Acta Historica Universitatis Klaipedensis

Globalisation and migration have resulted in a growing number of children of Lithuanian descent being raised abroad, where their connection to the native language develops outside the natural linguistic environment. Lithuanian heritage schools play a crucial role in maintaining the Lithuanian language and the national identity; however, attendance is limited, and children’s motivation to learn Lithuanian depends on various family, educational and social factors. This article examines instruction in Lithuanian as a non-native language in heritage schools, with particular focus on students’ learning motivation. Empirical data were collected in 2025 through a quantitative survey involving 47 teachers from Lithuanian heritage schools in 15 countries, and 112 parents abroad raising children up to the age of 18. The questionnaires were designed based on theoretical sources on motivation, bilingualism and heritage language learning, and the results were analysed statistically. The findings highlight the pedagogical, family and social factors shaping children’s motivation, and contribute to a deeper understanding of Lithuanian language education in the diaspora.

The object of the research is German epitaphs in the old cemeteries of Klaipėda Region. German inscriptions are compared to Lithuanian ones on the basis of the historical-comparative method with the aim of disclosing their textological and linguistic characteristics. The analysis of inscriptions on German tombstones showed that, compared to Lithuanian tombstones, the attributes indicating the relationship of the deceased to family members were used more frequently. The profession of the deceased was indicated more often than in Lithuanian epitaphs. Starting with the 20s of the 20th century, the constructions of extended appositions were less frequent, and the epitaphs became more concise. Laconicism of linguistic expression and of the structure of the epitaphs restrained their linguistic diversity and the potential for linguistic research. The analysis considered the brief language of the epitaphs as the facts of the living language, whereas Bible and canticle citations were not studied. A few examples of dialecticisms and archaisms were identified, e.g. an archaic form of the verb geben: es giebt. Vowel reduction, a phenomenon characteristic of the High German dialect, was identified. The present article did not discuss the principle of Germanization of Lithuanian names, surnames, or place names, as well as the distribution of German epitaphs over the localities of Klaipėda Region. New data are expected that may promote linguistic research.

The article reviews tombstone inscriptions of Klaipėda Region cemeteries of the late 19th to mid-20th c. from a linguistic viewpoint. The inscriptions are German or Lithuanian, less frequently bilingual (in German and Lithuanian on the same tombstone). The greatest attention is paid to the Lithuanian inscriptions, with the focus on their vocabulary and morphology. Moreover, the principal linguistic characteristics of personal names are discussed.