Lithuanian language and culture studies

You will learn to:

• Read simple Lithuanian texts.
• Recognize and understand familiar words and key phrases in the most common everyday situations.
• Understand spoken Lithuanian when the context relates to topics discussed in the course.
• Ask questions, provide information, and hold conversations on course-related topics.

Learning topics:

• "Let’s get acquainted. Who are you? Who is your friend?" Vocabulary: introduction, native country, nationality, languages, address, phone number. Grammar: alphabet, nominative and genitive cases, present tense verbs (type A).
• "Place and time. What is your city like? Where and when do we meet?" Vocabulary: city landmarks, directions, times of year and day, hours. Grammar: locative case, prepositions of place, accusative case, present tense verbs (type I).
• "Food and drinks. Is it tasty?" Vocabulary: food products, drinks, adjectives to describe food. Grammar: adjective and noun agreement, present tense verbs (type O), subjunctive for politeness, prepositions su and be, instrumental case.
• "Family. Do you have a big family?" Vocabulary: family members, professions, adjectives to describe people. Grammar: past and future tenses, imperative mood, dative case, vocative case.

Study period:

from September 3 to November 26 (on-site in Vilnius)

Jūs išmoksite:

• apibūdinti XIX-XXI a. lietuvių gyvensenos raidos dėsningumus,
• įvertinti tradicijos ir inovacijos, unikalumo ir universalumo santykį lietuvių materialinės ir dvasinės kultūros srityse,
• palyginti skirtingų lietuvių kartų gyvenseną, papročius ir tradicijas.

Turinys (temos):

• Pagrindiniai lietuvių gyvenamosios aplinkos bruožai.
• Ūkinė veikla: pagrindiniai verslai ir užsiėmimai.
• Mityba.
• Santykiai tarp žmonių (bendruomenė, kaimynystė, lyčių vaidmenys).
• Kasdienybė ir šventinis laikas.
• Tradicinės kalendorinės šventės.
• Kalendorinių švenčių transformacijos ir pritaikymas miestietiškam gyvenimo būdui.
• Valstybinės šventės.
• Gyvenimo ciklo papročiai ir šeimos šventės.
• Tradicinis folkloras ir pagrindiniai jo žanrai (dainos, pasakos, trumpieji pasakymai).
• Šiuolaikinis folkloras: naujai atsiradę folkloro žanrai ir jų reikšmė bei  dabartiniam žmogui.
• Veiksniai, sąlygoję lietuvių gyvensenos ypatumus ir jų kaitą.
• Lietuvos etnografinių regionų skirtumai seniau ir dabar: paveldo saugojimas.

You will learn to:

• Apply grammar rules in spoken and written language.
• Write texts related to the topics studied during the course.
• Participate in conversations related to the course topics.
• Understand and use phrases relevant to public communication.
• Express opinions and ask questions.

Learning topics:

• "There are no foreign lands" (travel and transportation). Vocabulary: means of transport, arrival/departure times, holidays and travel, tourism. Grammar: prepositions of time and place, question words, numerals, prefixes.
• "Everywhere is good, but home is best" (home and household). Vocabulary: buildings, house and apartment, furniture and daily life, renting. Grammar: declension of adjectival words, degrees of adjectives.
• "Water for fish, air for birds, the whole earth for humans" (climate and weather). Vocabulary: climate zones, seasons, weather changes, natural phenomena. Grammar: government and agreement, numerals, neuter gender and adverbs.
• "There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing" (fashion and style). Vocabulary: clothing and accessories, shopping, fashion. Grammar: formation of adjectives, imperative and subjunctive moods, attributive clauses (which, who).
• "A healthy mind in a healthy body" (health and hygiene). Vocabulary: body parts, health and medicine, healthy lifestyle, hygiene and daily routine. Grammar: diminutives, reflexive verbs, conjunctions in compound sentences.

Study period:

from September 2 to November 27 (online)

This course is aimed for a very broad audience and is an introduction to the history of Lithuanian diaspora (in other words- Lithuanian world) from the earliest Medieval times till the present day. Starting with the definition of the term “diaspora”, different aspects and period of Lithuanian migration are exposed in the chronological order. Lithuanians belong to a group of nations that blossomed forth in antiquity and created their own version of political civilization before disappearing a few centuries later from the world’s political maps so thoroughly that to many people that nation became virtually unknown. It’s quite possible that Lithuanians see themselves somewhat differently than does the world around them (in terms of the school textbooks). We have in mind the features and reality of the Lithuanian diaspora, as revealed by the footprints Lithuanians left behind during several centuries of modernity in North and South America, South Africa, and Australia, not to mention the Russian East including the limitless expanses of Siberia. This cours explains social, cultural and political activities of Lithuanian diaspora during the centuries and its role in the emergence of modern Lithuanian and its revivals. For VMU as the University of the World Lithuanian Community it is a representative introduction to the essence of identity of the diasporic people.
Created on: 2017 02 03