Between Decline and Revival: A Case Study of Reading Habits in Võro and Seto

This study examines reading opportunities and practices in the Võro and Seto languages in the context of ongoing language shift and limited intergenerational transmission. Literacy in local languages is important for language revitalisation. Minority-language literacy, especially where majority-language societies have high literacy, expands the functional domains of the language, enhances its prestige, and provides additional input for language learning, especially where oral transmission is weakening. The aim of the study is to map existing reading opportunities in Võro and Seto (including books, newspapers, magazines, and social media) and to analyse how these resources are used, with particular attention to reading activities involving children and the reasons for non-use. The study is based on a survey conducted via LimeSurvey in 2025 among adults. The questionnaire included 36 questions covering demographics, language use, reading habits, and cultural participation. The results show that reading opportunities in Võro and Seto are primarily based on two newspapers, books and social media content. Respondents who have studied these languages in courses or at school demonstrate better reading skills. Võro and Seto proficiency is present in society, and reading in these languages is gradually improving. In contrast, reading aloud to children emerges as a potentially important but underused practice. Children’s limited reading ability is partly related to insufficient language proficiency. The findings suggest that reading aloud to children and book reading among adults may contribute to language maintenance and function as mechanisms for language revitalisation.