Editing Latvia (section)

=== Language ===
{{further|Language policy in Latvia}}
The sole official language of Latvia is [[Latvian language|Latvian]], which belongs to the [[Baltic languages|Baltic language sub-group]] of the [[Balto-Slavic languages|Balto-Slavic branch]] of the [[Indo-European languages|Indo-European language family]]. Another notable language of Latvia is the nearly extinct [[Livonian language]] of the [[Finnic languages|Finnic]] branch of the [[Uralic languages|Uralic language family]], which enjoys protection by law; [[Latgalian language|Latgalian]]&nbsp;– as a dialect of Latvian is also protected by Latvian law but as a historical variation of the Latvian language. [[Russian language|Russian]], which was widely spoken during the Soviet period, is still the most widely used minority language by far (in 2023, 37.7% spoke it as their mother tongue and 34.6% spoke it at home, including people who were not ethnically Russian).<ref name="eng.lsm.lv"/>
While it is now required that all school students learn Latvian, schools also include English, German, French and Russian in their curricula. English is also widely accepted in Latvia in business and tourism. {{As of|2014}} there were 109 schools for minorities that use Russian as the language of instruction (27% of all students) for 40% of subjects (the remaining 60% of subjects are taught in Latvian).

On 18 February 2012, Latvia held a [[2012 Latvian constitutional referendum|constitutional referendum]] on whether to adopt Russian as a second official language.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.cvk.lv/pub/public/28361.html/|title=Referendum on the Draft Law 'Amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia'|publisher=Central Election Commission of Latvia|year=2012|access-date=2 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502013728/http://web.cvk.lv/pub/public/28361.html|archive-date=2 May 2012}}</ref> According to the Central Election Commission, 74.8% voted against, 24.9% voted for and the voter turnout was 71.1%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tn2012.cvk.lv/|title=Results of the referendum on the Draft Law 'Amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia'|language=lv|publisher=Central Election Commission of Latvia|year=2012|access-date=2 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415075014/http://www.tn2012.cvk.lv/|archive-date=15 April 2012}}</ref>

From 2019, instruction in the [[Russian language in Latvia|Russian language]] was gradually discontinued in private colleges and [[private university|universities]] in Latvia, as well as general instruction in Latvian public [[high school]]s,<ref>{{cite news |title=Latvia pushes majority language in schools, leaving parents miffed |url=https://www.dw.com/en/latvia-pushes-majority-language-in-schools-leaving-parents-miffed/a-45385830 |agency=Deutsche Welle |date=8 September 2018 |access-date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123223709/https://www.dw.com/en/latvia-pushes-majority-language-in-schools-leaving-parents-miffed/a-45385830 |archive-date=23 January 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Moscow threatens sanctions against Latvia over removal of Russian from secondary schools |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/03/moscow-threatens-sanctions-against-latvia-removal-russian-secondary/ |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=3 April 2018 |access-date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227040806/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/04/03/moscow-threatens-sanctions-against-latvia-removal-russian-secondary/ |archive-date=27 December 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref> except for subjects related to culture and history of the Russian minority, such as Russian language and literature classes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/education/government-okays-transition-to-latvian-as-sole-language-at-schools-in-2019.a265290/|title=Government okays transition to Latvian as sole language at schools in 2019|date=23 January 2018|publisher=[[Public Broadcasting of Latvia]]|access-date=23 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816125825/https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/education/government-okays-transition-to-latvian-as-sole-language-at-schools-in-2019.a265290/|archive-date=16 August 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> 
All schools, including pre-schools, still using the Russian language in 2023 need to transition to using Latvian in all classes within 3 years.<ref>{{cite web |title=Are Russian schools in Latvia ready to teach in official language? |url=https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/education/02.05.2023-are-russian-schools-in-latvia-ready-to-teach-in-official-language.a507061/ |date=2 May 2023 |access-date=25 October 2023 |archive-date=3 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003105443/https://eng.lsm.lv/article/society/education/02.05.2023-are-russian-schools-in-latvia-ready-to-teach-in-official-language.a507061/ |url-status=live }}</ref>