Short Bio

I am currently a methodologist in the Latvian Language Agency (LVA). In my everyday work, I teach Latvian foreign nationals and cooperate with educators who teach languages in schools. In my career, I have been responsible for re-emigration families’ camps and teachers’ language workshops. I have also taught Latvian to third-country nationals, refugees, and asylum seekers, and I have managed various languages and integration projects of the Asylum Seekers Integration Fund. My work and scientific interests include integration issues, tolerance, the continuous training of teachers, intercultural education, bilingual education, and inclusive education. Since 2009, I have been studying for a doctoral degree at the University of Latvia (LU) in pedagogy, specialising in the area of adult pedagogy. I have also obtained a Master’s degree in LU, educational sciences and pedagogy, and a Bachelor’s degree in Baltic philology.

My EPALE

I’ve been using the EPALE platform to find information and publish my experiences for several years now. And I’m glad my advice is useful for others as well!

My Story

In March 2020, after Latvia announced the state of emergency, my colleagues and I realised that there was no time to wait; we needed to adapt. Therefore, all activities — language courses for minority pre-primary education institutions, school teachers, third-country nationals — due to the risk of the spread of the Covid-19 virus, were organised only remotely by the LVA (Latvian language agency). In the evenings, I began teaching language remotely by using a variety of online tools. At first, everyone was worried about how the first lessons would go, whether everyone would log on or understand clearly enough what was needed without the teacher’s direct presence. Remote learning to limit the spread of the virus was the right thing to do, but it was not easy! Neither for educators, or project coordinators, or language learners. Many active studying hours with language learners had to be accomplished (including all organisation questions, too). There was more individual work to do. The un-understood and un-heard had to be explained repeatedly (and in many cases, the training took place without there being a common language among students and teachers). It was definitely not easy because it was crucial to help people work with different digital skills, and even without them - to learn and overcome their fears, not only from language but now also from the computer.

While I was working, I tried my best to support others, so some of my recommendations for adult educators who teach the language remotely too are as follows:

• Schedule enough time to prepare for online work with students successfully. Anticipate that extra time will be required. Do not worry. A small delay at the beginning of the class due to explaining mundane instructions will not have a serious effect on long-term learning.
• Try to give your lessons all the same structure. It will make it easier for learners to focus on work, and you won't need to spend time on additional explanations. For example, you can start a lesson by learning new vocabulary, practice speaking exercises, and perform some fun tasks or activities. At the end of the lesson, organise how you have been used to earlier (for example, each student can express themselves, tell others how they feel, using the new vocabulary that has just been learned, and so on).
• Don’t forget to get instant feedback, too, with the help of various tools.
• If you have several days off on your training course, send a movie fragment, an animation, a song that students have to play as homework.
• Be positive in your work! In your attitude and way of thinking.

Personally, I believe I was lucky because, in my first group which began their course remotely, there were some professional computer specialists, and students from Vietnam, who had really excellent computer skills. I taught the language, but they taught me how to work with different digital tools, use sites, etc.
Having had this experience, I clearly understand that adult education has to be both  in person and remote. Especially if we want people living in remote regions of Latvia to participate in the training! Thanks to social media and various online seminars, there are now much greater opportunities for self-learning!

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