Journals of Rezekne Academy of Technologies
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FUTURE MIGRATION DECISIONS: AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH
Get PDFThe volatile political and institutional scene in Europe implies that future migration-related decision making can be re-assessed. Implications that migrants face might lead to a remarkable shift in migration trajectories and the need to adopt various future geographic mobility decisions. Therefore, this paper demonstrates to what extent the experimental approach can illustrate future migration-related decision making. This study explores the geographic selectivity of migration intensions of international students under four hypothetical scenarios. The data was collected in 2019 from a sample of international students in Latvia, accounting for 500 experimental participants.The findings suggest that majority of international students studying in Latvia would prefer relocation. Besides, it is indicative that institutional barriers such as the need for a visa are much less critical than economic conditions, wage level and overall quality of life. Such indicative factors as wage level increase in Latvia would substantially boost the possibility to stay in Latvia; however, changes related to family or personal reasons are essential triggers for the students to return to their home countries.
DEVELOPMENT OF STUDENTS’ COMMUNICATIVE CULTURE VIA ONLINE FOREIGN LANGUAGE INTERACTION
Get PDFThe article focuses on the use of digital technologies in the foreign language learning process and the formation of students’ communicative culture via online interaction. The issue discussed in this paper is very urgent because nowadays digital technologies are viewed as a comprehensive means of teaching a foreign language in a higher educational institution. General cultural competency and communicative culture, particularly, are considered as an integrative quality of a specialist concerning his potential for self-realization in his future career. In this regard, the actual problem is the methodically correct organisation of the educational process for students’ cultural development on the basis of digital technologies. The research is aimed at the theoretical substantiation of pedagogical effectiveness of the organization of online training in foreign language communication as a condition for the formation of the communicative culture of undergraduate students as well as the generalization of the results of experimental training. To verify the productivity of digital resources in foreign language training and cultural development of university students the authors conducted a pedagogical experiment using theoretical and empirical methods of scientific research. The results of the experiment proved the effectiveness of online teaching in mastering communicative culture components
THE ACQUISITION OF RUSSIAN GRAMMAR CASES BY BRAZILIAN STUDENTS
Get PDFThe analysis of Russian discourse in the proficiency levels B1 and B2 points out to Brazilian students\u27 assimilation problems regarding the grammar cases. Such problems are interpreted based on the structural comparison between the verb-object relations in Portuguese and Russian: - the verb and object may be connected directly or through a preposition; - the meaning is also intermediated by the grammar cases. To establish interlinguistic equivalents, they are compared structures with similar meaning in the native language compared to the learnt one. The research aims to understand through an empirical approach to Brazilian students\u27 difficulties when learning grammar cases regarding their native language interference. The authors recorded interviews with Brazilian students in the referred proficiency levels, which were considered under the typological comparison; a questionary answered by the same students was then implemented to confirm such difficulties. The results indicate the structural divergence and consequent difficulty of Brazilian students to acquire the Dative and the Instrumental cases when a preposition does not intermediate the verb-object relation
DIASPORA FAMILY VIEWS ON LEARNING LATVIAN IN DISTANCE LEARNING CLASSES BY THE LATVIAN LANGUAGE AGENCY
Get PDF8% of the population whose native language is Latvian live outside Latvia in many countries of the world. With the concern for the preservation of Latvian it is disturbing that less than a half of Latvian diaspora families speak Latvian at home, therefore children have a weak proficiency of Latvian or lack it altogether. What is positive about the present situation is that almost all Latvians living in foreign countries wish their children to learn Latvian and choose distance learning classes for language acquisition and improvement, including those provided by the Latvian Language Agency (henceforth – LLA). The aim of the present research is clarifying the motivation of diaspora families to choose for their children distance learning classes of Latvian provided by the LLA and investigating the views of the families on the role of distance classes in the process of learning Latvian. For research data collection, a digital survey questionnaire was compiled and e-mailed to all families participating in distance classes of learning Latvian organized by the LLA in different countries of the world. The research reveals that the majority of the surveyed family children do not attend weekend Latvian schools and prefer regular, systemic language learning classes under the guidance of professional teachers from Latvia. The families admit that distance classes are a convenient mode of language learning, yet the greatest challenges in teaching and sustaining Latvian outside Latvia are the lack of the Latvian linguistic environment and lack of time for engaging with the child, whereas those in distance learning are children’s busyness and lack of motivation for language learning
STRATEGIC INTERNAL COMMUNICATION: ANALYSIS OF THE PRACTICE OF REGIONAL HIGER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF LATVIA
Get PDFIn the organization\u27s strategic management, internal communication is one of the main components enabling the strategic management process to be carried out. Its role is important in both the planning and implementation of the strategy. Still, in practice, the internal communication’s potential remains untapped, resulting in the pursuit of organizations\u27 strategic objectives. In developing the doctoral thesis, the author has an interest in investigating not only businesses, but also higher education institutions (HEIs), as they are similar organizations to other sectoral institutions, and their processes must be similar. The purpose of this study is to analyse who currently manages the internal communication function of four Latvian regional universities and to what extent the internal communication can be considered strategic. The study reviews international literature on the strategic management of organizations and the strategic management of internal communication. It uses a combined research strategy involving questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with respondents indicating that their university has developed an internal communication strategy.The results show that the internal communication management practices of universities differ since some universities do not clearly define the purpose of internal communication, strategies, and plans, as well as those which merely indicate the existence of internal communication management practices. In all four universities, specialists carry out internal communication in the field of marketing, communication, or human resources management who demonstrate that private business practices are being applied – implementing internal communication in fragmented ways without acknowledging it as a management’s function. The research participants have indicated that internal communication should be managed by the administrative vice-rector. Since the analysed articles show that the employee responsible for the internal communication function should be part of the decision-making process, more in-depth research should be continued which would allow making conclusions whether the administrative vice-rector at the university should take on the strategic management function of internal communication.
TOOLS FOR PERSONALIZED LEARNING-BASED TEACHER EDUCATION
Get PDFChanges in the education from a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach requires changes in schools and in teacher education. One of possible ways is personalized learning (PL). It is a new concept in many countries around the world. PL is closely related to individualized, differentiated learning, inclusive education principles (Abbot, 2014; EDUCAUSE, 2013). PL builds on an understanding of learner: individual development, seeking of personal goals, taking into consideration individual differences and inclusion. PL “challenges teachers to search for pedagogy and practices that will help them addressing diversity in their classroom” (Guðjónsdóttir, 2000, p.9). Different methods and tools (e-tools as well) might be used for PL such as digital storytelling, three step interview, e-portfolio. Paper presents theoretical analysis of links between aspects of effective learning (good knowledge of each student; shared teacher and student responsibility within the learning process; personal learner involvement, linking to individual motivation, experience, and aspirations; collaboration, participation and involvement in the learning process; effective use of information technology and other learning resources (Williams, 2013)) and methods/tools for PL.
ONLINE SALE OF FASHION GOODS
Get PDFThe main channel for the distribution of retail goods is gradually becoming the Internet. It is also a binding distribution channel for the sale of fashion goods. It allows the retailer to take opportunity not only to post photos, video and audio material showcasing their latest collections, but also to sell the goods directly to the consumer through a website. In Latvia, the purchase of goods in the Internet is growing very fast, especially during the Covid - 19 restrictions, when the purchase of goods in stores is restricted. Throughout Europe and especially in Latvia the crisis caused by Covid-19 has led to the questions, such as - what to do now, what should change and what decisions should be made by fashion retailers so that employees and buyers are not so vulnerable in such unpredictable force majeure situations? According to data from the Interactive Media Retail Group, for example, the UK\u27s online retail turnover increased by 42% in September 2020, by 35.7% in October and by 39% in November compared to the previous year. The aim of this article is to analyze researches about online fashion retailers conducted by US and British researchers and the results of surveys among Chinese and Latvian students. The questions included in the researches and surveys are: Who sells fashion items online? Who helps to create a good fashion website? How do fashion retailers design websites? Who buys online? Conclusions and proposals have been made for retail web developers in Latvia.
THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF THE FORMATION OF ACCOUNTANT’S PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE IN WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Get PDFThe last few years have seen significant changes in the world economy and by extension in accounting. Modern accountants have an important role in global entrepreneurship. As a result, the majority of employers prefer candidates with advanced accounting or auditing experience, knowledge of IT, including accounting and internal audit software, and good foreign language skills. The article contains an analysis of the content and components of the professional competence of accountants working in Latvia. The theoretical review is based on the information gathered and analysed from open sources and scientific databases
THE VOICE OF THE CHILD: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CHILD PROTECTION SYSTEM IN LITHUANIAN FAMILY SOCIAL WORK
Get PDFThis paper explains the current practices of the child welfare system in the context of Lithuania. In Europe, research on child welfare has a long history; however, the child welfare situation in Lithuania has not been systematically studied, nor has it been provided with the research-based knowledge necessary for the development of the system. Based on qualitative research results, the paper sheds light on how the voice of the child is heard in Lithuanian child and family social work practice. The research participants in the present study were children and family social workers. The research results indicate that adult-centered family social work practices are dominant and the voice of the child is misleading in the intervention process
INSTITUTIONALISATION OF RETURN MIGRATION IN LATVIA: THE CASE OF REGIONAL COORDINATORS
Get PDFEmigration countries such as Latvia institutionally should address the negative consequences of the ageing populations\u27 economic and demographic challenges. To this aim, in 2018 network of five regional return migration coordinators was established to foster and nationally encourage return migration. The primary function of the regional coordinator is to foster and facilitate requests of potential return migrants.Drawing on interview materials collected in 2020 with return migration coordinators at the regional level – Latgale, Vidzeme, Zemgale, Kurzeme and Riga, we illustrate good-practice of return migration institutionalisation in Latvia.Our study focuses on three main fields of interest within the work of regional return coordinators: 1) what are the typical return migration paths from the coordinators\u27 perspective? 2) what are the main challenges in coordinators\u27 work? 3) how education-related issues for return migrants are solved?The research reveals that people typically return for family reasons and long for their homeland, traditions, and traditional settings. The research states that the main challenges coordinators\u27 work relates to is the low standardisation level as each returnee\u27s case is unique.