A Successful first “Letts Jump into Latvian” Latvian Language Seminar in Sidrabene
We look forward to seeing you all at the next seminar on Saturday 14 June!
Do you want to improve your Latvian? You are not alone! On Saturday 24 May, 24 enthusiastic participants gathered at St. The first Latvian language seminar organised by the Latvian National Association of Canada (LNAC) took place on 24-24 November at the Sidrabene farm of St. Andrew’s parish in Toronto.
Among the participants there were both those who did not know a word of Latvian and those who grew up in Latvian-speaking families. Each participant had their own motivation for taking part. A man in his 20s who wants to learn his girlfriend’s mother tongue so he can speak Latvian with his family. There were several mothers who wanted to teach their children Latvian, even though they had not had the opportunity to do so as children. The youngest participant was 17 years old and the oldest 80?
But all the participants were united in the fact that the Latvian language is important to them and that they are ready to invest their time in order to learn Latvian.
Participants were welcomed in the morning with coffee and an introductory game led by Aija Mazsīle, followed by Andas Libere’s lecture, “Fun with Phonetics!”. Even for those who already speak Latvian fluently, it was valuable to learn the history of Latvian phonetics and to be reminded how Latvian sounds differ from English, even when two words look the same – for example, “rats” and “rats”!
This was followed by breakout workshops, where participants could divide themselves according to their abilities and interests. Some spent the morning with Eric Yost, learning the basics of grammar. One group stayed with Līva Zemīte and Andris Rubeis, reading unfamiliar texts (in this case the most popular Latvian folk songs) to increase their vocabulary. Those who wanted to delve into various grammar topics went with Anda Libere.
Before lunch, there was another group lecture where Līva Zemīte shared her experience of learning languages on her own and gave participants advice on how to stay motivated when learning a language at home. In the afternoon, the participants were again divided according to their language levels, including a session with Zane Kaņepa, who practised simple conversational and introductory phrases.
A fun game of Bingo followed, where participants had to use the words they had learned in the morning’s introductory game.
Before dinner there was an opportunity to play a Latvian version of the “Amonia” game , learn how to play the Latvian card game “Zolīte” from Laila Ozola-Gillespie or go for a nature walk in Sidrabene with Aija Mazsīlis.
The day was made even more enjoyable thanks to the delicious meals prepared by Erika Yost and family.
In the evening, one part of the group went home, while the rest enjoyed an evening of singing organized by LNAK and the Latvian National Youth Association of Canada (LNJAK) together with the people of Sidrabene and guests. Song sheets with English translations were prepared. Thanks to Andris Rubenis and Egils Fogels for the musical accompaniment.
Thanks again to the Letts Jump Into Latvian team – Aija Mazsīle, Anda Libere, Ērika Yost, Ingrīda Zemīte, Līva Zemīte and Zane Kaņeps for a successful first seminar. Thanks also to Gundars Briedis and David Sweet, the managers at Sidrabene. The feedback from participants was excellent. A friendly atmosphere ruled the day.
We would like to thank the Latvian Society Integration Foundation for its financial support for the “Letts Jump into Latvian” resource section on the LNAK website.
See you at the next workshop on 14 June! Please register at lnak.net/letts-jumpinto-latvian.
Līva Zemīte
