Vai Tu, latviešu tēvs ārpus Latvijas, ar savu bērnu runā latviski? Vai Tev ir ieteikumi, kā vislabāk bērnam iemācīt latviski, kad visapkārt skan cita valoda?

These gently put questions by Amanda Jātniece nevertheless lead to potentially explosive issues loaded for the 21st Century. Right off the bat they raise a series of other questions. What is the motivation to learn the Latvian language? For some Latvian parents the language issue has been a live wire, an emotional roller coaster, rather than a pragmatic and steady state steamroller. Much, of course, depends on each person’s values, beliefs, environmental setting, circumstances and capabilities.

Do Latvians care? Should they care? What’s in there for Latvians? A case in point, the questions raised resonate words from the first few years following the DP days when the trimda Latvians were settling into their adopted countries. In those days it was not always mildly put and certainly did not sound like encouragement, but more like a bark “runā latviski!” It was a harsh order and there was no challenge or rebuke to that command. There was no rhyme, no reason and no explanation provided for learning Latvian other than it is the thing to do since at least one parent was a Latvian.

Dedzīgi, dedzīgi! Naidīgi, nadīgi! Latviešu valodas runāšanai trūka mīlestība. Tā bija pavēle un dievs lai palīdz ja to nepildija. Parasti tādas pavēles radās netikai no šauri domājošām un nationalisti noskaņotām vecmeitām, bet arī no dažiem vecākiem, galveno kārt mātēm kuras gan labi domādamas aizrāvās mazvērtīgi cenšoties bērniem iekalt latviskumu … ar varu. Tas ir tāpat itkā valoda būtu dogmatiska relīģija.

Socially Latvians need to learn to exercise more tolerance towards those whose Latvian proficiency is not 100%. Providing acceptance of ‘partial’ Latvians will foster stronger global unity – Latvians helping Latvians. Latvians need to learn how to hurdle so they can clear the barriers that stand in the way. After all, we do live in competitive world.

Here are some quick ideas in teaching children, young people and those that aspire to be young the Latvian language:

· Don’t make it a national issue
· Make and keep the language session fun
· Lighten up and maintain a sense of humor
· Tie it in with songs and games – the hands on practice leads to betterment
· Install pride in knowing and speaking the world’s oldest living language (used as ammunition against negative peer pressure). It will help you learn and understand other languages better.
· Use the latest technical tools available on the internet or in multimedia, such as computer based training
· Rub elbows with other Latvians kids and the Latvian society when possible, even if they do not speak Latvian. There will always be something in common.

Gotta run now …

Cheers, Ivars

I couldn’t agree more, Ivar. I think that the key IS making it fun, relevant, and a thing of pride for the child. (Sounds kind of like foreign language teaching methods in American schools, where if the class ain’t fun, then kids drop out and the school eventually drops all non-Spanish foreign languages altogether....) Force won’t work. It’ll backfire. But only fun-and-games won’t do it, either. So what’s the formula for balance?

As to the deeper issues, you’re right on those, too. The more you think about the motivation/reasons to teach children Latvian, the more hollow they seem. Kind of like when you repeat a word over and over and over again, it loses its meaning and becomes just a strange string of sounds. In the end it all comes down to identity. What does identity mean, what does it consist of, how important is it, etc. Everyone has their own—different, of course—answers, which makes it really hard for a “maza sabiedrība” to continue existing. Because every member has a different idea of what the sabiedrība should look like.

More tolerance among Latvians? Yes! But here’s an explosive issue for you: what about tolerance in the other direction? (Please now, don’t anyone get offended—it’s my job to play devil’s advocate.) There are parents who want to create certain “Latvian only” environments, so that their children can be truly immersed in the language. A non-Latvian speaker entering into that environment ruins it. So, if there’s a call for tolerance for Latvians who don’t speak the language, shouldn’t there also be tolerance for the wishes of those who do speak it?

Like you said: “For some Latvian parents the language issue has been a live wire, an emotional roller coaster, rather than a pragmatic and steady state steamroller.” I’d say that that goes for ALL Latvian parents. When you have a child of your own, your emotions regarding him/her are so intense, that often it’s hard to see straight/reasonably/objectively. Especially when it comes to comments from other people. The language issue is no different.

Now back to more neutral territory. Of course, you can and should raise you children however you feel is best. But what if you feel that it is good for your child to grow up speaking Latvian—and you try your hardest to help him/her do it—but it just plain isn’t working? How many parents are out there who DO want (or wanted) their child to learn Latvian, but they feel like failures at it? It seems that nowadays no one rejects the notion that bilingualism can be beneficial. If given the opportunity, I’m sure most parents would jump at the chance of giving their child the gift of bilingualism. Many who do have the opportunity try to do it. And they try really hard. But it’s still not enough, and the family eventually reverts to the community language.
And with that we’ve arrived at another big, deeper issue: guilt. I think I’ll go make myself a cup of tea....

Amanda

Today one might ask what kind of Latvian would leave Latvia to live in another country? On a scale from absolute altruism to absolute opportunism in which percentile would most Latvians fall? How would you compare the current expatriate generation to the post World War II generation? Each forms an environmental and social framework that serves their reasons and objectives. From this setting we can garner what works and what does not work in this knowledge age.

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Think back into history when Latvia did not exist and there were no borders to separate Latvians from other nationalities. No doubt, many Latvians will immediately recognize the name “Krišjānis Valdemārs – Latvietis,” which he posted on his door at University of Tartu in 1854. It was precedence and a dare to be different. That’s where the German students and even some Latvian students were upset and looked at that pronouncement with disdain, how dare he be different, how snobbish not to conform to German standards. They squealed on him and he was hauled in to explain himself to the university’s rector. He explained: “A Latvian, who is fluent in German, English and French cannot at the same time be German, English or a French, but in fact remains a Latvian.” The issue was dropped. In those days the opposition by the Germans and Russians to Latvians establishing their cultural identity was fierce. But this is not a time for a history lesson but merely a reflection that Latvians have come along way. It was achieved through teamwork and not by just one Latvian or a just few. Personal interests were sacrificed for the benefit of the whole Latvian nation. The credit goes to all those who climbed aboard and encouraged others to do so.

Krišjānis Valdemārs dared Latvians to be different, to learn from others in all walks of life and professions and to think BIG, not small or more of the same, but BIG. For the record Krišjānis Valdemārs was not a nationalist but a cosmopolitan and a true Latvian patriot. He was thinking BIG.

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In your first paragraph Amanda, you are seeking a balanced formula between fun and games versus force. I have not expected it to be an all or nothing situation on one side or the other. There is no formula that can be used as a mold. The “carrot and stick” approach may still work but a lot depends on the individual character. For some children the all carrot or all stick will work fine. What one needs to be sensitive to is that the same means cannot be applied across the board for every child, as each child will respond differently to the stimuli. The act of balancing for results is perpetual. Also, fun and games should not be construed as merely playing around. Perhaps it should be understood in the context of simulated challenges and problem solving approaches. For some young bright minds mathematics may be just games while for others an arduous task.

Motivation for learning Latvian for the most part is culturally based and provides intrinsic and extrinsic values. It’s a bit like espirit de corps where team building and nation building carry the day. What one can accomplish as a team in essence represents the competitive nature of Homo sapiens sapiens. Can Latvians rise to the occasion? I believe that they can.

When the Latvian tribes lost their political power and later their economic power to the Christian crusaders in the 13th Century, they became leaderless as cultural identity. Yet over the centuries the culture and the national spirit survived. The means and the ways of motivation are limitless. Consider cultural identity as presenting common ground for the Latvian nation.

Amanda turns the table on tolerance: “More tolerance among Latvians? Yes! But here’s an explosive issue for you: what about tolerance in the other direction? (Please now, don’t anyone get offended—it’s my job to play devil’s advocate.) There are parents who want to create certain “Latvian only” environments, so that their children can be truly immersed in the language. A non-Latvian speaker entering into that environment ruins it. So, if there’s a call for tolerance for Latvians who don’t speak the language, shouldn’t there also be tolerance for the wishes of those who do speak it?”

Unfortunately I’ve been at the “other direction.” It was not an issue of toleration, but merely that my daughter did not fit into the ideal Latvian scheme of things for the “Latvian only” environments. At the age of seven she was quite excited about embracing the Latvian culture and looking forward in meeting Latvian kids and learning Latvian. It was her first choice. The Latvian summer camp committee rejected her application, although she knew some Latvian she was not fluent in Latvian and would impede the progress of other Latvian kids. The same thing happened next year and we were left out to look in. Having been a camp counsellor at that camp for a couple of summers during my teens I recognized the artificiality of that claim. Well it set aside further plans and hopes, but we did not brood on the situation and did not stand aside just looking in. We acted on her second choice and sent her to German Saturday school where she started at ground zero by not knowing any German. The fact that she was half German was sufficient to get her accepted and coincidently the German Saturday school also received support from the German government. Today she is fluent in German.

While on the subject, when the Berlin wall fell Germany not only took in the East Germans, but willingly took in Germans from all the iron curtain countries even those that had some ethnic German identity and no German language abilities. Now, that is an example of unity, solidarity where a nation and its people care for their own.

(Continued …)

(… continued)

Amanda’s question and follow up point: “How many parents are out there who DO want (or wanted) their child to learn Latvian, but they feel like failures at it? It seems that nowadays no one rejects the notion that bilingualism can be beneficial. If given the opportunity, I’m sure most parents would jump at the chance of giving their child the gift of bilingualism. Many who do have the opportunity try to do it. And they try really hard. But it’s still not enough, and the family eventually reverts to the community language.”

In part, I answered Amanda’s point above. Latvians are not alone in this world. There are well over 640 languages to choose from. The world is a competitive place and Latvians cannot afford to pick and choose just to maintain purity of “Latvian only” environment. It is the culture that drives behavior and decisions. There’s much more to Latvian culture than just the language as there are values, beliefs, philosophy, traditions, norms, etc. What Latvians need is global vision, purpose and strategy. I personally believe that one does not need a language to be able to think. In a competitive context we need to recognize who are we as people and what do we aspire to accomplish as a national culture. Hopefully it is more than just parity with other cultures. Krišjānis Valdemārs was not a nationalist but a cosmopolitan and a true Latvian patriot. He was ahead of his time even today. He wanted Latvians to think BIG!

Cheers, Ivars

Redz ko Amanda, es Tev atbildēju pusceļā, kur laukakmeņi un govis mājo, ņemot Tavu pirmo foruma rakstu kā domas pamata sākumu. Tikai pēc saviem diviem uzmetumiem šajā saitē es uzgāju Tavu pilnvērtīgo domrakstu LOL mājas lapā. Tā tad tabula rasa, būtu jāsāk ar tīru tāfeli, bet ne jau vis ir gluži zaudēts. Nedomāju kad mums šeit vajadzētu pielikt punktu.

Your article ”Tēva loma latviešu valodas apguvē,” is a valuable hands on article that can benefit a number of interested participants and readers on LOL. It exemplifies the wonders that “uzņēmība un neatlaidība” can accomplish for some aspiring and dedicated youngsters and their parents.

As all good articles go, it fosters thinking and raises questions of the “nature versus nurture” kind, each with its potential consequences, but not necessarily at equal face value. Here genetic and cognitive scientists will point out that the performance results are half due from genes and the other half due to the environment. As for language, the verbal skills are derived from nature, gene based, hence more natural to adapt. On the other hand, the reading and writing skills require more parental or social nurture. They come with wrinkles that inhibit smooth sailing for everyone. Some behavioural psychologists will argue that the best results are gained from the social system outside of the home. Essentially by rubbing elbows with their peers and not as much the parents. [1][2] However, that’s not the theme song of this thread. We can skip it until some rainy day.

Idealism aside, nowadays Latvians go abroad to make their fortune, to be part of the global landscape where standard of living in advanced countries is merely a pipe dream in Latvia. This differs psychologically from the reasons why the post war generation sought sanctuary in the free world. Then the objective and the hopes differed dramatically, as the post war generation was bent on preservation of things Latvian and the country that they had lost. Respectfully, times and priorities have changed.

As we live in the knowledge age there is bound to be less slack for working parents to follow through with their children. Consider the twenty four hour daily cycle of which 8 are for sleeping, 10 are for working and travel, which leaves 6 hours, if you are lucky, to take on the rest of the life’s tasks. Then we do have the weekends, if the job does not require one to be somewhere else in this world. Most expatriates will fall into this category where they cannot just focus on the Latvian language and end up giving the parental oversight to others in their local communities.

Among various solutions of raising kids to appreciate things Latvian are getting the priorities lined up. These are (1) adapt children to the Latvian culture through socialization with other Latvians and (2) exposing children to the Latvian language via their peers or the Latvian social system. For priority emphasis it’s socialization first, language second. It is more significant to identify with a culture than it is to speak a language to qualify as Latvian. The Latvians are the losers if they segregate their own purely on the ability to speak Latvian.

Consider that during the second half of the 19th Century Russia made a mistake of allowing Latvians to be come officers and field grade officers without renouncing their nationality. This was the major turning point for Latvians towards independence, as without the military leadership they would never have attained a de jure or even a de facto statehood. Among these military leaders were men who took pride in being Latvian through their cultural heritage, but whose Latvian language was limited for various reasons. A good example is Colonel Fricis Briedis, a national hero, on whom many legends are based. He spoke Latvian with difficulty and a heavy accent, yet he knew his Latvian heritage. Had he and other Latvian officers been shunted for their lack of Latvian we would never have reached this stage of identity as a Latvian culture.

Consider that Latvia’s treasure and wealth can be found in their underpaid and under invested teachers who upon retirement get awarded meager pensions that hardly provide a respectful subsistence. If we think of it, instead of being put out to the pasture, they are Latvia’s major resource for sustaining Latvian culture and language. It is already being done by Latvians living in Sweden. A Latvian family or two, will take on a pensioned teacher from Latvia during various times, like the school season, to teach their children the Latvian language and other things Latvian. They will provide room, board and a modest compensation, to supplement the teacher’s meager pension. It is a win-win situation as it also allows the teacher to be respected and see a bit of the world that they may have missed out on.

Cheers, Ivars

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[1] How we understand language – Steven Pinker (An interview)
http://www.williamjames.com/transcripts/pinker2.htm
[2] Why home doesn’t matter – Judith Rich Harris (An interview)
http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=9275

I myself was not born in Latvija - but was born of Latvian parents in Canada. For a smaller Latvian community, the quality of education we received was more than decent.

My own daughters at an early age had expressed an interest in the lanuage - but I was no longer able to assist them. I was seldom using it myself any more, and as such had not only forgotten many things, but had also lost confidence in my abilities. There was no longer a Latvian School, and because I had lost confidence in my abilities, felt I could not teach them.

I imagine that in order to learn any language - the most important factor is if your enviroment supports it or not. My brother and I do not speak Latvian to each other in the presence of our wives. The reason is simple - they consider it to be rude for us to speak in something they do not understand. People tend to assume the worst - and naturally - they assumed we would be talking about them. At times we would try to annoy them by speaking it anyway - and they were proven correct, in that how you resist to tell your brother that your wife’s nose has gotten much bigger than when you were dating her.

I think the determining factor in if a child should be schooled in any language, is if there is decent education available. Another factor is also how interested they are in learning. Teaching them their ethnic heritage is of course a seperate issue - and can be done in any language.

Mikels