Emakeelne kõrgharidus – emakeele edasikestmise tingimus
Higher education in one’s mother tongue – a prerequisite for the continuity of the Estonian language

Summary/Abstract: The article provides an overview of the legislation and strategies in the Republic of Estonia, the purpose of which is to secure Estonian-medium higher education, as well as some diffi culties with regard to their implementation (young people leaving Estonia for studying abroad, infl ow of international students, use of foreign languages by non-Estonian lecturers and in dissertations, and scarcity of Estonian-language textbooks). The article explains the actions of the state in the preservation of the Estonian language in higher education. The main focus is on the content, goals, and results of two state-funded programmes (publication of Estonian-language university textbooks and support of Estonian-language terminology). The article brings some examples of similar efforts in Hungary and Finland. The author points out an increase in language awareness in Sweden and Germany. One has to admit that in order to preserve the Finno-Ugric languages as languages of science, one has to constantly motivate young people and to stimulate the creation of native-language terminology.

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