Planning a trip to Estonia? I understand that you want to learn Estonian and downloaded Babbel, one of the best language-learning apps, but you didn’t know that there is no Estonian on Babbel. Don’t even think about trying Duolingo because there is also no Estonian on Duolingo.
However, there are five other language-learning apps where you can learn Estonian. We’ll recommend you the best apps to learn Estonian at the end of this article but first, let’s get to know the Estonian language better, shall we?
Page Contents:
- About The Estonian Language
- Where Is Estonian Spoken?
- Ethnicity Of Estonia
- Other Languages Spoken In Estonia
- Why Is There No Estonian On Babbel?
- What Language Apps Have Estonian?
About The Estonian Language
Estonian is a Finnic language and it uses the Latin alphabet. Estonia has about 1.1 million native speakers.
The Estonian language belongs to the Finnic branch of the Uralic language family. The Finnic languages are widely spoken around the Baltic Sea and in the northwest parts of Russia. Estonian is the second-most-spoken language among all the Finnic languages.
Estonian is a predominantly agglutinative language and its word order is relatively more flexible than English, however, the usual word order is (S-O-V) subject–verb–object.
Where Is Estonian Spoken?
Estonian is the official and native language of Estonia, also known as the Republic of Estonia (Eesti Vabariik). It is a country located in Northern Europe.
The territory of Estonia consists of the mainland and over 2,200 islands and islets on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.
The capital city of Estonia is Tallinn and with a population of approximately 1.3 million, Estonia is one of the least populous countries in the European Union.
Estonia is one of the developed countries with a high income and advanced economy and it ranks very high on the Human Development Index.
Ethnicity Of Estonia
The Estonian people (eestlased) are originally a Finnic ethnic group native to Estonia who natively speaks the Estonian language.
There are approximately 1.1 million ethnic Estonians and their descendants with some degree of Estonian identity worldwide, the large majority of them still live in Estonia.
Ethnic groups living in Estonia:
- 69.4% Estonians
- 23.6% Russians
- 2.1% Ukrainians
- 0.9% Belarusians
- 0.6% Finns
- 3.4% Others
Other Languages Spoken In Estonia
The official language of Estonia is Estonian but there are also some other minority languages spoken in the country:
- Võro
- Seto dialect
- Russian
- German
- Swedish
- Sign languages
- Romani
Why Is There No Estonian On Babbel?
- The biggest reason may be that there are only 1.1 million Estonian speakers which is not a big market for Babbel considering the other languages it offers.
- Estonian faces the same problem as many other smaller languages, meaning it is dwarfed by its neighbors such as Sweden, England, and Russia.
- Estonia is a difficult language compared to other European languages. According to the Foreign Service Institute, Estonian is the 5th hardest language to learn for English speakers. What is intriguing is the first four languages are Japanese, Mandarin, Korean, and Arabic.
What Language Apps Have Estonian?
As you know, language apps have made learning a new language much easier nowadays. Let’s see what the six language learning apps we recommend to learn Estonian.
Simply Learn Estonian
Simply Learn Estonian is actually an Estonian phrasebook to help you learn basic vocabulary in Estonian. You can learn greetings, commonly used phrases, and basic conversational phrases in Estonian.
Simply Learn divides the Estonian vocabulary into categories according to your language level and topics. Thanks to Simply Learn Estonian, you can hear the pronunciations from a native Estonian speaker, practice vocabulary with flashcards, and search for any Estonian word in seconds.
It is an awesome app for learning Estonian for complete beginners!
Drops
Drops is all about vocabulary learning. If you want to get started learning Estonian with basic vocabulary. Go for it!
Drops is basically a flashcard app but the flashcards are very well-designed with audio, icons, and English translation. The Estonian vocabulary is divided into topic-based categories such as numbers, colors, traveling, weather, etc.
Also, Drops has two versions, a free version, and a premium version.
Don’t miss out on our Drops review before you pay for the premium version!
Speakly
Speakly is basically a vocabulary app using a spaced-repetition system. It teaches you useful words and phrases to help you master real-life conversations. It also mimics real-life situations to help you practice your communication skills.
In the live challenges mode, you can act out a real-life dialogue and record your voice with the help of speech recognition technology. By the way, Speakly doesn’t directly teach you grammar but instead teaches you through repetition.
Unfortunately, Speakly doesn’t come in a free version but it offers you a 7-days free trial.
Italki
Italki is a language learning platform that brings learners and language tutors together. You can learn the Estonian language quickly with the help of a professional tutor whose native language is Estonian.
Italki is especially perfect for intermediate and advanced learners who want to improve their conversational skills in Estonian. If you already have an Estonian background, you can also connect with other Estonian learners and practice together.
Before you cave in to spend tens of dollars on Italki, make sure to read our Italki review here!
Ling App
If your target language is Estonian and you have zero background, you MUST try the Ling App! It is the best app for learning Estonian because it offers an Estonian course from a beginner to an advanced level.
Ling understands all the needs of language learners and it brings a very well-designed learning plan to the table. All you have to do is follow the lesson sequence and complete various interactive exercises ranging from audio lessons recorded by a native speaker, and grammar tips to speaking practice with an AI chatbot.
The Ling App offers you everything you’re looking for in a language learning app. Trust me; you won’t regret it if you give it a try for FREE by simply downloading it from the App Store or Play Store.
P.S: Don’t forget to visit Ling’s Estonian blog to learn more about the Estonian language and culture!
Start learning Estonian or any other foreign language among 60 language courses with Ling App now! Until next time!
