Thread: Языковая обстановка в Латвии и др.

Having an offcial second language simply means that the citizen can get service from the state in either of the official languages, that official signs on the roads, warning signs etc are in both languages and that food and medicine has labels in both languages. It's also possible to have two official language, but one with a lower status, i.e. less service etc in that language.

It's really just to assure that people can do the basic necessities in their native country, without learning another language. Not everybody has the brains etc to do that. It's actually pretty dangerous if people can't read labels on medicine, if they can't communicate with the state, or they eat food they are allergic to because they couldn't read the label. Plus, it sends a message to the group "you are acknowledged", "we care about your wellbeing".

In reality, in most bilingual countries, the majority of people - certainly all smart ones - can speak the majority language.

I am certainly not saying I think it's ok for Russian speakers to walk around with an arrogant attitude to Latvia, Latvian people or language. They should definitely learn it. But there might be people who are not very clever, don't have a lot of opportunity to practice Latvian because they live in a Russian speaking area etc.

Also, I am not saying that all Latvian people should have an obligation to learn good Russian. Maybe a few years in school as mandatory - and then leave anything further as an option for those that are interested.

Latvia could for example give Russian an official status, but on a lower level than Latvian. For example "second national language" or something like that.

To compare the status of Polish, "Roma" and Russian doesn't make any sense. I haven't heard anyone speak Polish, but every other person on the street is speaking Russian. A large proportion of the Russian speakers in Latvia are born there and have no other home.

The situation in the USA is interesting, but different. USA is an immigrant nation. The idea is to emigrate there and assimilate. It's not comparable to Latvia for lots of reasons.

Since ~2005 official policy is to have 60% of lessons in Latvian and 40% in Russian.
Tax-funded higher education is available in Latvian only (and English for foreign exchange students).
And this approach is working - knowledge of Latvian is increasing each year...

It's good that the skills in Latvian are increasing. But I think Latvia ought to get itself a Russian speaking university. It would be good for the national prestige, it might attract talent from other countries and, it would make the Russian speakers happy, and stop them from going to study in Russia.

Look at Finland. They have only 12% Swedish speakers, but they have two Swedish speaking universities that are adding a lot of value to their country, by attracting students from other Scandinavian countries, keeping the local Swedish speakers happy and those are generally very good universities (I did a term at one of those).

In Wales:


Bomb shelter sign in Finland.
Dual signed so everyone is sure to understand.


Recognition of the very small Polish minority in Germany.
But nothing like this exists in Latvia.

that food and medicine has labels in both languages.

This is not a problem here - go buy something and you will see that there are descriptions in many more languages than just Latvian.

Maybe you did not hear them, but according to official statistics, there are ~50k Poles , ~50k Ukrainians, ~30k Lithuanians and ~80k Belarussians in Latvia.
Latvia is their home country too.
And I strongly oppose Soviet policy that Russian should be pressured onto them.
It is just wrong to say that there are only Latvians and Russians and everyone else should be ignored or counted simply as "krievvalodīgie" (Russian speaking people).
Non-Russian immigrants in Soviet times were encouraged to learn Russian not Latvian.

But I think Latvia ought to get itself a Russian speaking university

There are private Russian speaking high-schools.
And I do not really see a need to fund one from taxes.
All Russian speaking students that I have met know Latvian very good (I recently graduated from Riga Technical University which have a lot of Russian speaking students).