Gallery: Nearly 8,000 participate in e-dictation on National Language Day

In honour of Native Language Day, Vikerraadio on Thursday hosted the 12th nationwide e-dictation contest, which was Song Festival-themed this year to mark the 150th anniversary of the Estonian Song Festival. In just half an hour, 7,969 submissions were received, smashing last year's record participation by more than 1,500.
The text of this year's exercise was broadcast live on the radio at 10:30 EET as read by Vikerraadio editor Kaja Kärner and released in video form on ERR.ee, for participants who are hard of hearing, as read by Aktuaalne kaamera news broadcast host Margus Saar.
The full text of the 2019 e-dictation exercise is as follows:
Aitäh, kaasmaalane, et pärast mitmendat-setmendat korda "Tõe ja õiguse" vaatamist ärksalt e-etteütlust kirjutad,1 tähistamaks riigikeele ning laulupeo juubelit!2
Laulu- ja tantsupeole soovivad kõik, olgu nad nii-öelda euroaastal3 sündinud kooliuusikud, kes lauluväljakul4 veel hästi ei orienteeru, või Välis-Eesti5 tantsurühmad, kes Kalevi6 keskstaadionil "Tuljakut"7 esitades ühekorraga kodumaaigatsust8 ja jällenägemise rõõmu9 tunnevad.
Kas üle-eestiline10 juubelipidu "Minu arm"11 kuulub rahvusringhäälingu enim vaadatud12 saadete hulka, on heinakuu alguseni teadmata.
"Laula ja hõiska!" hüüab debütant dirigendipuldis, kui gustavernesaksalikku13 segakoorilaulu14 juhatab ja enamik lauljaid vaid ümiseb, pilgud laulutaadi15 mälestussambal.
Acceptable alternate spellings:
- The comma before the word "tähistamaks" is not required.
- The first sentence may be punctuated with either a full stop or an exclamation point.
- euroaasta / euro aasta
- lauluväljakul / Lauluväljakul
- Välis-Eesti / väliseesti
- Kalevi / "Kalevi"
- "Tuljakut" / tuljakut
- kodumaaigatsust / kodumaa igatsust
- jällenägemise / jälle nägemise
- üle-eestiline / üleeestiline
- "Minu arm" / Minu Arm
- enim vaadatud / enimvaadatud
- gustavernesaksalikku / gustav-ernesaksalikku
- segakoorilaulu / segakoori laulu
- laulutaadi / Laulutaadi
Winners
The winners of the e-dictation contest, who were the fastest in each category to submit the most correct text, were as follows:
- Ragne Rambi, overall winner, Estonian philologists
- Margit Kerov, Kadrina Upper Secondary School, students
- Made Isak, adults
- Olga Gerassimenko, non-native speakers
- Keiu Must, Estonians living abroad, smartphone entries
- Kadi Särgava, video dictation for hard of hearing
A total of 59 flawless entries were received by Vikerraadio on Thursday, and many more contained just one or two mistakes.
This year's edition of Vikerraadio's e-dictation exercise is dedicated both to the Year of Estonian Language as well as the Jubilee Year of Estonian Song and Dance. This Thursday's text was compiled by Peeter Päll, Triin Toome-Hosman, Maris Jõks, Merilin Aruvee, Maire Raadik and Piret Kärtner.
The e-dictation exercise is organized by Vikerraadio, the Association of Estonian Language Teachers and the Institute of the Estonian Language.
A number of educational instutitions and organisations have also begun participating in the exercise, including for example the artistic team of the Estonian Song Festival, the Ministry of Culture, Tallinn City Office, and the Chancellery of the Riigikogu.
Native Language Day is celebrated in Estonia on March 14, marking the birthday of Estonian poet Kristjan Jaak Peterson, a key figure in the emergence of Estonian national literature and regarded as the father of modern Estonian poetry, who died in 1822 at the age of 21.
Editor: Aili Vahtla