Description
The project will focus on elaboration of an original programme for integrated learning of the Latvian language and Latvian culture canon “Welcome to Latvian Culture Canon”. The project will provide an opportunity for ethnic minorities and non-citizens of the town and region of Daugavpils to improve their proficiency of Latvian and gain knowledge of Latvian culture canon. Activities inculde organizing of integrated courses of Latvian language and Latvian culture canon, creation of a set of teaching materials for the programme implementation based on the principles of wholeness and the unity of theoretical and practical action and demonstrativeness and course of Latvian history. A learning tour will be organized for the course participants to get familiar with Latvian culture canon objects in direct experience. Project target group – residents of ethnic minorities and non-citizens in Daugavpils.
Summary of project results
The project Let’s Get Acquainted: Latvian Culture Canon was aimed at solving integration issues of the multinational Daugavpils city and regional community, as well as at perfecting and strengthening skills of the official language use and promoting the minority representatives’ tolerance towards Latvian culture. The target group of the project – 80 minority residents and non-citizens. Within the frame of the project, an original program for an integrated acquisition of Latvian culture and the Latvian language was developed and introduced. During the implementation of the program the minority residents and non-citizens improved their skills in the Latvian language use and acquired knowledge about the Latvian culture canon. The methodology of the project was based on the principle of holism, the unity of theoretical and practical activity and visuality. During the final stage of the project 15 non-citizens were taught a 40-hour course on Latvian history and culture studies. For the practical application of the knowledge acquired during the implementation of the project the project team organized the Language Users’ Club. Within the framework of the project, 2 field trips were organized with the aim to provide the opportunity for 80 course participants to study the objects of the Latvian culture canon themselves and reinforce the practical use of the Latvian language knowledge acquired during the courses. The cooperation partner of the project – Daugavpils University – developed and approbated an original program and work sheets for an integrated acquisition of Latvian culture canon and the Latvian language. For improving the target audience’s communicative skills of the Latvian language during the activities in Language Users’ Club, the project partner involved in the project the prospective writers of Eastern Latvia and 8 students-volunteers, who, thereby, gained their first pedagogical work experience. Each volunteer taught 9 lessons, 72 hours – in total.
Summary of bilateral results