Estonian distance learning diplomas

The Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (Inalco, Paris) is one of the few institutions in Europe to offer a distance learning formula for Estonian. This formula covers all the language courses in the "language and civilization diplomas" from first to fourth year (DLC1, DLC2, DLC3 and DLC4), i.e. grammar, text study and language practice courses (as well as the Estonian media course in 3rd year).

The courses take place over 26 weeks, from mid-September to mid-May. They represent around 6 to 7 hours of personal work per week and enable students to achieve proficiency level A2 at the end of the first year, B1 at the end of the 2nd year, B2 at the end of the 3rd year and C1 at the end of the 4th year.

More information on Estonian language teaching at Inalco

This course is designed for people wishing to learn Estonian in depth and acquire a solid knowledge of Estonia and its culture, without committing to the preparation of a national diploma. To acquire a good command of Estonian, corresponding to proficiency level C1, it is necessary to follow all four years of the curriculum.

First-year courses are designed for absolute beginners. No prior knowledge of the language is required. People who already have some knowledge of Estonian can apply for direct admission to DLC 2, 3 or 4, depending on their level (check with the course leader).

DLC1 and DLC2 Estonian studies

Semesters 1 and 2 / Semesters 3 and 4
Estonian grammar 1 and 2 / Estonian grammar 3 and 4
Study of Estonian texts 1 and 2 / Study of Estonian texts 1 and 2
Written and oral practice of Estonian and oral practice of Estonian 1 and 2 / Written and oral practice of Estonian 3 and 4
Study of Estonian texts 1 and 2 / Study of Estonian texts 3 and 4
One elective EC / One elective EC

DLC3 Estonian studies

Semesters 5 and 6
Estonian translation 1 and 2
Written and oral practice of Estonian 5 and 6
Estonian grammar 5 and 6
Estonian media 1 and 2
One elective EC

DLC4 Estonian studies

Semesters 7 and 8
Study of specialized Estonian texts 1 and 2
Written and oral practice of Estonian 7 and 8
Literary translation of Estonian 1 and 2
One elective EC

Each DLC semester includes one of the following courses:

• Introduction to Estonian culture 1 and 2 (recommended for DLC1)
• Estonian literature 1 and 2 (recommended for DLC2)
• Compared societies and political systems of the Baltic states 1 and 2
• History of the Baltic region up to the 19th century (odd-numbered semesters)
• History of Estonia and Latvia since the 19th century (even-numbered semesters)

The work is carried out mainly online, on the Moodle platform. This provides weekly access to a new lesson accompanied by audio recordings, self-correcting practice tests and short homework assignments. The homework is individually corrected by the teachers. Participants can ask teachers questions at any time and communicate with each other via the course forum or Moodle messaging system. Courses can also be followed by videoconference.

For knowledge assessment, full online continuous assessment is practiced for students who attend classes via videoconferencing. On-site terminal assessment concerns students who work on courses on Moodle without participating in the videoconference.