Keeleoskust

Keeleoskust is an Estonian term that describes the overall ability to use a language effectively. It encompasses understanding and producing language in both spoken and written forms and includes core components such as listening, reading, speaking, and writing. In addition to these four skills, it covers vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and pragmatic or communicative competence—the ability to use language appropriately in different social contexts.

In educational and research contexts, keeleoskust is used to describe a learner’s language proficiency and to guide instruction and assessment. It is commonly aligned with international frameworks like the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which organizes proficiency into levels from A1 to C2. Assessments of keeleoskust may involve standardized tests, teacher observations, performance-based tasks, oral interviews, and portfolios. These evaluations aim to capture both receptive skills (listening and reading) and productive skills (speaking and writing), as well as the learner’s strategic ability to manage language use in real-life situations.

Keeleoskust is often domain-specific, meaning that a person may have higher proficiency in certain contexts (such as academic or professional language) than in others (such as casual conversation). It recognizes that language use is influenced by factors like genre, discourse conventions, and cultural norms. As a concept, it serves as a practical umbrella for describing, teaching, and measuring how well someone can understand, produce, and adapt language across situations.