The latvian academy of culture

XVIII.Preconditions for the Acquisition of the Course

Good knowledge at the scope of secondary school course, including the first foreign language acquired at the secondary school.

This subprogramme has two implementation options depending ion the speciality language:

1) students have knowledge of the speciality language to the scope of the secondary school course, and special subjects are read in this language starting from Year I;

2) students have no preliminary knowledge of the speciality language, and in Years I and II an intensive acquisition of the speciality language is integrated; special subjects are read in this language starting from Term 2, Year I.

XIX.The Scope of the Course

The course is organised in the form of lectures and practical classes. 704 academic hours are planned for the integrated acquisition of the respective country’s language and culture within the framework of language training. 192 academic hours are planned separately for the acquisition of the culture. Each academic hour requires one hour of the student’s individual work. Separate parts of the course can be also read in Latvian.
The Contents of the Subprogramme – see Appendices I and II
The contents of the course includes the following aspects of personality formation:

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  self-expression and creative aspect – the cognition in the dialogue of cultures;
  
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  assessment (ethical and esthetical) aspect – the vision of cultures in the interaction of languages;
  
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  analytical-critical aspect – the acquisition of the cultural dialogue in the European context, the ability to compare, identify the unifying and distinct features by respecting human right and traditions;
  
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  social (cooperation) aspect – cooperation with others by acquiring the language, cultural values and experience;
  
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  communicative aspect – independent studying and deliberate and purposeful use of the acquired knowledge.
  

The methodological provision of the contents of the course (based on the communicative language acquisition in the socio-cultural context):

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  the memory method is used for the perception and accumulation of personally associated information;
  
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  the translation method is used for the control of the understanding of the acquired information and exchange in the socio-cultural dialogue;
  
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  the cooperation method is used for the exchange of ideas among young people, as well as to encourage them to critically evaluate their study experience and stimulate learning from others to enrich their experience;
  
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  the interactive method is used to secure the participation of students in the formation of the study process and self-evaluation, co-responsible mutual cooperation by changing the role of functions of the lecturer;
  
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  the project method is used for the development of common intercultural projects by applying and expanding the knowledge and skills.
  

The methods should foster the accumulation of study activities experience in various social forms - group work, projects, front work, an outline of argumented information in classes and presentation of a task completed by a work group. The methods should secure the development of individual and cooperative work skills and abilities, as well as the formation of self-evaluation. The methods anticipate the formation of students’ communicative activities:

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  productive - speaking and writing;
  
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  receptive – listening and reading;
  
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  interactive – communicate by writing and speaking;
  
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  intermediary – formal and informal, oral and written translation.
  

Work tasks also include the execution of various types of written work, preparation of essays, reports and summaries, including drafting of projects.
Future development perspectives of the Subprogramme International Cultural Relations

The growing involvement of Latvia not only in the international, political, administrative but also cultural processes determines the future development of the subprogramme International Cultural Relations in the direction of EU objectives and requirements. The gradual integration of Latvia into the EU institutions makes a requirement to pay special attention to the following courses:

1) European Affairs including the establishment of the EU and the history of integration, its institutions, politics and Latvia’s movement???? towards the EU;

2) Translation specialising in Business Translation and Community Interpreting (state institutions, private businesses or non-governmental organisations);

For this purpose we are working at three projects:

a) International and Intercultural Relations in the European Context (Relations internationales et interculturelles en contexte européen) in cooperation with Université Jules Verne de Picardie in the city of Amiens in France; the cooperation Protocol of Intent was signed in 1999 in Amiens University, France;

b) the cooperation project with Madrid Al Cala University; the Protocol of Intent will be signed in 2000;

c) the cooperation project with the University of Westminster in London; the Protocol of Intent will be signed in 2000 in the University of Westminster in London; the main attention will be focussed at the further development of the Translation Course.

Types of Knowledge Examination and Assessment Criteria

The knowledge of students is assessed during the whole term. At the end of each study term there is a test or an examination as anticipated by the standard curriculum. The examination can be held either orally or in writing. In classes of foreign languages students write at least two midterm tests - a progress test in the middle of the term and a test of achieved results at the end of the term. Marks of both tests are equal to the mark of the examination, and the final assessment is the average figure of the sum of these marks. In the assessment of knowledge, the participation of students in classes, activity during the term, results of individual tasks and submitted homework are taken into consideration. If two lecturers work with the student group, the examination is carried out according to unified requirements, the assessment is made according to unified criteria, and students receive one mark for the respective course.