Jelgava teacher on the Latvian language and the path to her profession
Ahead of State Language Day, the regional paper Zemgales Ziņas interviewed Velga Launaga, a Latvian language and literature teacher at Jelgava Technology Secondary School. She spoke about choosing her profession and her more than 40 years of experience.
Latvia marks State Language Day on 15 October, honouring Latvian as the country's only official language. In this connection, the regional newspaper Zemgales Ziņas visited Jelgava Technology Secondary School to talk with Velga Launaga, a teacher of Latvian language and literature, and find out whether the situation with the language is as bad as often claimed.
Concerns about the language's future
The source notes concerns that Latvian is under threat, and not only because the population is shrinking. It says people increasingly hear that young Latvians prefer English, both in conversation and when choosing what to read.
A teacher with over 40 years of service
Launaga has worked as a Latvian language and literature teacher for more than 40 years. She says she has devoted her whole life to the job and cannot imagine doing anything else. She enjoys working with young people, especially upper-secondary students, who have their own opinions about life, literature and language. At Jelgava Technology Secondary School she mostly teaches this age group, though she has experience with other ages too.
Choosing the profession
The teacher recalls that her interest in teaching began in childhood, when she played with dolls and imagined them as her pupils. Another strong influence was Vija Smiļģe, her Latvian teacher at Eleja Secondary School. Smiļģe once told her she could not become a teacher because she spoke too quietly, but Launaga developed that skill over the years.
Launaga liked Latvian and did well in it, although she did not much enjoy writing essays. She and a friend helped each other: Launaga corrected spelling mistakes, while the friend improved the content. Her father also played a part, advising her to train as either a seamstress or a teacher and stressing that teaching is a noble and respectable job. She chose teaching, although she can sew as well.
The source text is abridged, and the answer to the question about the state of the language is not given in it.
