Preparation Course for the Estonian Language B1-Level Examination

Course Content

Themes for Speaking, Reading, Listening, and Writing

1. Interpersonal Relationships Introductions and personal data. Friends, neighbors, and family structures. Physical appearance and personality traits. Expressing emotions. Completing forms and questionnaires. Phonetics and pronunciation.

2. Consumer Services and Commerce Shops, shopping centers, and communication institutions. Postal and banking services, insurance, and beauty services (hairdressing, etc.). Technical services (cobblers, dry cleaning, laundry services, etc.). Describing situations, incidents, and events. Semi-formal correspondence. Properties and conditions of objects. Quantities and measurements.

3. Health and Healthcare Healthcare institutions. Making appointments, schedules, and medical complaints. Pricing and payment terms for medical services. Patient records and data. Written healthcare information (signage, notices, etc.). Registering for consultations and purchasing medication. Reasons for seeking medical attention. Home visits.

4. Housing and Real Estate The home and its surroundings. Household goods, appliances, and chores. Pets. Inquiring about property, renting apartments, and riting advertisements. Daily living conditions and comparative analysis of housing. Pros and cons of various residential areas. Real estate: terms of purchase, sale, and lease. Space and time terminology.

5. Food and Dining Catering establishments and table reservations. Written advertisements and menus. Ordering food and dicussing regional cuisine characteristics. Food labeling and ingredients. Making recommendations and discussing preparation methods. Payment preferences. Dietary habits and special requirements. Daily specials and recipes. Table manners and social etiquette.

6. Transport and Travel Public and private transportation. Travel agencies and accommodation providers. Ticketing systems and their use. Inquiring about transport and freight services. Oral and written announcements. Booking services. Asking for and providing directions. Business and leisure travel. Describing locations and landmarks. Travelogues and personal travel experiences.

7. Education Educational institutions and modes of study: general, vocational, and early childhood education. Higher education and adult learning. School and childcare information. Timetables, training programs, and e-school platforms. Linguistic formalities in academic contexts.

8. Leisure and Entertainment Cultural, recreational, and sporting institutions. Hobbies, interests, and media consumption. Current events and news. Information retrieval and online communication. Providing information on cultural events. Service discounts, payment terms, and reservations. Advertisements, recommendations, and reviews. Computer and mobile applications.

9. Employment and Professional Relations Specializations and professions. Job seeking and recruitment. Writing job advertisements and Curricula Vitae (CVs). The job interview process. Skills and competencies. Career choices and professional development. Inquiring about working conditions and employment terms. Describing the workday and routine tasks.

10. Daily Life Family life at home, work, and school. Lifestyles, habits, and daily organization. Social visits and polite conversation. Daily schedules and routines.

11. Environment, Places, Nature, and Weather Information about regions, settlements, and natural sites. Environmental protection and meteorological conditions. Geographical and cultural characteristics of significant locations. Climate and weather patterns. Reading maps, diagrams, and informational brochures.

12. Culture and Languages Language acquisition and geography. Estonian culture and social domains. Cultural events and performers. Famous cultural figures, traditions, customs, folk songs, and proverbs. National holidays and significant anniversaries.

Grammar

• Nouns: Declension in singular and plural; agreement with adjectives, numerals, and pronouns. Antonyms, synonyms, and compound words.

• Numerals: Cardinal and ordinal numbers and their declension.

• Pronouns: Primary forms and usage.

• Conjunctions and Punctuation: Usage and syntax.

• Verbs: Conjugation in present, simple past, present perfect, and past perfect tenses. Verb patterns and usage, imperative, and conditional moods. Infinitives, phrasal verbs, and the gerund form.

• Prepositions and Postpositions: Usage of invariant words.

• Adverbs: Degrees of comparison.

• Syntax: Word order and interrogative structures (question words).