New season of the “Vārti” podcast for families
Is it easy to maintain the Latvian language in diaspora families? The new season of the “Gateway”
With a series on diaspora children and reading in Latvian. The new season of the “Vārti” programme starts in March 27th.
Why is it important to speak to children in their mother tongue when living in a multilingual environment outside Latvia? What difficulties do we face and who can help children acquire Latvian language skills? In the new season, hosts Inga Sindi and Signe Rirdance will listen to the stories of diaspora families and talk to experts and specialists in the field, both in Latvia and abroad.
“Language runs in families, and they live in the most remote places in the world. We know that only a small percentage of children in the diaspora attend Latvian schools. That is why the aim of the programme is to support, explain and encourage every family who wants to learn or regain their language. The experience of diaspora parents, as well as the advice of researchers and experts, are useful for this,” says Inga Sindi, the author and host of the programme. A theatre and literature scholar by training, Inga and her family have lived in various countries, including the United Arab Emirates, where she taught classes to Latvian children and wrote the book “Mamma saka ābols, papa saka Apfel“. Inga now lives in Germany with her husband and children.
“We want to dispel various myths, such as that multilingualism in the family can hinder a child’s language development. In the programme, we also give a voice to young diaspora Latvians – speakers of the inherited language,” adds Signe Rirdance, the programme’s other presenter. Signe is active in the Stockholm Latvian School, is a PhD student in linguistics at Stockholm University and has recently conducted research on the inherited language of the Latvian diaspora in Sweden.
“Cooperation between diaspora families is very important because people value useful experience. Mutual trust, a feeling of shoulder, useful advice builds a community of like-minded people and helps to strengthen the Latvian language in families,” says Dace Dalbiņa, Deputy Director of the Latvian Language Agency and Head of the Education Department.
“In the new season of the programme, we will talk about the importance of reading and especially pre-reading in language development, as well as about the Latvian language for children in the diaspora with different diagnoses. We will delve into the peculiarities of adolescence and talk about building your own “Latvian village”, as well as many other issues. The theme of belonging and identity and its relation to language is particularly close to my heart,” says Inga Sindi.
The Gateway is available on streaming platforms Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube. The first seven episodes have been published and work is continuing on the rest of the new season.
The recording “Vārti” is produced with the financial support of the Latvian Language Agency, as well as the American Latvian Association. The first season of the programme was released in 2024. In 2007, six series were produced. The programme is produced by the Latvian Language in Diaspora Families Association.
The Latvian Language in Diaspora Families Association was founded in Riga in 2023. Its aim is to support diaspora families in maintaining the Latvian language. Scientifically based information for parents on multilingualism and learning inherited languages is regularly posted on the Society’s social media channels and Facebook group. The members come from different countries and have many years of experience in diaspora organisations and in maintaining the Latvian language outside Latvia.
Record “Gateway” on streaming platforms:
Spotify: https://ej.uz/vārtispotify
Apple Podcasts: https://ej.uz/vārtiapplepodcasts
YouTube: https://ej.uz/vārtiyoutube
“Gateway” on social media:
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/vartipodcast
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vartipodcast/
Email for contact: info@lvdiasporasgimenes.lv
