The user interface is in English and Russian-language, so people with different backgrounds can benefit from the app. It is based on the Android system and is free of charge.
The app is created when the need to learn the Estonian language is at its peak. The Estonian-language teachers' availability is way below the demand. The Estonian Government has decided on the transition to Estonian-language education by 2035. The arrival of Ukrainian war refugees also increases the necessity of making learning the Estonian language as reachable and accessible as possible. The app is also considered to be of help in case distance learning should take place once again.
The SayEst app helps to learn how to position the tongue while articulating a particular vowel or consonant. It allows the learner to record and listen to their pronunciation and correct it if necessary.
The authors of SayEst are researchers from the Institute of Estonian and General Linguistics Katrin Leppik, Anton Malmi, and Pärtel Lippus. In the future, they plan to improve speech recognition so that the application can also train the pronunciation of Estonian inflections and palatalization and add games based on voice control to make language learning more entertaining.
The authors also encourage language teachers to use the app to aid their classes. "Pronunciation exercises are done in language classes, but individual feedback and guidance are often limited due to lack of time. Although perfect pronunciation is not necessary to speak a language well, language learners are often afraid of making mistakes and therefore practice the language less than they would like. Practicing pronunciation with SayEst allows the learner to gain self-confidence without being afraid of criticism," said Anton Malmi, one of the application's creators and junior researcher of Estonian and Finno-Ugric linguistics at the University of Tartu University of Tartu - Tartu Ülikool is an Estonian higher education institute. .