SCIENTIFIC EXCELLENCE. Research in the field of Latvian language acquisition enhances the competitiveness of Latvian both on local and global scale, and analyzes the data regarding the situation in Latvian language acquisition as first, second and foreign language (taking into account language proficiency and the factors that influence learning). It is intended to supplement the already existing Latvian language learner corpus and to compile a new one; to describe successful cases of retaining Latvian as an ethnic heritage language, and to prepare new recommendations in general didactics and linguodidactics with the aim of improving Latvian language acquisition and thus supporting its sustainability. Two methodic aids for a definite target audience are also elaborated for this purpose.
The goal of sub-project No. 8 was to investigate the current situation in the Latvian language acquisition in a broad range of regions, age groups and ethnicities. It is also intended to supplement the already existing learner corpus and to compile a new one; to disseminate the research findings through academic articles and at international conferences, and to elaborate methodic aids for language learning.The hypothesis is as follows: the level of preparedness for a school curriculum in Latvian is quite diverse among pre-schoolers. The tasks of the project are: to analyze the current situation in the Latvian language acquisition; to elaborate the so-called language learner corpora which will provide data about Latvian language proficiency among the high-school students in various regions and educational institutions of Latvia, as well as about the Latvian language proficiency of foreign students; to analyze the positive experience of bilingual and trilingual speakers so that it could be applied in the popularizing and methodology of Latvian language acquisition. Latvian linguistics is still lacking a research covering all levels of language acquisition, which is increasingly essential in the light of the new educational strategy to be implemented in Latvia. The findings of the previous project LAMBA (www.lamba.lv) provided the first necessary diagnosis of the current language proficiency, and served as a basis for elaborating further tests, theories and methodology. Since this research project involves both linguistics and education, experts of both fields, as well as psychologists, participated in the project.
IMPACT. The results of the sub-project No. 8 are important in the context of education in Latvia. This sub-project No. 8, implemented on a large territorial scope (Kurzeme, Rīga, Latgale) and in a broad range of ages and nationalities (including analysis of pre-school children language records, and essays of secondary school pupils and foreign students), provides new knowledge and data about the acquisition of Latvian. have new practical and theoretic findings and data about the acquisition of the Latvian language as mother tongue, as second language, and as foreign language. Also cases of positive experience in developing and maintaining Latvian as L2 and the ethnic heritage language in bilingual and multilingual language situation are described.
Methodological recommendations are provided for future actions to improve the acquisition of Latvian, thereby also strengthening its sustainability and quality. The new test was created for assessing the readiness of pre-schoolers of different backgrounds to begin their Grade 1 with Latvian as the language of instruction. A new Language Learners' Corpus is created based on essays of secondary school pupils. The results of foreign students essays in Latvian supplement the existing Language Corpus of the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Sciences of the University of Latvia, and descriptions of positive experience in maintaining Latvian as L2 and the ethnic heritage language are done. All the results help to define the sociolinguistic conditions affecting the Latvian language skills and to gather experience of good practice in preserving Latvian as heritage language in a situation of bilingualism and trilingualism.The results of the sub-project are published in … articles (… of them are planned to be indexed in Scopus or Web of Science). By the end of the project, an international XIII scientific congress of Baltists was organized. The results of the sub-project were presented by students and scholars in … or more international conferences or congresses. The acquired knowledge and data are incorporated in one doctoral thesis and at six bachelor's theses, in two popular-science articles, as well as in homepages of the participating institutions. Conclusions of the sub-project studies are included in higher education courses and further educational programmes of teachers. Sub-project participants elaborated methodological recommendations in didactics (a guide for teachers and authors of textbooks to improve Latvian language learning and teaching). Ministry of Education and Science, as well as the relevant professional associations were informed of the sub-project results to promote sustainability and quality of Latvian language acquisition and learning.
FINAL RESULTS. A new test of language proficiency was created, aimed to assess the readiness of pre-schoolers to begin their Grade 1 with Latvian as the language of instruction or bilingualy. Recordings of child language are completed in Kurzeme, Latgale and Riga. These recordings were conducted in pre-school groups with Latvian language use on a daily basis (250 children) and groups with Russian language use on a daily basis (125 children). The necessary documents needed for testing of children aged 5–6 are agreed upon with the State Inspectorate For Protection of Children’s Rights, with the Data State Inspectorate and the Data Inspector at the Liepāja University. The parents’ questionnaire Utrecht Bilingual Language Exposure Calculator (UBiLEC), which is used to test language acquisition in more than 60 languages, is fully addopted for the Latvian language and Latvian sociolinguistic situation. The survey „Bilingual Child and Language Environment” has been conducted in Kurzeme, Latgale and Riga with parents of ethnic minority children, who agreed to participate. The results from recordings and surveys are compared (Markus, Bethere 2021). The results about Latvian language acquisition are published in internationaly reviewed 14 scientific articles, 12 conference theses and presented in many conferences (Markus D., Bethere, Markus K., Tauriņa, Tomme-Jukēvica, Zīriņa, Apīne, Palapa, Jakušina, Krasovska, Kupše, Valtere, Usāne).
Russian pupils of secondary schools with Latvian language and with Russian language of instruction and gymnasiums in Kurzeme, Latgale and Riga were selected in the National Centre for Education of the Republic of Latvia, according to criteria set by a sociologist. The essays were converted into electronic form, and a new language corpus was created on the basis of these materials. The creation of language corpus and the results of language analysis are published in ..(3 zilā+1 Rome) internationaly reviewed 7 scientific articles, 5 conference theses(Anspoka, Lazdiņa, Martena, Levāne-Petrova, Pokratniece) and presented in many conferences.
Essays of foreign students learning Latvian as a foreign language at the Liepāja University and Rēzekne Academy of Technologies were included in the Language Learners Corpus of the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Sciences of the University of Latvia (altogether 1015 units). Their analysis was done and the results are published in internationaly reviewed 3 scientific articles, 2 conference theses and presented in conferences (Kļaveniece).
Cases of positive experience in maintaining and developing Latvian as L2 in the context of family language policy in bilingual and multilingual language situation are described, the results have been published in internationaly reviewed 2 scientific articles, 1 conference theses and presented in conferences (Martena/Lazdiņa).
The collection of 11 articles “Latviešu valodas apguve” about Latvian language acquisition is published (2021) based on the presentations in the XIII International Baltists Congress (13-15.10. 2021).
A methodological handbook for pre-school is elaborated and published (A. Tauriņa. Vēro, vērtē, rīkojies. [Observe, Evaluate, Take Action] RaKa, 2019), and a methodological handbook for secondary school is elaborated and published (Z. Anspoka, S. Martena. Latviešu valodas lietpratība un tās pilnveides iespējas vidusskolā [Latvian Language Competency and Development Opportunities in Secondary School] LiePA, 2021). Educational policy makers and their representative organisations (expert Gunita Dalijeva from the Ministry of Education and Science, Educational Departments of Latvia Municipalities, directors of pre-school institutions in Latvia, as well as pre-school and school teachers, and parents) were informed about the results of this sub-project and recommendations developed during the project increasing their knowledge about the situation of Latvian as native, second or foreign language (about 60 presentations are done in conferences and different meetings, lectures for becoming teachers, speech therapists and working teachers are given in Liepaja University, the University of Latvia and Rezekne Academy of Technologies). Scientists of the Department of Humanities and social sciences at the Latvian Academy of Sciences were informed about child language research in online conference (20.04. 2020).
A doctoral thesis “Montessori pedagogy in the facilitation of speech and language development and correction of disorders“ (G. Tomele) is in progress (submitted to the Promotion Board), a doctoral thesis “Pasive voice and their functional system in Latvian” (Kristīne Levāne-Petrova) is in progress (submitted to the Board for doctoral studies). Six bachelor students worked in this project and 6 bachelor theses are defended (three in 2020 and three in 2021). A research group dealing with children language and the language of secondary school students was formed including researchers from Lithuania, Estonia and Norway. Two popular articles about current situation and the results of the project were published in newspapers (Markus 11.04.2019, Markus 18.10.2021), D. Markus and A. Vulāne participated in a public discussion “Can we understand the child language?” in Riga, Satori auditorium (birojnīcā?) (21. 08. 2018).