The best way to learn Latvian is a mix: mostly Latvian you can understand, plus review and real conversation, with the balance set by your goal. Latvian you can mostly understand is called comprehensible input. Below, you'll see what each way of learning builds and the mix that suits six common goals.
Which Ways of Learning Latvian Work Best?
Reading and listening to Latvian at your level works best, and each other method adds one skill on top of it.
| Method | What it builds | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and listening at your level | Words, grammar and listening | Most of your time |
| A structured course | An order for the basics | Your first months |
| A tutor or conversation partner | Speaking and quick replies | Using what you know |
| Flashcards or other review | Words that stay with you | A few minutes each session |
| Shows, radio and the news | Latvian at natural speed | Fun, once you follow most of it |
| Grammar study | Why the end of a word changes | Patterns that confuse you |
Input is the base of the mix: a 2016 review of 49 studies in Reading in a Foreign Language, a University of Hawaii journal, found that reading a lot of easy material improves reading in a new language.
What Is the Best Way to Learn Latvian for Your Goal?
For every goal, the best way is the same base of reading and listening, with the rest of your time on the skill that goal needs most.
- Talk With Family or FriendsRead and hear lots of everyday conversations, and spend the rest of your time talking with them or with a tutor.
- Live in LatviaRead and hear Latvian about everyday life most of the time, such as shopping and visits to the doctor, and practice those talks with a teacher.
- Pass the State Language TestRead and listen at your level most of the time, and try the sample tasks on viaa.gov.lv, the official test site, as the test gets close.
- Work in LatvianRead and hear Latvian about your field most of the time, and practice the polite jūs (you) with a tutor.
- Travel to LatviaSpend most of your time on short dialogues about ordering food and getting around, and say each one out loud.
- Follow the News in LatvianStart with Latvian Radio's five-minute news in easy Latvian, and move on to the regular news on LSM once that feels easy.
To see how many hours each stage takes, read how long it takes to learn Latvian.
What Are the Best Resources for Each Part?
Each part of the mix has a good free option, such as Duostories for easy stories or Tēzaurs.lv for grammar, and an app or service for when you want more. Bubblegum, which appears in a few rows, is a language app where Poppy, an AI tutor, writes Latvian lessons at your level about things you like.
| Part | Free option | App or service |
|---|---|---|
| A course for the basics | The Laipa A1 and A2 lessons on Māci un mācies, then E-Laipa up to B2, both from the Latvian Language Agency | Ling, with grammar and culture notes, or Glossika for sentences you hear and say |
| Reading and listening at your level | Stories with audio on Duostories, and the evening news in easy Latvian, Ziņas vieglajā valodā | Bubblegum or Fluent Fiction |
| Shows, radio and the news | Palīgā!, a TV series made for learners, and Latvijas Radio | Language Player for videos with two sets of subtitles, or Readlang for web pages you choose |
| Review | Anki, free on computers and Android | Bubblegum's Regenerative Review™, which brings saved words back in new lessons |
| Conversation | A language exchange on HelloTalk or Tandem | A tutor on italki or Preply |
| Grammar | Tēzaurs.lv, a large open Latvian dictionary with a table of each word's forms | Letonika, which has dictionaries and a word conjugator |
What Should You Avoid?
Avoid anything that keeps you away from real Latvian sentences you can follow.
- Reading Latvian Like EnglishIn Latvian, j sounds like the y in yes, as in jā (yes), and c sounds like the ts in cats, so play the audio as you read.
- Word Lists With No SentencesSave words from lines you have read, such as Es eju uz veikalu (I'm going to the shop), so each word comes with the ending it takes in a real sentence.
- Films You Can't Follow YetSave Latvian films for when you can follow a scene with Latvian subtitles on, and watch shows made for small children, such as Tutas lietas, before that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to learn Latvian with an app or a teacher?
Use an app for the hours of reading and listening, and a teacher for speaking and corrections. Lessons with a tutor on italki or Preply are paid, so spend that time talking, and do your reading and listening on your own. If you moved to Latvia in the last five years and are not an EU citizen, you may qualify for free Latvian courses.
Should I learn Latvian grammar first?
No. Start reading and listening right away, and look a pattern up when it confuses you. A rule is easier to learn once you have seen it a few times: after Es dzīvoju Rīgā (I live in Rīga) and Es strādāju Rīgā (I work in Rīga), it is easy to see that the ā at the end of Rīgā means "in."
Can I learn Latvian outside Latvia?
Yes. Māci un mācies, Duostories and the easy news are free online. The state language test is held in Latvian cities such as Rīga and Liepāja, so plan a trip if you want the certificate.
Which Latvian app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning Latvian, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. Our Latvian app comparison covers courses, tutors and speaking apps too.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Jeon and Day (2016), The effectiveness of ER on reading proficiency: A meta-analysis, Reading in a Foreign Language 28(2), University of Hawaii
- State Education Development Agency (VIAA), state language proficiency test programme, with sample tasks for each level from A1 to C2
- State Education Development Agency (VIAA), Valsts valodas prasmes pārbaude (test dates in Rīga, Daugavpils, Liepāja, Rēzekne and Ventspils)
- Latvian Language Agency: Māci un mācies latviešu valodu (free interactive Laipa A1 and A2 lessons)
- Latvian Language Agency: Self-study resources, including e-Laipa from A1 to B2
- Latvijas Radio: Ziņas vieglajā valodā (news in easy Latvian)
- Tēzaurs.lv, an open Latvian dictionary with inflection tables and example sentences
- Anki, official downloads (free computer version and AnkiDroid)
- HelloTalk, learn Latvian (free language exchange)
- Integration and Inclusion Agency of Latvia: Free Latvian language courses (for non-EU citizens who arrived in the last five years)
