“10 Days in Paradise”. Summer school 2023 feedbacked with compliments.
International Latvian language and culture summer school “Latvia’s Cultural Canon” organized by Daugavpils University Centre for Latvian Studies ended on 17 July, 2023.
10 students from foreign higher education institutions of Mexico, Uzbekistan, Poland, People’s Republic of China, Azerbaijan, Croatia, United States of America and Indonesia took part in the programme.
The main topic of the summer school was Latvia’s Cultural Canon. As part of the programme, school participants gained knowledge of the history and structure of the creation of Latvian cultural canon; by taking part in the field studies, study trips and excursions, they got to know “Literature”, “Architecture and design”, “Landscapes”, “Music” and “Traditional culture” sections of the cultural canon; meanwhile on seminars participants created a competence to describe canonical cultural values in other countries and cultures.
The summer school started on 7 July and its first part was held in Riga. The opening event of the programme was held in the Friends’ Room of National Library of Latvia. Participants also visited exhibition “Wear Latvia. Latvian National Costume in the World”. Students were brought to XXVII Nationwide Song and XVII Dance Celebration Grand Finale Concert and other festival events as well as to traditional craft art exhibition “We”. In a walking excursion through Riga, summer school participants got to know the places, events and people constituting the Latvia’s Cultural Canon, while in a study trip to Jurmala, students viewed Rainis and Aspazija summer house, Dzintari Concert Hall and seacoast landscape.
The programme carried on in Daugavpils University with Latvian language learning and continuing research on the values of Latvia’s Cultural Canon. In the module “Latvian language as a foreign language”, students developed speaking, reading, writing and listening skills, which were also applied during practice sessions, discussions, tours and field studies.
Students got familiar with Latvia’s traditional culture values by visiting “House of Traditions” in Daugavpils, taking part in bread making workshop in Aglona Bread Museum, participating in Latvian Folk dance and trying on national costumes of different regions of Latvia. Section “Landscapes” of Latvia’s Cultural Canons was introduced to participants by going to Čertoks Lake, Dinaburg Castle Trail, Daugavpils Fortress and Vasarģelišķi View Tower.
The participants of the summer school presented cultural canon value of their own countries and debated in the benefits of the process of cultural canonization. Special attention was paid to intercultural communication issues in the seminar “International Cultural Canon”.
Continuing to study the experience of preserving, researching, describing, promoting and developing the canonical culture values in the historico-cultural and socioeconomic context, the last part of the programme was spent in Rainis’ House in Berķenele. There, students were presented with stories of Rainis’ childhood, engaged in thematic excursions, workshops and special multi-sensory meditation.
In the end of Latvia’s Cultural Canon module, participants presented the impressions gained in the programme and their vision of further application of results after return in their home country. On the other hand, the Latvian Language Learning Module was finished with a language test.
Summer school participants gave positive feedback on the methodology used in the acquisition of the programme, i.e., CLIL approach in learning Latvian language and introduction to the values of Latvia’s cultural canon by visiting the objects on site.
Here is the some of the feedback provided by summer school participants:
Dadajon Oripov, Uzbekistan: “10 days in paradise. Everything was perfect. I would have never expected such kind of hospitality.” He mentions that throughout the summer school duration he felt like home and was in joyous mood and will never forget the time in Latvia. “Professor Maija Burima cared about us like mother,” Dadajon expresses sincere gratitude to summer school team.
Yize Huang, People’s Republic of China: “Everything went smoothly, all guides, instructors were super experienced, the design of the travel route also very thoughtful, thank you all.”
Magdalena Marija Meašić, Croatia: “I would just like to express my deep gratitude for allowing me to participate on this summer school. Thank you to all the organisers and coordinators, you were wonderful and made the whole process very easy and smooth for all of us participants. After this summer school I feel very inspired and eager to start my research on Latvia's music more in depth.”
Maciej Baczyński, Poland, wrote feedback in Latvian: “Paldies par visu! Tā bija ļoti interesanta pieredze. Programma bija interesanta, bet ļoti spraiga.” (“Thanks for everything. It was very interesting experience. Programme was interesting, though intense.”)
Jeremia Irianto Panjaitan, Indonesia, noted his appreciation for preparation before field trips. He told about his experience in Aglona Bread museum: “Once the host suddenly asked my feeling about the food, I spontaneously responded to her by saying “Man garšo...” She looked very happy and appreciated it.”
Ulises Marian, United States of America: “Thanks for everything. Thanks for the hospitality and the unforgettable experiences!”
The project is financially supported by State Education Development Agency of the Republic of Latvia (SEDA) by granting ten scholarships to students and academic staff of foreign higher education institutions. The financial support to summer school “Latvia’s Cultural Canon” was allocated in SEDA summer school project contest.
PHOTO GALLERY (summerschool.mozello.lv)
The summer school is implemented by the Centre for Latvian Studies of Daugavpils University Faculty of Humanities.
Summer School Team: Dr philol., Prof. Maija Burima (Head of the Summer School), Sergejs Poļanskis, Evita Badina, Žans Badins Diāna Skuķe, Ilmārs Mežaraups.
This project is financially supported by the State Education Development Agency of the Republic of Latvia.
Follow us on Facebook!
MORE DETAILS:
Dr. philol., prof. Maija Burima
Head of Center for Latvian Studies
Daugavpils University
E-pasts: summerschool@du.lv