On 9 July 2025, within the framework of the Society “Park of Intellect” project “My Latvian Language Portfolio,” 14 third-country nationals from Azerbaijan, Egypt, Congo, China, India, Turkey, Sudan, and Uzbekistan began learning Latvian remotely. The project implementers were particularly pleased to meet several members of the new group in person in Riga, where they distributed learning materials, including textbooks and workbooks.
This meeting was also valuable from the perspective of language practice: already during the first encounter, participants successfully used newly learned Latvian greetings and polite expressions, demonstrating strong motivation, interest, and active engagement in the learning process. Over time, the number of participants in this group has slightly decreased; however, those who continue their studies are highly motivated learners, including students, university lecturers, teachers, and medical doctors.
For all of them, the Latvian language is essential for their professional activities and successful integration in Latvia, and this learning process represents an important step towards new opportunities, broader participation, and the use of the language in real-life situations. The Society “Park of Intellect” positively assesses the synergy between the two projects implemented under the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia’s AMIF programme and the expansion of participant engagement. At present, a couple from India – Karunamoorthy Rengasamy Kannathasan and Mahalakshmi Manoharan – who are participants in the Latvian language course group, have also joined the project “A Society of Opportunities: Intercultural Communication Training for Professionals from Various Fields to Strengthen the Integration Frameworks of Third-Country Nationals”. They take part in activities as guest participants with third-country national status, thereby expanding their intercultural experience and contributing to the strengthening of their sense of belonging to Latvia.
Particular satisfaction is derived from the project’s B2-level group, which includes 11 participants – citizens of Russia who began their Latvian language learning journey with us at the A1 level. These participants patiently waited for an extended period for the opportunity to continue their studies at a higher level, and they are now doing so. Members of this group demonstrate a high level of responsibility, strong intrinsic motivation, and genuine interest in language learning. All of them have already successfully passed the VIAA state Latvian language proficiency examination at the B1 level and are now actively working on developing even higher-level language skills. This will enable them to use Latvian fully and confidently in professional environments, academic activities, and everyday life.
The experience of the Society “Park of Intellect” shows that achieving such results is linked both to the participants’ purposeful engagement and to the effectiveness of the teaching approach used. Systematic language learning from the initial A1 level to more fluent language use at higher levels demonstrates that a structured learning process and a methodical approach promote gradual and sustainable progress.
Meanwhile, in Daugavpils, 39 third-country nationals began Latvian language courses in September 2025 across three in-person groups. The training is conducted at the A2 level, combining the acquisition of thematic vocabulary with the active development of communicative skills, including focused preparation for the VIAA state Latvian language proficiency examination. Learning the Latvian language strengthens a sense of belonging to Latvia, and the motivation of the course participants demonstrates that this process can be successfully supported in a consistent and long-term manner across multiple dimensions simultaneously – language proficiency, social integration, and cultural awareness.
In the cover image – the pedagogical leader of the project “My Latvian Language Portfolio”, Dr. philol., Professor Maija Burima, together with Indian nationals Karunamoorthy Rengasamy Kannathasan and Mahalakshmi Manoharan.
The Latvian language courses are organised within the framework of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2021-2027 programming period, Activity 13.2 “Integration of Third-Country Nationals into the Local Community by Promoting Opportunities for the Use and Learning of the Latvian Language,” project “My Latvian Language Portfolio,” No. PMIF/13.2./2023/1/10.
THE PROJECT IS CO-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION
This publication has been produced with the support of the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
Responsibility for the content of the publication lies with the Daugavpils University Society for Lifelong Learning, Culture, and Science Communication “Park of Intellect.”
The press release was prepared and published on 30 September 2025.
