Lettiska för nybörjare : Preentation och analys av ett par läromedel i lettiska för nybörjare i fråga om intentioner och utförande

Sammanfattning: In this essay I introduce and analyse Lärobok i lettiska (with an adaptation in English called A Course in Modern Latvian) from 1980 by Valentine Lasmane and LETTISKA för universitetsbruk I (Latvian for University Students I, my translation) from 1993 by Aija Priedīte.  My aim is to find out the author’s intention and examine how it is carried out. This involves vocabulary, grammar, possible influences by certain methods in language teaching, and exercises. As the books were written several decades ago, the question of their relevance today is also worth investigating.  In her work, Priedīte contrasts Latvian to Swedish, which also is a clear characteristic of the book. The vocabulary is translated into Swedish, and Swedish is used to explain the grammar. This is typical of the grammar-translation method. The vocabulary consists of about 770 words, plus over 400 items in thematic lists. There is emphasis on grammar in a way that is suitable for the university level. However, I conclude that this material requires teacher-led instruction and more varied exercises to be effective for the learner.  Valentine Lasmane’s Lärobok i lettiska is more focused on language skills than academic knowledge, although the description of Latvian grammar is also wide-ranging. It is intended for two years’ study. In it, Swedish is used in about the same way as in Priedīte’s book. The texts are about a Latvian family living in Uppsala and describe everyday life in the family, at work, in school, and so on. The vocabulary comprises some 1 700 words, plus about 500 thematic items. Some exercises are drills, but there are also other types of exercises. There is a grammar index and Swedish-Latvian and Latvian-Swedish word lists. I conclude that talented and diligent students should be able to study this course on their own, though it would be desirable to have oral contacts with Latvian speakers.  The two works I have studied are in many ways similar to each other, for example in their way of using Swedish. There are also differences. LETTISKA för universitetsbruk I is a more academic work, much focused on grammar, whereas Lärobok i lettiska has both grammar and a more practical view. I conclude that both books can still be used in teaching and learning Latvian thanks to their contents of everyday life situations.