Joseph Conrad – Interaction of Literature and Music

The aim of the paper is to investigate the role of music in Joseph Conrad’s life and works, as well as study the reflection of the writer’s writings in the works of the 20th and 21st centuries’ world composers. The research has been based on the synthesis of the different methods – biographical, historically- cultural, literary-historical and semiotical. The cultural layer of J. Conrad’s artistic world view is essential also in Latvian literature and culture, and it can be viewed in the context that is topical in modern Latvian literary theory. Research of the Western literary icons is topical at present. Excellent knowledge and comprehension of music influenced the development of J. Conrad as a personality and a writer. And the outstanding literary works of the modernist writer inspired the composers of the 20th and the 21st centuries all over the world to create the famous music compositions

MOTIVATION ASPECTS IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES’ ACQUISITION

Although foreign languages are broadly used in all spheres of life nowadays, not all students know foreign languages well.  The study of students’ needs in the personal realm results in a discussion of motivation, which is a very topical issue for teachers. Empirical, quantitative and information processing methods were used in the research process. The questionnaire was worked out and the data was analysed. The aim of the pilot research is to find out the students’ motivation to acquire foreign languages. Several conclusions and implications were worked out. Students’ attitude to the foreign languages’ acquisition is positive in general. Students would like to acquire a very broad range of foreign languages, but the offer of the schools is rather limited. The role of the teacher is to encourage students’ interest and motivate them to acquire foreign languages.

DISCUSSIONS OF POLITICAL ISSUES AT FOREIGN LANGUAGES’ CLASSES FOR UNIVERSITY LEVEL STUDENTS

Discussion is a methodological instrument, which helps to perfect students’ communicative competence and the central process through which students can be encouraged interact with one another, their academics, and the information sources. A foreign language academic encourages discussion using newspaper headlines. The topicality of the headlines contain indirect impulses, which encourages a reader (a student) to develop and express his/her own opinion. Migration issues have become topical and up-to-date recently. Higher education also is a sphere of life, which is concerned with this topic. The topic is also in the focus of students and academics’ attention at Rezekne Academy of Technologies and is used successfully at foreign languages’ classes. The aim of the paper is to demonstrate methodological approaches how to develop students’ discussion skills on political issues through the acquisition of migration terminology using newspaper headlines and using of them in discussions on the migration issues.Communicative, discourse analysis content and critical analysis methods were used in the research. Vocabulary is crucial in learning and teaching for specific purposes. Three C’s (conveying meaning, checking, and consolidation) approach has been used in acquisition of new vocabulary at foreign language classes. Foreign languages for specific purposes concentrate more on language in context than on teaching grammar and language structures.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ONLINE FOREIGN LANGUAGE COURSE – THE EXPERIENCE OF THE BELL PROJECT

Online acquisition of the foreign language has become particularly important lately, especially  during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. In the framework of The European Union Capacity Building project “Enhancement of Lifelong Learning in Belarus” (https://bell-iln.by/en/) the online English course has been developed and implemented. The article summarises the professional experience of three parties. The main aim of this paper is to reflect the factors,  which are essential for the development of an online foreign language course for adults. The following methods were used while doing the research: survey data analysis of project English language course’s target audience and  the qualitative analysis of the data content. A questionnaire of the course participants was developed and carried out, the answers were processed. The project experience was analysed, conclusions were drawn and the proposals for future work were worked out