COMMITTEE
Chair:Leena Punga (Lähte Gymnasium)
Members: Erika Puusemp (Tartu Miina Härma Gymnasium)
Ilmar Anvelt (University of Tartu)
Juta Hennoste (Tartu Karlova School)
Eva Ojakivi (Elva Gymnasium)
Tiina Tuuling (Nõo Gymnasium)
Katrin Saks (Pärnu College of the University of Tartu)
MEMBERSHIP:
The membership of the Estonian Association of Teachers of English includes 216 teachers and university lecturers of the English language and culture of English-speaking countries. The Association is led by a 7-member Committee that is elected for a 2-year term and works in cooperation with regional leaders. Information exchange with the members of the Association takes place by means of a mailing list and a homepage.
FOUNDATION
- The Estonian Association of Teachers of English was founded in 1991.
- Since 1992, up to 20 members of EATE have been members of the International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL).
- The Chairs of the Association have been Ülle Kurm, Mare Jõul, Carmen Ruus and Juta Hennoste. Currently, the position is held by Leena Punga.
OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSOCIATION
The Statutes of the Estonian Association of Teachers of English stipulate the following objectives:
- Charitable promotion of the English language and cultures of English-speaking countries in public interests.
- Universal assistance to teaching of English in all educational establishments of Estonia.
- The Association unites teachers of English, offering them opportunities for training, exchange of experience and joint activities.
SPHERES OF ACTIVITY AND COOPERATION PARTNERS
EATE publishes its newsletter OPEN! twice a year, before the traditional events of the Association – the two-day Summer School and the Annual Conference in autumn. The newsletter publishes articles from practising schoolteachers and university lecturers from Estonia and abroad.
The homepage of the Association www.eate.eepublishes announcements about the activities of the Association, about past and forthcoming events. With authors’ permission, it publishes presentations made at events. The newsletter of the Association can be read electronically, and EATE has its own Facebook page.
A traditional event of is the Annual Conference of the association.
Teachers’ Summer School has traditionally been held at Pärnu College of the University of Tartu, the autumn Conference at Miina Härma Gymnasium in Tartu. In counties, events for local teachers and students are held according to their capacities and needs.
Every year the representatives of the Association participate in the Annual Conference of IATEFL in Britain.
The main cooperation partners and supporters of EATE are SA Innove, the Information Technology Foundation for Education, the US Embassy in Tallinn, the British Embassy in Tallinn, the Ministry of Education and Research, the English teachers’ associations of Poland and Lithuania. Cooperation is also developed with TEA, Allecto, Dialoog and Studium Publishers.