The official language in the Republic of Latvia is Latvian.
Latvian belongs to the Baltic group of the Indo-European family of languages. Its closest and only living relative is Lithuanian. Latvian is considered one of the oldest of the Indo-European (European) languages. The first printed text in Latvian appeared in 1525. Up to the second half of the 19th century Latvian had become a highly standardised language, rich in press publications and belles-lettres. There are about 1,400,000 Latvian native speakers in Latvia and about 150,000 abroad, as well as 500, 000 second language speakers. Latvian is now a modern European language and a one of 23 official languages of the European Union.
Courses and Training
Some universities and research institutions have their own facilities to offer Latvian language training courses for foreign students, visiting lecturers and researchers. Please consult your employer in Latvia on possibilities.
Other possibility to learn and practice Latvian is to use on-line tools and services provided by language training centres.
Here are some opportunities:
The Latvian Language Agency offers several free of charge on-line resources for learning Latvian.
Please check the following web pages:
- E-Laipa – a Latvian self-learning tool for adults
- Teach and learn Latvian – offers more than 50 tools for learning Latvian by way of self-study
Face-to-face Latvian courses are offered by different language training centres: Alius Lingu, BaltiImag, Durbe Education Centre, Mirte, Nordis, Polyglot School.