At the end of April 2026, lecturers from the Department of Languages and Literature at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Daugavpils University – Dr. philol., prof. Elīna Vasiļjeva and Dr. philol., doc. Ilze Oļehnoviča – carried out an Erasmus+ combined mobility visit at University of Barcelona (Spain).

Third- and fourth-year students of the Bachelor’s programme in Modern Languages and Literatures at the Faculty of Philology and Communication of the University of Barcelona were introduced to the history of Daugavpils and Latgale, as well as to the realities of the region’s cultural space.

During the mobility visit, Dr. philol. E. Vasiļjeva conducted classes entitled “Tasty Grammar”, during which students had the opportunity not only to learn about the history of the region and how demographic changes influenced Latgale’s gastronomic code, but also to taste rye bread produced in Latgale with garlic and dried fruits. The topic attracted considerable interest and was attended by both students and academic staff.

In her classes, Dr. philol. I. Oļehnoviča introduced students to the linguistic landscape of Daugavpils by examining and jointly analysing the use of various languages (Latvian, Latgalian, English, Russian, Spanish, German, Italian, and others) on the signage of shops, cafés, restaurants, and other service providers. The students learned about the sociolinguistic situation in Daugavpils, Latgale, and Latvia as a whole, and tried to draw parallels with the realities of Barcelona and Catalonia.

During a meeting with lecturers of the Bachelor’s programme in Modern Languages and Literatures, the participants discussed future cooperation opportunities, including mobility opportunities for students and academic staff from the University of Barcelona at Daugavpils University, as well as participation of academic staff in conferences and projects organised and implemented by both universities.

Additional information:
Department of Languages and Literature, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Prof. Elīna Vasiļjeva
Assoc. Prof. Ilze Olehnoviča