The project “Lithuanian Academic Scheme for International Cooperation in Baltic Studies”

• The Department of German Studies and Linguistics in the Faculty of Language, Literature and Humanities at Humboldt University of Berlin
• The Department of Linguistics and Baltic Languages of the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University
• The Institute of Slavic and Baltic Philology at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest
• The Endowed Chair of Lithuanian Studies, Department of Slavic and Baltic Languages and Literatures, The Department of Lithuanian Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago
• The Centre of Lithuanistics in the Faculty of Humanities at Daugavpils University
• The Institute for Empirical Linguistics in the Faculty of Linguistics, Cultures, and Arts at Goethe University Frankfurt
• The Department of Baltic Studies at the University of Greifswald
• The Centre of Lithuanian Language and Culture at Georgian Technical University
• The Center for Baltic Studies, University of Bern, Swiss Confederation
• University of Helsinki, Faculty of Arts, Department of Languages, Baltic Studies
• Lithuanian Culture Centre at The Jagiellonian University
• The Department of Latvian and Baltic Studies in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Latvia
• The Lithuanian Language Course in the Faculty of Humanities and Arts at Liepaja University
• The Institute of Slavic studies at the Westphalian Wilhelm University of Münster
• The Section of Lithuanian Language at The National Institute of Oriental Languages and Civilizations
• Practical School of Higher Studies, Paris
• The Baltic Philology Course in the Department of Philology, Literature and Linguistics at the University of Pisa
• The Department of Baltic Studies at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan
• The Section of Baltistics in the Department of East European Studies in the Faculty of Arts at Charles University
• The Faculty of Education, Languages and Design (study field: Language and cultural studies, native language studies and language programmes) at Rezekne Academy of Technologies
• The Section of Baltic Languages in the Department of Slavic and Baltic languages, Finnish, Dutch and German at Stockholm University
• The College of Foreign Languages and Cultures in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Tartu
• World Language and Society Education Center at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
• The Department of General, East Asian and Baltic Studies at the University of Warsaw
• The Centre of Baltic Studies in the Department of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Washington
• The Lithuanian Language Department in the Institute of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Vienna
• The Centre of Lithuanian Language and Culture Studies at the University of Wroclaw
• The Centre of Lithuanian Language and Culture at Beijing Foreign Studies University
• The Centre of Baltistics at Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
• Abai Kazakh National University
• Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University
• Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
• Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya University, Centre for Baltic Culture and Studies

One of the project tasks is to continually update the BALTNEXUS website (www.baltnexus.lt). BALTNEXUS is the official project website that will keep the community informed about current activities such as undergraduate training, refresher courses, summer and winter courses, educational events, long-term teaching, visits of Lithuanian academic staff to the CBS and of staff from the CBS to Lithuania. The website will also inform on project developments such as online teaching materials, digital publications freely accessible online, conference abstracts, etc.

Conferences and seminars are events giving scholars and undergraduates from around the world the opportunity to meet, share fresh ideas for their scholarly research, and broaden their scientific horizons. The project envisages organizing a series of conferences on Lithuanian and Baltic studies. Academic staff and undergraduates from all BSC as well as institutions of learning and education in Lithuania are welcome to participate in the events.

1. Inaugural project conference “Lithuanian (Baltic) Studies in Contemporary Educational Processes”.
2. Conference “Lithuanian Literature and Cultural Contexts II”.
3. Kazimieras Būga Memorial Conference: Etymology, Onomastics and Language History.
4. Second Pranas Skardžius Memorial Conference.
5. Conference “Reformation and Lithuanian Studies”.
6. “Lithuania Congress 2017”.
7. Conference “Francisk Skorina and his Prague Bible. The Multilingual Cultural Legacy of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Present”.
8. Academic seminar “Comparative Exchanges: Baltic Studies and World Literature”.
9. Academic seminar “Baltic Scholars’ Agora: Literature, Culture and Mythology”.
10. Academic seminar “Baltic Regional Identity: Contacts and Contexts”.
11. Project closing conference.

Long-term lectorships are financed under the present scheme in the following centres of Baltic studies:
2.1.1. In EU countries:
– at Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest;
– at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main;
– at Tartu University;
– at Warsaw University;
– at Vienna University;
2.1.2. In non-EU countries:
– at the University of Illinois in Chicago;
– at the University of Washington in Seattle;
– at the University of Lviv.

2.1.3. Short-term visits to foreign BSC in EU countries.

2.1.4. Short-term visits to foreign BSC in non-EU countries.

In order to meet the needs of foreign centres of Baltic studies, short visits from Lithuania to foreign academic institutions are planned during which academic staff will lecture, present recent research results, conduct seminars and offer advice to lecturers from BSC as well as to undergraduates, assist in compiling teaching aids, participate in discussion meetings and get involved in other activities of the BCS. Staff will be sent to foreign BSC according to the needs of the centres.

2.1.5. Short-term visits from foreign BSC. In order to promote the teaching of subjects of Lithuanian interest in the BSC, lecturers from the centres will be offered in-service training and get opportunity to work in Lithuanian libraries and archives, to give lectures, meet, discuss and organize joint projects with Lithuanian colleagues.
During their visits to Lithuania, staff from the BSC will be able to:
– compile teaching aids for their lectures;
– exchange experience with Lithuanian educational and research staff;
– give guest lectures for Lithuanian undergtraduates and academic staff if desired;
– participate in conferences and events organised by Lithuanian institutions of education and learning.

Lithuanian language and culture curricula abroad usually do not provide the students with adequate competences and skills without additional training in Lithuania. This project offers undergraduates from foreign centres of Baltic studies the opportunity to come to Lithuania for partial studies and internships.

The scheme provides for studies of various duration and intensity for foreign students at Lithuanian universities:
Partial Lithuanian studies are carried out at Vilnius University: a special programme of Lithuanian studies for foreign students is being developed; students from the BSC will be invited to apply for this partial studies curriculum.
Formal Lithuanian language summer and winter courses as well as formal Lithuanian language and culture courses will also be organised.
The project also provides for undergraduate internships. This is an opportunity for bachelor, master or doctoral students to profit from professional internships in various fields as well as to improve their language skills, to get more closely acquainted with Lithuania, or to collect material for their research and term papers in Lithuanian studies.
We furthermore plan short-term educational events such as Lithuanian language courses, educational trips and sightseeing events. These will enhance students’ motivation to study Lithuanian, improve their skills or undertake more serious studies. Educational and cultural events will be organised in order to establish closer relations between the centres of Lithuanian (Baltic) studies and Lithuanian scholarly and academic institutions and communities as well as to promote awareness of current intellectual, artistic and cultural trends in Lithuania.

1. One-term Lithuanian studies at Vilnius University under a special curriculum in Lithuanian studies for foreign students. 330 academic hours, 28-32 credits. Approximately 70 students will be accommodated.
2. First- and second-cycle studies at the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences and Vytautas Magnus University. Depending on the chosen study programme, students are provided with the opportunity to choose courses taught at Lithuanian universities. 28-32 credits, approximately 89 students will participate in partial studies.
3. Internship at the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences and Vytautas Magnus University. Internship locations will be selected taking into account the study cycle (first, second, third) as well as research needs.12 credits are granted. The approximate number of trainee students will be 27, the duration of an internship is 4 months.
4. ne-month formal summer courses at Vilnius University. Six courses will be organized. Approximately 72 students will participate, 100 academic hours, 6 credits. Educational activities are planned.
5. Two-week formal summer courses at Vilnius University. Five courses will be organized. Approximately 60 students will participate, 50 academic hours, 3 credits. Educational activities are planned.
6. Lithuanian language and culture courses at Vytautas Magnus University. Six courses will be organized, duration: 26 days. Approximately 168 students will participate, 100 academic hours, 6 credits. Educational activities are planned.
Internship and studies will be organised during the entire duration of the project.
Students will receive certificates specifying the number of credits and assessment of acquired skills.

1. Summer school of Lithuanian studies at the Humboldt University of Berlin. 6 schools, duration – 2 weeks, 60 academic hours. Every year two Lithuanian language lecturers will be delegated to conduct intensive Lithuanian language courses.
2. Summer camps of Lithuanian language, culture and history are organised by the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences.
3. Dialectological expeditions are organised by the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences. Two expeditions are planned, each with a duration of 7 days, 56 academic hours. The approximate number of participants will be 40.

One of the aims of the current project is to hold teacher training events every year. During these events, lectures will be given on such issues as the methodology of teaching Lithuanian as a foreign language, country studies, and special courses on Baltic and Lithuanian studies. The preliminary lecture modules include Lithuanian Culture Studies; Lithuanian History; Lithuanian Language and Literature; History of Lithuanian Language and Literature; and Traditional and Contemporary Lithuanian Art. During the courses, we will not only present new developments in the area, but will also organize excursions to different Lithuanian cities and ethnographic regions.
Two interactive distance learning sessions have been planned, in which lectures on new methods of teaching Lithuanian will be given, electronic training tools developed during the project will be presented, and teachers will be taught to use them in the study process. In addition, lectures on Lithuanian history, culture, ethnic heritage and society, and the latest results of Lithuanian studies will be presented./p>

3.1.1. Teacher training courses:

1. The teacher training course “Lithuanian Horizons” offers an introduction to research on language, culture, art, history, social studies, and new developments in these areas. The course is organised by Vilnius University. In total, three courses will be offered. Course duration is 5 days, 40 academic hours; the preliminary number of participants is 90.
The course programme will also include educational activities.
2. The five-day teacher training course “In Search of New Strategies, Methods, and Practices in Lithuanian Studies” will be organized by the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences. Two courses will be held, the duration of which is 5 days, 40 academic hours. The preliminary number of participants is 50.
3. The teacher training course “Encounters with Lithuanian Culture” is organised by Vytautas Magnus University. Course duration is 12 days, or 40 academic hours; the preliminary number of participants is 25. In addition, educational activities will be organised.
4. Interactive on-line courses. Two training sessions will be organised; the preliminary number of participants is 60 teachers. One training session will last 6 academic hours per day.
The educational activities included in the course programme will complement the knowledge acquired in the training sessions, will broaden the outlook of the course participants, and will provide more information about Lithuanian cultural sites.
Teachers who take part in the training courses will receive certificates of non-formal education.

It is planned to prepare:
(a) two teaching aids in the pdf format: (1) a Lithuanian language textbook for Level C and (2) digital (self-)study resources reflecting the historical and cultural ties of Lithuania with each country where the BSC is established. These tools will be published in the pdf format on the website Baltnexus.lt;
(b) six interactive teaching tools: (1) corpora for learners representing native-speaker language, 2) corpora of learner language, 3) an electronic lexicon for learners representing Lithuanian word usage, 4) a morphologically annotated corpus interface, 5) an automatic accentuation tool, and 6) an interactive database of standard Lithuanian pronunciation.

1. A C-level Lithuanian textbook is to be developed for the use of senior undergraduates in centres of Lithuanian (Baltic) studies abroad. Prospective authors: A. Kaškelevičienė and V. Stumbrienė. A Lithuanian teaching tool will be compiled aiming at reaching the highest European proficiency levels C1 – C2 in Lithuanian. Many learners in the centres of Baltic studies are on a higher proficiency level in Lithuanian and want to study further. At an earlier stage of the project only Lithuanian teaching tools for A and B levels were compiled and a lack of textbooks for self-teaching is felt in the centres. Lecturers are forced to prepare teaching material themselves. The textbook to be compiled will fill this gap.

2. A digital tool of integrated learning (SIUP) “Lithuanian in the World – the World in Lithuania”. The prospective authors are Assoc. Prof. Ž. Kolevinskienė, Assoc. Prof. R. Jurgaitis, Prof. Dr. S. Radzevičienė, Prof. R. Ragauskienė, Prof. Dr. D. Vaitiekūnas and others. This is an interdisciplinary learning tool with certain interactive elements, integrating aspects of history, Lithuanian, literature and culture. Such types of teaching tools adapted to the needs of BSC have not been compiled so far. The SIUP will be a universal, technically easily accessed teaching tool adapted to the needs of staff and and students of BSC. SIUP will encourage interest in historic and cultural relations between Lithuania and individual countries, contemporary interaction between nations, states and societies as well as cooperation in various fields of political, economic and socio-cultural life. SIUP may serve for cultural integration and adaptation of Lithuanian immigrants in different countries.

This activity is undertaken to create electronic learning tools, which would help lecturers teach and learners study Lithuanian on the basis of data of current usage. Even though the Internet is full of information, a substantial part of it is excessively difficult for the learners. Therefore, interactive learning tools of different levels of language competence will be compiled for learners and lecturers, where they could search for information independently.

1. Learners’ corpora are electronic collections of texts at A1, A2, B1, B2 levels. The corpora will be morphologically annotated and accentuated, with links to audio pronunciation in the database of Lithuanian Standard Pronunciation.
2. Learners’ corpora (A1, A2, B1, B2 levels). 4 corpora will comprise texts produced by speakers of other languages, enabling study of the typical usage of speakers of other languages as a basis in compiling tasks and compiling a list of basic words.
3. Online learner’s dictionary of Lithuanian usage. The database will contain the most common Lithuanian words relevant to learners, with all their inflectional forms, stress, phonetic transcription and audio pronunciation, as well information on valency and collocations.
4. User interfaces for accessing the morphologically annotated corpus. Search by grammatical categories, collocations, etc., with a possibility of downloading search results.
5. An Automatic accentuation tool.
6. An Interactive database of Standard Lithuanian Pronunciation. Provides inflectional forms, stress and intonation data, transcriptions and audio pronunciation for the most frequent Lithuanian words. This tool will be developed by specialists employed for the purpose.

According to the needs of BSC, subscriptions to periodicals of Lithuanian interest are offered.