The state must play an active role in implementing language policy by promoting public interest, offering practical tools, and strengthening national identity, said Inese Muhka, the new head of the State Language Centre (VVC), in an interview with LETA.
Latvian is one of about 200 world languages spoken by more than a million people, and therefore it can be considered a sufficiently large language.
“At the same time, we are a small language within our own country, and we must be strong and protect the Latvian language, not allowing other languages to overtake it,” Muhka emphasized.
To safeguard the Latvian language, it is essential to ensure its functioning as the official language in the public sphere while maintaining proportionality and allowing other historically present languages to develop, the VVC director believes.
In her view,
Latvian is also the foundation of a united society and information space,
and the state must ensure its accessibility in all aspects important to society. Without the opportunity for people to learn the language and understand public information, the risks of societal fragmentation increase.
“Being united in the Latvian language is the basis of our society – in services, in understanding, in receiving and sharing information,” she stressed.
Muhka noted that one of the key current goals of language policy is to complete the transition to education solely in Latvian in schools. For this to be successful, not merely formal, all necessary support must be provided to teachers.
The VVC is not just a supervisory body in this process –
the centre offers consultations, adapts assessments to suit teachers’ needs, and cooperates with school principals,
Muhka emphasized. She highlighted the crucial role of school leadership in implementing the reform, noting that schools are communities where a supportive atmosphere must prevail.
Although the number of teachers with poor Latvian skills is decreasing, the problem persists in certain regions, particularly in Riga and Daugavpils. At the same time, Muhka pointed out that this reform is not sudden – it has been in the making for nearly 30 years, and responsibility for staffing decisions lies with municipalities and school principals.
“We tend to focus on teachers, but forget about the children and their families. Every child has the right to know the Latvian language, and schools are obliged to ensure that,” she stressed.
Regarding the overall use of Latvian in the country, Muhka considers it generally stable, though there are regions where its use is lower and these should receive targeted support. She expressed appreciation for Latgale’s culture, noting that the Latgalian language should be valued, but the confidence to use standard Latvian should also be reinforced.
“If we look, for example, between Riga and Daugavpils, the difference isn’t so drastic that we can say Daugavpils is completely isolated.
It is not,” Muhka observed.
She emphasized the state’s duty to ensure opportunities to learn Latvian in all regions, not only through formal education, but also via inclusive, everyday activities – such as book clubs or tea evenings.
Muhka hopes that institutions such as the Council for the Implementation of the Guidelines for a Cohesive and Civically Active Society will consider these issues from a regional perspective and promote sustainable, balanced support throughout Latvia.
“Latvian isn’t only for those who speak it perfectly. Latvian belongs to all of us,” she stressed, encouraging people not to fear making mistakes and to create an environment where language learning happens naturally and in a friendly atmosphere.
When it comes to Latvian language acquisition by minorities and immigrants, Muhka pointed out that the term “Latvian as a second language” is no longer accurate. Nowadays,
it is increasingly a case of learning Latvian as a foreign language,
especially for foreign labor and students.
“We need to focus on learning Latvian as a foreign language, because language trends are changing,” she said, adding that the state’s policy in this area is currently not sufficiently effective.
Among youth, Latvian language use is stable, and they are capable of adapting to different communication contexts. However, integration issues persist for people from other countries. Muhka pointed to cases where Latvian language courses are superficial and limited in time.
“That is not enough to integrate into society,” she noted.
In her opinion, Latvian language instruction must be practical, regular, and occur in natural environments – in shops, on the street, in cinemas, and elsewhere. Such cultural education promotes both language skills and social inclusion.
Muhka also criticized the existing formal approach: “Currently, the situation is that universities conduct some training, and that’s it. After that, people are given no further opportunity, nor does anyone ask if they want one, so they end up isolated within their own environment.”
In addition, the VVC head pointed out the responsibility of citizens to speak only in Latvian – often it is Latvians themselves who prevent others from speaking Latvian.
“Latvians themselves must stand tall and speak Latvian, not automatically switch to any other language they know. […] Speak Latvian – and others will speak Latvian to you,” Muhka emphasized.
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