The Importance of Digital Resources in the Instruction of Modern Latvian Language and Literature (original) (raw)

2019, Innovations, Technologies and Research in Education, 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.