What Are The Languages ​​spoken In Latvia In 2022?

What languages ​​do Latvians speak?

The Republic of Latvia is a popular tourist destination for anyone interested in medieval architecture and beach vacations. Many of those who are going to visit this hospitable country for the first time want to know what language is spoken in Latvia. It should be noted that, unlike some other countries, not only the official language is spoken here.

Content

• Latvian as the state language of Latvia
• What other languages ​​are spoken in Latvia?
• The status of foreign languages ​​in the Republic of Latvia
• Specificity of the Latvian language

Latvian as the state language of Latvia

In the Republic of Latvia, about 1.7 million inhabitants speak Latvian. It is one of several Eastern Baltic dialects that has survived to this day and is one of the oldest European languages.

Latvian is the official language of Latvia. It is represented by three dialects: Livonian, Upper Latvian and Middle Latvian. The latter became the basis of the modern literary Latvian language.

Speaking about which language is official in Riga, it should be noted that, of course, it is Latvian. At the same time, for approximately 150,000 people living, including in Riga, as well as in Latgale, Vidzeme and Selia, the Latgale dialect is their native language.

As for the need to know Latvian, everything is individual here. Tourists do not need to know it at all, but if your goal is to get a job or obtain citizenship in the country, you will have to learn the language.

The national Latvian language is used in all state institutions and courts. However, it is impossible to get a job in these structures if you have a temporary or permanent residence permit.

The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia has approved about 4,500 specialties, in which you can get a job only if you know Latvian at a certain level and have a corresponding confirmation (depends on the specialty).

Levels of knowledge of language and profession:

1. Lower basic (A1) - maid, janitor, kitchen assistant, etc.
2. Higher basic (A2) - courier, operator of various installations, etc.
3. First secondary (B1) - governess, salesperson, designer, etc.
4. Second secondary (B2) - technologist, chef and others.
5. Senior (C1 and C2) - municipal employees, ambassador, ministers, etc.

The level of knowledge of Latvian is confirmed by the State Center for the Content of Education.

What other languages ​​are spoken in Latvia?

Many people are interested in what languages ​​are spoken in Latvia besides Latvian. Thus, Russian, English, German and Swedish languages ​​are actively used in the tourism sector.

In Latgale (the eastern part of the country), the Latgale dialect is widespread, which some linguists call the third living Baltic language (along with Latvian and Lithuanian). Well, for specialists, extinct dialects are of considerable interest: Zemgalsky, Selonsky and Curonian.

The language of communication in Latvia is Latvian. All announcements, signs, street names, public transport schedules and stops, various inscriptions are made exclusively on it.

The second most common language in the Republic of Latvia is Russian. It is understood by more than 80% of the country's population, while about 40% of indigenous people consider it native. Therefore, if you ask the question whether Russian is spoken in Latvia, the answer will be positive.

According to a survey conducted in 2005, the first language in Latvia was Russian. However, after three years, knowledge of Russian significantly deteriorated (especially among ethnic Latvians). In particular, people aged 15 to 34 were the worst at it. Of them, 54% of Latvians knew Russian well, 38% knew Russian well and poorly, and 8% did not know it at all.

In order to understand why Russian is spoken in Latvia, you should refer to historical facts:

• The formation of the language tradition was significantly influenced by culture, at the time when the territory of present-day Latvia was part of Russia-Ukraine. It was during this period that some Latvian words appeared.

• Mass emigration of the Russian-speaking population in Latvia was observed during the First World War. As a result, the Russian-speaking community in this country has grown rapidly.

• As part of the USSR, Latvia was one of the leading countries in the modernization of production. Large-scale construction required workers. Many Russian-speaking citizens from other republics were involved for these purposes. This changed the linguistic composition of the population. At the end of the 1980s, more than 80% of Latvians were fluent in Russian, and about 60% of them were native Latvians.

A set of historical facts has become the reason why Russian is part of the national culture in Latvia today.

If you are interested in whether Russian is spoken in Riga, the answer will be positive. Those who do not know Russian in the capital of the Republic of Latvia are exclusively young people who came from the villages. True, there are those who pretend not to know. However, in the service sector, in shops, hotels, restaurants and other establishments, staff are not hired without knowledge of Russian.

As for the language spoken in Jurmala, Latvian is the most widely spoken here, while Russian and English are the next most popular languages ​​in this city. In general, Jurmala is the largest resort on the shores of the Gulf of Riga, which is visited by a huge number of tourists from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. Therefore, Russian and English are freely used in the service sector.

The status of foreign languages ​​in the Republic of Latvia

According to Article No. 5 of the "Law on the State Language", all languages ​​in Latvia, except Latvian and Lviv, are foreign. Therefore, civil servants do not have the right to accept documents, statements or give any information in Russian, except in cases stipulated by law. Based on this, the Russian language does not have any special status in Latvia. Today it is just one of the foreign languages.

Specificity of the Latvian language

If you are interested in how to speak: Latvian or Latvian, then the correct answer will be "Latvian". At the same time, the closest and only existing family dialect of the Latvian language is Lithuanian.

In the Russian language spoken in the Republic of Latvia, there are a number of borrowings from Latvian. For example, it is customary to say goodbye here with the word "ata" instead of "until". Unique and specific language turns: for example, they don't say "What, excuse me?", but "What, please?".

Latvia is an interesting country with its own special culture, cuisine, sights, etc. so if you haven't been here yet, be sure to visit.

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