Abstract. The article investigates the behaviour of interviewers during the oral proficiency interview within the framework of the national examination in the English language in Estonia from the gender perspective. The research investigates whether noticeable differences can be traced in the behavioural patterns of male and female interviewers that could lead to placing the candidates in a disadvantaged position, not allowing them to display their language proficiency to the full. The study involves nine female and nine male interviewers whose interview language is subjected to content analysis. The results show an overall attempt to follow the scripted interview format envisaged for this examination, but alterations to the script prevail with both gender groups. *

Abstract. The article discusses a study exploring teacher concerns related to implementing the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach to subject teaching, using English as the medium of instruction. Responses to a questionnaire study conducted among English and geography teachers reveal a reluctance to apply the approach in their own classrooms. The reason is the widespread belief that the approach benefits the development of language skills rather than subject knowledge advancement, marginalising the latter and thus undermining the overall achievement of curricular goals. Coupled with the English teachers' admitted lack of subject-specific content knowledge, the subject teachers' generally low estimate of their English language proficiency renders the prospect of incorporating the approach in the mainstream classrooms quite challenging. The latter is enhanced by the perceived lack of appropriate teaching materials, the temporal concerns related to developing a new course with accompanying materials and insufficient command of the respective methodology.*

The article investigates the properties of a c-test and its ability to measure test-takers' overall English language proficiency in the Estonian context. For this purpose, prior research concerning c-test validity and reliability is consulted, and the c-test's advantages as compared to a skills-based proficiency evaluation instrument are sought. The article then discusses the process of developing a c-test following the procedure recommended by Grotjahn (1987) and Raatz and Klein-Braley (2002), and piloting it among Estonian secondary school students who simultaneously took the skills-based national examination in the English language. Statistical analysis displays very strong correlations between the c-test results and those of the national examination, as well as with teacher evaluation of the test subjects' proficiency, substantiating the c-test's viability as an economical language ability measure in contexts where quick appraisal of the respective ability is required. The study reveals implications for language proficiency assessment practices as well as for the process of c-test development.

An ever-increasing need for a bilingual education in globalized societies have set new challenges for all stakeholders from ideological (monoglossic vs heteroglossic) as well as methodological perspectives. Teachers’ persistent interest in different forms of bilingual education has attracted us to explore the potential of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) as a means of attaining a bilingual education in the second decade of the 21st century, especially the professional development of teachers who work in the given context. In this study, narrative analysis is employed to investigate how teachers’ explicit meaningful experiences lead a teacher to become a CLIL teacher in the Estonian educational settings, and disclose the factors shaping this process. The results reveal a variation in the teachers’ meaningful experiences driven mostly by their context – the type of bilingual program, the status of the foreign language, school support for collaborative practices - as well as a variation in the belief of what constitutes CLIL - views on languages and personal pedagogical beliefs.

Abstract. The current article gives an overview of the development and problems related to the advancement of the national examination in English in Estonia over a ten-year period, starting from its launch in 1997. The process started in 1994, after Estonia regained its independence, and proceeded from the need to standardise both foreign language instruction and evaluation. The national examination gave the Ministry of Education, schools, teachers and students an opportunity to adequately assess language pro ciency, as well as compare students and schools. On the other hand, universities and businesses obtained a tool to make admission/recruitment decisions. The article discusses the principles of the national examination construction, its speci cation, structural alterations over time, the task types implemented to measure particular language skills, marking procedures, exam results and exam evaluation.