English

Country to which the institution belongs

Republic of Latvia

Foundation Date

2003

Type of institution

Direct public administrative authority

Parent body or organisation

The Ministry of Education and Science

Language with which the institution is concerned

Latvian (state language)

Description of objectives, tasks, primary activities and events of the institution

Aim: promote and strengthen the status and sustainable development of the Latvian language – the state language of the Republic of Latvia and an official language of the European Union.

Functions:

1) Analyze the situation of the Latvian language and dynamics of the sociolinguistic processes;

2) Provide support for the Latvian language in Latvia and abroad;

3) Increase the competitiveness of the Latvian language in Latvia and worldwide.

Tasks:

1) Organizing of sociolinguistic studies related to the Latvian language situation in Latvia and diaspora;

2) Organizing the acquisition of Latvian as second and foreign language in all education stages and as a part of lifelong learning;

3) Planning, implementing and supervising projects (seminars and professional development and training courses for teachers), related to the acquisition of Latvian, teaching methodology and intercultural communication;

4) Supporting the learning, preserving and promoting Latvian language in diaspora; and providing support to promote studying of Latvian in universities abroad;

5) Implementing projects for development of the Latvian language (developing the standard sources of the Latvian language: dictionaries, reference books, projects in information technology etc.); 

6) Organizing and supporting development and publishing of scholarly and educational literature as well as educational and informational resources;

7) Providing consultations related to the usage of Latvian orthography, grammar, vocabulary etc.; providing proper spelling and orthography of foreign persons’ names in Latvian and cases of personal identification in accordance with the laws and regulations of LR.

8) Providing linguistic opinion about certain texts or parts of it (e.g. upon the request by law enforcement authorities);

9) Organizing events for popularizing the development of the state language, promoting the usage of the state language, and encouraging the societal involvement in the process of the state language policy.

Responsible person

Director of LVA

Dr. habil. philol. Jānis Valdmanis

Number of staff

22 employees

Periodicals and serial publications

1.   Language practice: observations and suggestions. Popular scientific article collection (Valodas prakse: vērojumi un ieteikumi. Populārzinātnisku rakstu krājums)

2.   Now: scientifically methodological issue. Journal. (Tagad: zinātniski metodisks izdevums. Žurnāls)

3.   For Teachers of Bilingual Eduaction:  collection of scientific articles of methodology (Bilingvālo mācību skolotājiem: zinātniski metodisku rakstu krājums)

Address of the institution

Meistaru iela 10-401

Riga, LV-1050

LATVIA

www.valoda.lv

Languages in which the organisation is able to communicate actively

English, German, Russian

Estonian, Lithuanian (preferably in written form)

Languages in which the institution is able to receive information

French, Finnish, Swedish