Finnish and Estonian are closely related languages and Finland and Estonia enjoy close ties in almost all areas of life; as a result, Finnish language studies are popular in Estonia.
Finnish can be studied as a major at Tartu university and Tallinn university, with lecturers from Finland. Both universities also train teachers of the language. Short courses in Finnish are offered by language centres in a number of high schools.
Finnish is taught as the third or extra language in Estonia in approximately 30 schools and is also on the curriculum in about 30 vocational schools, particularly those dealing with the service industry. The State Exam and Qualification Centre features a Finnish studies board and teachers are brought together in the Association of Estonian Finnish Teachers.
Finnish courses are also offered by a large number of language schools and adult education institutions. The Finnish Institute conducts additional training of Finnish teachers.