Estonian Language and Identity
Course code
EKK7410.HT
old course code
Course title in Estonian
Eesti keel ja identiteet
Course title in English
Estonian Language and Identity
ECTS credits
6.0
Assessment form
Examination
lecturer of 2025/2026 Spring semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
lecturer of 2026/2027 Autumn semester
Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.
Course aims
Creating an understanding of basic concepts in sociolinguistics and multilingualism research in the context of the Estonian language and Estonian ethnolignuistic identity.
Brief description of the course
Basic overview of relations between Estonian language and Estonian identity. Language and society, language variation and change, individual and societal multilingualism. Sociolinguistic periodization of Estonian. Language planning and ethnolinguistic identity. Overview of varieties of Estonian, contacts and future perspectives. The dialogic identity formation: collective vs individual identity and actual vs declared identity in the Estonian context.
Learning outcomes in the course
Upon completing the course the student:
- knows basic concepts of sociolinguistics and contact linguistics; is able to apply them in the context of Estonian varieties and the formation of Estonian;
- characterizes the socioperiods of the Estonian language and relates them to broader social and cultural developments;
- understands the nature of language contacts, distinguishes their main processes, and illustrates them with examples from Estonian language contacts;
- analyses an individual’s cultural identity in relation to a wider cultural context and compares own experience with the social background of Estonia;
- applies methods of studying declared identity to reveal the phenomena and manifestations of actual identity;
- participates in discussions with well-founded arguments, connecting topics of language and identity to both theoretical approaches and personal experiences.
- knows basic concepts of sociolinguistics and contact linguistics; is able to apply them in the context of Estonian varieties and the formation of Estonian;
- characterizes the socioperiods of the Estonian language and relates them to broader social and cultural developments;
- understands the nature of language contacts, distinguishes their main processes, and illustrates them with examples from Estonian language contacts;
- analyses an individual’s cultural identity in relation to a wider cultural context and compares own experience with the social background of Estonia;
- applies methods of studying declared identity to reveal the phenomena and manifestations of actual identity;
- participates in discussions with well-founded arguments, connecting topics of language and identity to both theoretical approaches and personal experiences.
Teacher
Anna Verschik
Study programmes containing that course