The best way to learn Estonian is a mix: mostly Estonian you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Estonian you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Estonian Work Best?
Reading and listening to Estonian at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| Shows, radio and the news | Estonian at natural speed | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Why the end of a word changes | Patterns that confuse you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Estonian for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Live in EstoniaRead and hear Estonian about everyday life most of the time, such as shopping and visits to the doctor, and practice those talks with a teacher.
- Pass the Estonian Language ExamRead and listen at your level most of the time, and try the sample tasks on harno.ee, the official exam site, as the test gets close.
- Work in EstonianRead and hear Estonian about your field most of the time, and practice the polite teie (you) with a tutor.
- Travel to EstoniaSpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering food and getting around, and say each one out loud.
- Watch Estonian ShowsPut most of your time into listening, starting with podcasts made for learners and moving on to series on Jupiter, ERR's free streaming site, with Estonian subtitles when a show has them.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Estonian.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Keeleklikk for a course or Sõnaveeb for grammar, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in a few rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Estonian lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| A course for the basics | Keeleklikk to A2, then Keeletee to B1, both made in Estonia | Ling, whose short lessons come with grammar tips |
| Reading and listening at your level | The Estonian with Eli podcast for beginners, and the week's news in simple Estonian on Lihtsad uudised | Bubblegum, Fluent Fiction or Language Player |
| Shows, radio and the news | Jupiter for shows and the Eesti Raadio app for radio, both from ERR | Readlang for Estonian web pages you choose |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A language exchange on HelloTalk, or the Integration Foundation's Language Friends program if you live in Estonia | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Grammar | Sõnaveeb from the Institute of the Estonian Language, which shows the forms of a word | Speakly, whose lessons come with grammar explanations when you need them |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you away from real Estonian sentences you can follow.
- Reading Estonian Like EnglishIn Estonian, j sounds like the y in yes, as in jah (yes), and the e at the end of tere (hello) is said too, so play the audio as you read.
- Word Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, such as Ma olen kodus (I'm at home), so each word comes with the ending it takes in a real sentence.
- Films You Can't Follow YetSave Estonian films for when you can follow a scene with Estonian subtitles on, and read and hear the week's news in simple Estonian before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Estonian with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher for speaking and corrections. Lessons with a tutor on italki or Preply are paid, so spend that time talking, and do your reading and listening on your own. If you live in Estonia and have an Estonian personal identification code, the courses from the Integration Foundation come with a teacher and are free.
Should I learn Estonian grammar first?
No. Start reading and listening right away, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after Ma elan Tallinnas (I live in Tallinn) and Ma töötan Tallinnas (I work in Tallinn), it is easy to see that the s at the end of Tallinnas means "in."
Can I learn Estonian outside Estonia?
Yes. Keeleklikk, Lihtsad uudised and Sõnaveeb are free online, and Jupiter works abroad too, though some shows are blocked. The official exam is held in Estonian cities such as Tallinn and Tartu, so plan a trip if you want the certificate.
Which Estonian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Estonian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Estonian app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- Education and Youth Board (Harno), Estonian language proficiency examinations (A2, B1, B2 and C1, with sample tasks; held in Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Jõhvi and Pärnu)
- Keeleklikk, free Estonian course from your first words to A2
- Keeletee, free Estonian course that continues to B1
- Integration Foundation, language learning (free Estonian courses for adults living in Estonia)
- ERR News: Estonian Language Friends program open for new learners
- ERR News: Lihtsad uudised, the week's news in simple Estonian
- ERR News: ERR opens new Jupiter streaming platform (watching abroad)
- Sõnaveeb, the language portal of the Institute of the Estonian Language
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, learn Estonian (free language exchange)
