Introduction of Regional Varieties of Latvian Language in Secondary School (original) (raw)

Some Aspects of Ensuring Socio-Cultural Competence of the Student in the Content of Latvian Language

Journal of Pedagogy and Psychology "Signum Temporis", 2008

Introduction The more changeable social circumstances are, the more important is the responsibility of the teacher to help each student understand his/her specific identity. It is vitally important to realize and fulfil the learners' social role in the particular cultural environment. Aim of the Study To analyze a number of content aspects of the Latvian language as a subject in order to provide the socio-cultural competence of student and to indicate pedagogical tools used to improve it. Materials and Methods The theoretical method-the study and analysis of scientific literature. Results The folklore and the semantic aspect of the Latvian language in the context of providing the sociocultural competence are assessed in the educational provisions, study programmes and the Latvian language educational tools. Conclusions In order to prepare teachers for higher educational establishments it is necessary to include study subjects that would allow future teachers to gain theoretical and practical experience about the traditional culture and to master the proper methodology for learning the traditional culture, working with student not only in the Latvian language studies, but also in other study subjects in the elementary school.

Towards the Language Awareness Activities in the School Curriculum of Eastern Latvia

SOCIETY, INTEGRATION, EDUCATION. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference, 2015

The present study discusses if the teachers who live and work in multicultural environment of Eastern Latvia and who are plurilingual themselves, are ready to use and integrate the new language awareness activities in the school curriculum. The paper reports on a survey carried out on over 30 teachers of the secondary school which is located in the rural territory called Malta, near the border with Russia. There are drawn the following conclusions: the teachers theoretically agree to the fact that the language awareness activities should be a part of the school curriculum. The activities should be integrated not only in the lessons of the foreign languages, but also in other subjects. However, the majority of the teachers are not ready to use the activities in their own lessons. In grades 5-12, the usage of the innovative activities could be prevented and often stopped by the necessity to prepare the students for passing the state examinations in Grades 9 and 12. The results of the ...

Some Aspects of the Sociolinguistic Situation in Latvia: Causes and Effects

Suvremena Lingvistika, 2008

This paper gives an insight into the present sociolinguistic situation in Latvia-from a synopsis of the language-related legislature to the aspects of contact/conflict and interaction between various languages and language variants in Latvia. A brief chronological overview of the history of the Latvian language and of the linguistic situation in Latvia is also provided, highlighting the crucial events and elements that have gradually shaped the language attitudes and sociolinguistic climate of Latvia today. * This paper was partly supported by funding from the European Commission 6 th FP (CIT4-2006-28388) for a larger programme of research within "LINEE-Languages in a Network of European excellence".

Towards the Multilingual and Multicultural Learning Space: the Case of Latvia

International Journal of Multilingual Education, by Anna Stavicka, Indra Odiņa, 2017

Language issues within the higher education sector have taken the central position in view of the current internationalization trend. Language policy in European higher education institutions is impacted by current trends in commerce, science, and culture, as well as the guidelines provided in numerous documents issued by the Council of Europe emphasizing the centrality of languages within higher education curricula. Therefore, the research topicality is determined by the indispensable and urgent necessity to explore the potential and the actual state of internationalization process implementation in the sector of higher education in Latvia placing language issues (global and local language/-s) as the main research focus. The article reports the findings of the survey conducted applying the questionnaire and focusgroup discussion as data collection methods stating the strengths and challenges of Latvian internationalization scenarios focusing on issues related to language studies for both students and academic staff.

A Case of Teaching Modern Latvian

Baltu filoloģija, 2020

Numerous reviews of the language teaching subject show that, in spite of the impressive diversity of methods and approaches, certain basic ideas are repeated and reinterpreted, Recognition of the complexity and diversity of language learning contexts has led some to suggest that we have moved ‘beyond methods’ to a ‘postmethod’ condition (Kumaravadivelu 2002; Savignon 2007). It seems there is a big gap between CLT (communicative language teaching - one of the most popular methods today) as an approach and its implementation. This paper considers that dialogue, one of fundamentals of CLT, should be born within the free communication of learners who are taught to produce a monologue. The method of constructing lectures around good texts along with plenty of (grammar) drills is presented with the idea that such a method would help the learner to move rather speedily from the phase of interlanguage to the target language.

Language Attitudes of Estonian Secondary School Students

Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 2006

The results of a survey of language attitudes of Estonian secondary school students, ages 15 to 18, are presented, and the implications for the practice of language maintenance are discussed. The survey revealed that Estonian is valued as a token of identity but not much as a commodity in the sense of linguistic economy. It is argued that globalisation has changed the immediate communication domain from a national state level to a transnational level. Because of this global change, the traditional understanding of ethnolinguistic vitality may no longer be entirely adequate-the importance of subjective vitality factors gain importance over objective vitality factors. This means that in the near future, ideological issues concerning group identity become the key that determines which communities retain their language and which are to lose it.

The Importance of Digital Resources in the Instruction of Modern Latvian Language and Literature

Innovations, Technologies and Research in Education, 2019, 2019

The aim of the article is to provide an insight into the digital resources used in teaching Latvian language and literature, and to analyse the results of supplementing the syllabus with material from the digital dictionary "e-PUPA" in order to facilitate learners' interest in the varieties of the Latvian language, and of an in-depth study of literature through the use of various digital resources aimed to develop learners' digital literacy. The research was conducted for three academic years (2017-2019) in Riga Centre Language School (Rīgas Centra humanitārā ģimnāzija), involving 98 learners (total) from Grade 10. In order to achieve the intended outcome, a range of exercises and assignments were prepared. Work with these assignments encouraged the learners' critical and creative thinking, as well as their linguistic, communicative and digital literacy. It also helped them to perceive language units in a complex and functional way; strengthened the inter-subject link; enhanced their skills of text composition, research and cooperation; and encouraged selfguided learning. Research results proved that the material included in the digital dictionary "e-PUPA" was useful in studying the Latvian language and literature. It helps learners to appreciate the richness, diversity and beauty of the Latvian language. Usage of the "e-PUPA" dictionary allowed the learners to deepen their knowledge in all sub-branches of linguistics and to expand their vocabulary. It also provided them with linguistically correct information about the phonetic, derivative and semantic structure of words, their grammatical features, etymology, functional environment, collocations, onymic systems, cultural labels etc., as well as their application in the regional dialects of Latvian, in Latgalian written language, and in foreign languages. Besides, the folklore material and excerpts from fiction and scientific works and publications, used to illustrate the meaning of certain lexical units, as well as various culturally historical facts and works of artenhanced learners' interest in the nations' world view reflected in the language.

Some Aspects of Teaching Latvian Grammar at School

Human, Technologies and Quality of Education, 2022

The Latvian language as a subject has been a taught language since the 1st grade till 12th grade in both minority schools and schools, where the Latvian language is the language of instruction. In recent years the country has also been implementing the education reform within the framework of which the content and its acquisition methodology has been improved, but the students’ level of the Latvian language as state language skills is declining in various aspects. The topicality of the problem to be researched stems from the results obtained by analyzing the scientific research implemented in the country (2007–2021) and other research on language competence of basic and secondary education students. The aim of the research is to analyze the content and methodology of grammar teaching in basic school and in secondary school for students’ language competence. The methodology of the study is based on linguistics, linguistic didactics, cognitivism and sociocultural theories. The empiric...

“We don’t really have a preferred language”: a case study of language practices in the Latvian–Estonian border area (Valka and Valga twin-towns)

Valoda nozīme un forma / Language Meaning and Form, 2019

The article is based on research carried out in the border towns of Latvia and Estonia (Valka and Valga) in 2014-2015. The purpose of the research was to explore the use of languages in the public space (linguistic landscape) and language choice in oral communication, particularly between ethnic Estonians, Latvians and Russians, on both sides of the border, i.e. investigating which languages (Latvian, Estonian, Russian or English) are used as a lingua franca. Based on a common history, Valka and Valka currently call themselves "twin towns" and use the slogan 1 city, 2 states for shaping the external image of both cities. This background inspired the first question underlying the research: whether the two cities can also be called twin towns from a sociolinguistic perspective, i.e. whether there are similarities in both towns regarding the choice of languages in public space and in oral communication. The second research question was formulated with the aim to explore reasons for the presence of languages in Valka and Valga: which factors have contributed to the use of languages in specific situations, e.g. national or institutional regulations, different language management models at the local level, language beliefs. Data were gathered through documenting and analyzing language signs in the linguistic landscape, by taking field study notes, and by conducting observations, experiments and interviews. Data analysis and interpretation was based on linguistic landscape theory and linguistic ethnography. The article consists of four parts: an introductory part in which the theoretical and practical framework of the research is presented. The second part provides a brief insight into the history of both towns and their contemporary ethno-demographic situation. The third part is the main part of the article, analyzing the data collection process and discussing the main results of the research, while the final part presents conclusions and suggests further discussions.