Tallinn has launched a novel initiative to turn everyday journeys into opportunities for language learning. Under the campaign “Learn Estonian on the go!”, short phrases and illustrations are now appearing on buses, trams and at stops across the capital.
The scheme is the result of a partnership between the Tallinn Transport Department and the Integration Foundation, and will run for just over a month. The idea, unveiled during September’s Month of Knowledge, is to make learning Estonian part of the daily routine for residents and visitors alike.
“We are contributing to teaching the national language also on public transport,” said Kristjan Järvan, the deputy mayor for transport. “These bite-sized language lessons will certainly benefit international students in Tallinn, tourists, as well as all residents whose native language is not Estonian.”
A QR code directs passengers to wider learning resources
Tallinn is home to around 456,500 people, yet little more than half are ethnic Estonians. Russian speakers make up more than a third of the population, with Ukrainians, Belarusians and other groups forming a further minority. For many, Estonian is not the language of home or community, making the city’s streets and services the main arena for practice.
The lessons, projected on information screens, cover expressions linked to public transport and are shown in random order to avoid clashing with schedules and service updates. A QR code directs passengers to wider learning resources provided by the Integration Foundation.
While Estonia’s approach is unusual, it is not without precedent. In Montréal, bilingual signage and announcements in French and English have long been part of the public transport landscape. New York City has explored ways to improve “language access” for those with limited English proficiency, and in Berlin, multilingual signage and digital aids help newcomers to navigate the network. Tallinn’s campaign differs in its explicit focus on nudging language acquisition itself, rather than simply aiding comprehension.
A broader effort
The project sits within Estonia’s broader effort to strengthen knowledge of the national language among non-native speakers, regarded as a cornerstone of social cohesion. A 2022 census found that 84 per cent of the population could speak or understand Estonian, but the remainder still face barriers in education, employment and daily life.
For now, the city is presenting the campaign as a modest experiment: a month of short, repeated exposures in the hope that commuters will carry a handful of new words into their conversations. It remains uncertain whether the initiative will continue beyond its first month, but transforming everyday transport into a tool for learning Estonian carries a significance of its own.
