My Lithuanian Linguistic Biography
One of the few Filipinos to learn Lithuanian and recipient of a Lithuanian government scholarship
In 2017, 2018 and 2019, I was a recipient of the Lithuanian government scholarship for the winter and summer Lithuanian language and culture courses. However, I only chose to attend the summer courses because of my work schedule. In those two months, I have learned as much as to introduce myself, get around, let others know what I need and am looking for and describe myself and those in my immediate surroundings. In the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), these skills are categorized in the A2 level. In this level, the language user is able to talk and ask questions about themselves and those of their immediate surroundings, regarding their immediate and personal needs. This level is enough to get you through the day to day necessities such as lodging, restaurant, hotel reservations, ordering food, buying in shops… just about anything you need to function better as a tourist or temporary visitor.
For the first summer course in 2018, I was automatically assigned in the beginner level group. Our professor, Virginija calls it “grupė nulis” (group zero) since we have no prior knowledge of Lithuanian. The class was conducted 80% of the time in Lithuanian, 10% in Russian and 10% in English. We had a language assistant with us, Dora, who immediately became one of my best friends.
During the second summer course in 2019, I was placed in the second beginner level group. However, this time, I feel like I have missed a lot because my classmates were mostly Russian speakers and residing in Lithuania or nearby countries whose languages ressemble that of Lithuanian (Polish, Czech, Ukrainian, Latvian, Belorussian, to name a few). It was more difficult and frustration started to kick in. At this point, I was aware that without extra effort, it will become even more challenging.
From this group type until the more advanced groups, there are no more language assistants. Classes will have two teachers, one teacher for the first half and another on the second. I have never known the reason behind this but I think it was a nice idea to have different approaches in methods in language immersion and learning.
Beyond the 4-5 hour classes in the morning, there are cultural activities in the afternoon organized by the teachers and language assistants. This can range from parties, to cultural excursions. I have been to all Lithuanian regions and to the biggest Lithuanian cities. Outside of these organized trips and activities, I also practiced my Lithuanian with my encounters and everyday personal exchanges and activities in the supermarkets, cinemas, restaurants, shops and even in the streets, really, which obviously helped tremendously in my progress.
Several cities offer one-month winter/summer courses: Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. I had mine in Klaipėda University. However, they have limited the scholarship application and acceptance to three takes. Any further than that, the fourth application will no longer be honored. If you want to pursue further studies beyond the third time, you will be considered as self-funding. This is to ensure fair opportunities for other interested and deserving applicants.
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