Estonian high schoolers pair up to practice language skills

Järva Municipality launched a new high school elective this week that pairs Estonian-speaking teenagers in Järva County with students from Narva who are learning Estonian as a second language.

The program began in Paide when students from the two regions were randomly assigned to pairs. These language buddies will practice speaking Estonian together at least once a week before attending a final seminar in Narva in March. The initiative involves three schools in Järva County and three schools in Narva.

Each school contributes five students to the project, and every pair has a teacher mentor to monitor their progress. Students primarily use social media to stay in touch, though they also schedule video calls and in person meetings. The municipality hopes the project will build lasting friendships and eventually expand nationwide.

Piret Sapp, an education and youth work specialist for Järva Municipality, said the goal is for every high schooler in Ida-Viru County learning Estonian to have a language buddy in another part of Estonia within five years.