Estonia's e-dictation contest is back Friday for Native Language Day
March 14 is Native Language Day in Estonia, and Vikerraadio is celebrating again this year with its 19th nationwide live e-dictation contest on Friday morning.
What was originally intended as a one-off event has since grown into one of the most anticipated annual events marking Native Language Day.
Last year, Vikerraadio received more than 10,800 entries, as not just individuals but hundreds of schools and growing numbers of businesses, organizations and institutions take part.
This Friday, the online entry form for Vikerraadio's nationwide e-dictation writing exercise will go live in the morning. As always, participants both in Estonia and abroad are encouraged to participate.
The exercise text will be read live on the air several times in a row beginning at 10:25 a.m. Estonian time (UTC+2). Participants will have until 11 a.m. to submit their entries.
The e-dictation page has also been adapted for use by blind and low-vision participants, and deaf and hard of hearing participants can participate via a video version of the text that will be released simultaneously on ERR.ee.
Categories for non-native speakers, Estonians abroad
The full exercise text, together with acceptable alternate spellings, will be released later that day, and the competition results will be announced live on Vikerraadio on a program starting at 2:05 p.m.
In addition to the overall winner — who submitted the most accurate entry the fastest — winners will also be announced in six additional categories: students, adults, Estonian philologists and Estonian language teachers, non-native speakers, hard of hearing people as well as Estonians living or studying abroad.
A special prize will go to the most accurate entry typed and submitted via smart device, and further prizes will also be drawn between all contest participants.
Participants are also encouraged to submit photos from this year's e-dictation to viker@err.ee and tag photos and posts shared on social media with the hashtag #vikerraadioetteütlus.
For anyone who wants to warm up before Friday, a practice test (link in Estonian) is available on Vikerraadio's homepage.
Compiled by Institute of the Estonian Language (EKI) senior language planner and e-dictation team member Maire Raadik, the practice test questions are based on common mistakes and language hotline questions from previous years.
Putting writers to the test
The authors of this year's Native Language Day e-dictation exercise text are:
- Peeter Päll, chief language planner, EKI;
- Maire Raadik, senior language planner at EKI;
- Helika Mäekivi, chairperson of the Estonian Association of Copy-editors (EKL) and language adviser at the University of Tartu (TÜ);
- Merilin Aruvee, lecturer of L1 didactics at TLÜ;
- Joosep Susi, junior lecturer of literature didactics and Estonian literature at Tallinn University (TLÜ);
- Triin Toome, Estonian language and literature teacher at Türi Basic School;
- Helin Kask, language policy adviser at the Ministry of Education and Research;
- Ester Põldma, language editor and proofreader at Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR).
Native Language Day is celebrated in Estonia on March 14, marking the birthday of poet Kristjan Jaak Peterson.
Peterson, who died in 1822 at the age of just 21, was nonetheless a key figure in the emergence of Estonian national literature and is regarded as the father of modern Estonian poetry.
Friday's e-dictation contest is being organized by Vikerraadio together with the Institute of the Estonian Language and the Ministry of Education and Research.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
