On 9 February, we joined the Embassy of Sweden in Latvia on a visit to Daugavpils, the second largest city in Latvia. This visit marked the end of the exhibition on Alfred Nobel organised by the embassy. The exhibition was on display for several weeks at the Daugavpils Secondary School of Technology (Lyceum), however the main purpose of the visit was to promote Sweden and the Swedish language as the second foreign language subject at school and university.
Swedish Embassy staff met pupils and students, talked about the embassy mission and Sweden, and answered questions about culture, traditions, similarities with Latvia and the importance of the Swedish language in the labour market. Professor Dzintra Ilisko from Daugavpils University held a presentation about Alfred Nobel’s life and professional accomplishments. And our colleague Vadims Murašovs gave an insight into the work of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Latvia, explained its regional and international importance and highlighted the presence of the Nordic countries in Latgale. To consolidate the new knowledge acquired in the presentations and learn even more about Sweden, the pupils took part in a quiz.
For several years now, students at the Daugavpils Secondary School of Technology (Lyceum) and the Daugavpils University have been studying Swedish as a foreign language. It is a promising language for future job and career prospects even in the remote region Latgale. Jeļena Tretjakova, a Swedish teacher at the Lyceum and lecturer at the Daugavpils University, shared stories of people building their career successfully at international company in Daugavpils because of the knowledge of the Swedish language.
The Swedish company Cabonline – a taxi service provider in Sweden – has offices in Riga, Liepāja and Daugavpils. Visiting the Daugavpils branch, we learned the importance of its contribution to the local labour market. For most students learning Swedish, this is their first job. However, the impact of Cabonline goes beyond just a place of work – it promotes the Swedish work culture in the region and democratic values along with it. Moreover, it allows people from Daugavpils to gain experience in an international company.
The Russian language is no longer the automatic choice for a foreign language subject in Latvian schools and this shift is a great opportunity to promote Nordic languages.
