Research seminar in English studies: "Teaching English as a Foreign Language under Soviet Rule: Policies, Practices, and Paradoxes" (Prof Merilyn Meristo)

Abstract: 
This talk explores the development of specialised foreign-language education in Soviet Estonia within the broader framework of post-war Soviet educational reforms. In the context shaped by the Second World War and subsequent Cold War dynamics, foreign language learning, particularly English, gained strategic importance. While Soviet policies aimed to modernise language teaching, implementation remained constrained by limited resources, insufficient materials, and a persistent emphasis on grammar-translation methods. In Estonia, however, reforms were supported by a strong pre-war tradition of multilingual education, enabling the early establishment of specialised language classes in the 1960s.

These specialised classes differed markedly from mainstream schooling through earlier language instruction, increased exposure, smaller groups, and elements of content-based teaching in the target language. Despite operating within a centralised system, teachers demonstrated considerable agency by creating materials and collaborating in professional networks. The study highlights a paradox: specialised English-language education offered enhanced opportunities and motivation for learners, yet remained embedded in an ideologically controlled system. The Estonian case thus illustrates how local initiative and teacher collaboration fostered innovative practices within the constraints of Soviet educational policy.

Please register using this form by April 17.
 

The final research seminar in English Studies of the spring semester will take place on:

• May 6 – Prof Chiara Battisti (University of Verona): “Beyond the Clinic: An Introduction to Health Humanities, Narrative Medicine, and Graphic Medicine”

Further information:

Julia Kuznetski

Professor of English

School of Humanities, Tallinn University

julia.kuznetski@tlu.ee