International Business Language Instructor Group

Activities profile

LIG was established to provide integrated instruction of foreign languages to students of the International Business and Customs Institute (or SESMI - a commonly used Latvian abbreviation for the International Business and Customs Institute within the RTU Faculty of Engineering Economics).  The courses offered by LIG are based on Business English (BE) / Business German (BG) and special profile related ESP (English for Specific Purposes) courses for academic and professional baccalaureate, master studies, as well as customs college level programmes. Upon successful completion of the extended integrated BE / GE course, academic baccalaureate students are awarded an institutional RTU IEF SESMI certificate confirming their Business English / Business German proficiency.

 

Regular work is done consulting IBCI students for participating in annual RTU Students Scientific Conferences.

 

LIG courses are tailored with a special focus on updated and internationally recognised language instruction materials, as well as on creating own, IBCI specialisations related instruction materials and teaching aids, e.g.:

  1. “English for Customs – I”. – R.: RTU, SESMI, 1995.
  2. “English for Customs – II”. – R.: RTU, SESMI, 1998.
  3. “Taxation Abroad. Part I. Tax System in Sweden”. – RTU, SESMI, 2006.
  4. “Taxation Abroad. Part II. Tax System in USA”. – RTU, SESMI, 2006.

 

LIG academic staff have participated in numerous State Revenue Service (SRS) customs training and professional advancement focused projects, most relevant of them being:

Manuals (translation)

  1. "Antismuggling Officers Handbook" (translation from English into Latvian). – ”Crown Agents” (UK) and LR State Revenue Service, 1998. – 120 p.
  2. “Manual on the preferential trade rules applicable to trade between the European Union and other European and Mediterranean partner states.” – SRS-RTU IBCI project, 2006. –120 p.

Computer-aided customs training programs

  1. Computer-aided training program “Harmonizer” (Harmonised System for Classification of Goods). – Joint project of the Swedish Customs Training Centre and RTU IBCI. – SCTC, 1999.
  2. Computer-aided customs training program “Car search”. – WCO-SRS project, 2006.
One of the focus areas in LIG activities is development of special field terminology dictionaries and glossaries. In the 10 years time since the establishment of the Language Instruction Group as an independent language instruction unit under the RTU FEE Institute of   International Business and Customs, the LIG staff have published 5 Business English and specialised terminology dictionaries:
  1. “English – Latvian Dictionary of Customs Terms”. – Riga: “Jāņa sēta”, 1997.  – 236 p. The dictionary includes ~12 000 relevant customs, international trade, taxation and law related terms and word combinations.
  2. “Customs Control. Latvian – English Phrasebook for Customs and other Border Control Services”. Riga: “Antēra”, 1998. – 156 p. The phrasebook contains key professional vocabulary, as well as functionally and stylistically appropriate customs-related communication patterns.
  3. “English – Latvian Tax Dictionary”. – Riga: RTU, 2006. – 158 p. The dictionary comprises ~6 000 entries and is intended as an aid and source of reference for tax specialists, consultants, translators, students and everyone who finds interest in special field terminology.
  4. “English – Latvian Dictionary of International Business”. Riga: “Zvaigzne ABC”, 2006. – 704 p. The dictionary comprises ~35 000 entries, embracing a wide spectrum of business related terms and word combinations used in such areas as national economy, business administration, organization and management of production processes, business logistics, accounting, warehousing, stock management, organisation of transport, international trade, customs matters, as well as relevant legal terms. 
  5. “English – Latvian Glossary of Business Logistics Terms”. – Riga: “Zvaigzne ABC”, 2007. – 200 p.

 

LIG staff have long-lasting professional contacts with the RTU Faculty of Engineering Economics (FEE) as language consultants, conducting language instruction courses with FEE academic staff and supporting personnel. As translators LIG staff are engaged in assignments connected with academic co-operation projects, accreditation of study programmes, translation of promotion thesis, scientific publications etc.

LIG staff co-operate with various SESMI profile institutions (State Revenue Service, Customs Board, SRS Customs Training and Development Centre etc.) as well as many professional and public organisations in Latvia and abroad, including the World Federation of Modern Languages Associations, the Latvian Association of Teachers of English (LATE).

 

Head of IBCI Language Instruction Group:

Irēna Matisone, assist. prof., Mg.philol.

Lecturer with RTU since 1973. Since 1998 – head of the Language Instruction Group of the RTU International Business and Customs Institute (IBCI). Member of IBCI Scientific Council. Member of the Editorial Board of RTU FEE Scientific Proceedings. Experienced translator.

Core academic staff:

English

Irēna Matisone, assist. prof., Mg.philol.

Irēna Blumfelde, assist. prof., Mg. philol.

Lecturer with RTU since 1962. In 2006, students nominated I.Blumfelde as one of the candidates for FEE Students’ academic staff appraisal nomination “Intelligence”. Experienced translator.

Lauma Krieviņa, lecturer, Mg. philol.

Lecturer with RTU since 1972. Solid experience in Business English/customs/taxation/logistics focused training and teaching methodology.

Aija Ķēbere, lecturer, Mg. philol.

Lecturer with RTU since 1975. Solid experience in Business English/customs/taxation/logistics focused training and teaching methodology.

German

Ārija Servuta, assist. prof., Ph.D

Pedagogical work experience with RTU – 20 years. Experienced translator.