Content and language integrated learning and teaching in digital class: Latvia experience

The topicality of the research relates to the problem that in the last ten or more years approximately 300 thousand Latvian people live outside Latvia. Together with parents are living children in more than 15 countries. One of the tasks with national importance is to help to children and their family to save or to develop Latvian language and culture traditions, to give possibility to return to Latvia and to continue education process in Latvia. Latvian Language State Agency provides an opportunity to learn Latvian as a State language and to get acquainted with Latvian culture traditions, to understand social events, relationships in the society. One of possibility for this is to plan and to realize integrated content and language learning and teaching process for children outside Latvia in a digital class. That means to use Classflow site and another digital tools (Skype, a mobile phone and toys with special computer software, interactive blackboard programs etc.). Aim of the study is to analyze the experience of children living outside Latvia to learn integrated content and language with digital tools. Research is based on analyses of theories about content and language integrated learning, communicative approach for language acquirement and teacher’s professional competence. Empirical research is based on pedagogical observation and teacher’s survey results. As respondents are 120 children (6-14 year old) in 22 groups/digital classes and 16 teachers.

Results: 1. The teacher, when planning and organizing the work to help the child to learn the language and the Latvian national traditions in the integrated way, information about the nature of Latvia, social events, the most prominent personalities, should be aware that a child's successful participation in the study process is possible if not only content is equally important in the class but also methodology provided for learning and assessment methodology, which allows the child to see its own, even the smallest achievements. 2.Equally important is cooperation with parents of children, since the quality of lessons and the planning of future work with respect to children’s needs depends on parental support. The teacher must be able to persuade both children and their parents that the Latvian language skills for a child living outside of Latvia help to keep not only the sense of belonging to Latvia and acquire knowledge about Latvian nature, people, traditions, etc., but also allows you to return to your ethnic homeland at any time and integrate in society and the education system in a short time.