for 2008–2011 includes, among other things, the issues of foreign language subject study, the quality of foreign language teacher training, the strengthening of foreign language teacher networks and the quality of language teaching.
Estonia is engaged in the work of the Network to Promote Linguistic Diversity (NPLD), which is aimed at exchanging information on the use and development of languages with a small number of users, harmonizing and presenting the positions on language policy of the EU and its organizations at various levels, and supporting project applications that promote linguistic diversity.
Cooperation with the Council of Europe will continue with a view to compiling an overview of the language education policy (language profile) of Estonia. The language experts of the European Council visited Estonia after the Estonian positions were presented in 2008. They met the representatives of different target groups, and submitted their opinions which will serve as the basis for preparing the joint positions and the final version of the document.
The work being done in cooperation with Finland and Hungary to support Uralic (Finno-Ugric and Samoyedic) languages corresponds to the national Kindred Nations Programme II (for the years 2005–2009). The programme comprises the issues of education, research, culture, information exchange, health care and protection of the environment. The programme has provided young people from Estonia’s kindred nations with study opportunities in Estonian institutions of higher education, has funded their participation in international research and cultural events, and has financed the publication of literature in the languages of our kindred nations (as well as translations from those languages into Estonian). The Ministry also finances the activities of the Paul Ariste Centre for Indigenous Finno-Ugric Peoples.
