UK ambassador: I like the complicated grammar of the Estonian language

Speaking on ERR radio show "Vikerhommik," U.K. Ambassador to Estonia Ross Allen said that he really likes the complicated grammar of the Estonian language and is always grateful when people speak Estonian to him. Allen said he is now aiming to take part in this year's Estonian Song Festival and so is putting a lot of hard work into choir rehearsals ahead of the upcoming auditions.
"I think I speak Estonian at B2 level. I passed the exam at that level about a year ago. I try to use Estonian every day. I always say that Estonian is a beautiful language, but it's a difficult language for foreigners," said British Ambassador to Estonia Ross Allen, who moved to Estonia with his wife and two children three years ago.
Allen, who conducted he interview on "Vikerhommik" entirely in Estonian, also speaks Arabic, French and German and says his children enjoy learning languages too.
Allen has been able to develop his Estonian language skills thanks to his participation in the Language Friends (Keelesõber) program. "It's a good program because people like me need a real teacher, but also people who will speak Estonian with me too, so I can practice," he said.
The Language Friends program brings together Estonian language learners with volunteer mentors, for conversations in Estonian. This gives learners a real boost when it comes to developing their speaking and listening skills.
"It's the personal qualities that are most important – being open-minded and curious, because language learning is always a two-way process. It's not as if one person comes along and starts speaking in their beautiful Estonian and the other person just listens. The roles should instead be reversed, so that the Estonian speaker listens and guides [the learner]," explained Irene Käosaar, the head of the language learning program.
Over a period of five years, thousands of people have taken on the role of Estonian language mentor to learners who are trying to improve their skills. The program's organizers do a lot of preparatory work to make sure learners and mentors are as compatible with one another as possible.
"There are quite a few people who have remained friends after the program ended and still stay in touch with each other," Käosaar said, adding that mentors do not need to have a background in teaching background, as their role is not to teach all the intricacies of Estonian grammar.
"I'm a pretty unusual person because I like complicated grammar," said Allen. "My problem is learning vocabulary. But learning a language requires practice every day," he admitted.
Allen began learning Estonian five years ago while living in New York, after finding out that his next posting would take him to Estonia as ambassador. "I immediately started learning the language online," Allen said, adding that luckily he will still be living in Estonia for at least another year, giving him ample opportunity to hone his Estonian language skills further.
His dream now is to take part in the upcoming Estonian Song Festival. "Our rehearsals are really serious right now because the auditions are in February," he said.
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Editor: Annika Remmel, Michael Cole
Source: "Vikerhommik," presenter Märt Treier