---
title: "What Stops Emigrants from Speaking Lithuanian?"
description: "Courses end, exams are passed, but the conversation never starts. LABASklabas explains why."
author: "Ekaterina Tumashik"
date: 2026-11-02
updated: 2026-11-07
locale: en
type: blog
canonical: https://labasklabas.lt/tinklarastis/what-stops-emigrants-from-speaking-lithuanian
source: "LABASklabas"
---

# What Stops Emigrants from Speaking Lithuanian?

*Many newcomers in Lithuania finish course after course and even pass their Lithuanian A2 exam, yet still don't speak Lithuanian. A conference in Kaunas asked why, and LABASklabas brought the learner's side of the story.*

On 8 October 2026, [Kaunas's Ąžuolynas Library,](https://azuolynobiblioteka.lt/renginiai/konferencija-lietuviskai-apie-lietuviu-kalba/) with funding from the [State Commission of the Lithuanian Language](https://vlkk.lt/?lang=en), hosted the conference **"Lietuviškai apie lietuvių kalbą"** ("In Lithuanian, about Lithuanian"). The event aimed to discuss one of the oldest living Indo-European languages from beyond the native-speaker perspective. The audience included linguists, teachers of Lithuanian as a foreign language, librarians, and foreigners who are learning the language themselves.

The program brought together researchers and practitioners. Dr. Jogilė Teresa Ramonaitė of the [Institute of the Lithuanian Language](https://lki.lt/en/) raised the question of whether Lithuanian is really that hard. Teacher and [camp organizer ](https://www.ltstovykla.com/)Viktorija Ivanova talked about learning that actually sticks. Doc. dr. Stefano M. Lanza of[ Vytautas Magnus University](https://www.vdu.lt/en/) spoke about Lithuanian as a treasure worth protecting.

[LABASklabas](https://labasklabas.lt/en) took part with a talk by its founder, Ekaterina Tumashik: **"Lithuanian through an emigrant's eyes: what teachers don't see"**. The message is that what keeps emigrants silent is rarely grammar. 

## The learner who studies but doesn't speak

Meet Vasil. He is 37, a programmer from Belarus, and has lived in Lithuania for four years. He has finished more than three courses and takes private lessons. He even knows what the G&G Sindikatas band is, but he still doesn't speak Lithuanian.

![Slide from the LABASklabas presentation "Lithuanian through an emigrant's eyes"](https://labasklabas.lt/files/public/posts/e1acaced-d4bb-424f-a9eb-6eceff42e725.png)
*Slide from the LABASklabas presentation "Lithuanian through an emigrant's eyes"*

Vasil is not one real person but a portrait of a whole target group of the [LABASklabas platform](https://labasklabas.lt/en). These are people who have a rich passive vocabulary but don't know what to do next. The textbook is done, the certificate may be in a drawer, and the language has hardly become a part of daily life.

The group is large. Before the conference, LABASklabas surveyed its users and found that about **6 in 10 learners** stop speaking Lithuanian after they pass the exam. Real conversations still happen in Russian, English, or not at all.

## **Three things that keep emigrants silent**

There are three barriers that teachers rarely see from the front of a classroom. Each is best described in learners' own words.

### **Uncertainty.** 

> *I don't know where I'll be living in a year." "Politics keeps changing: today a friend, tomorrow an enemy.*

When your future in a country feels temporary, it is hard to invest in its language. Lithuanian starts to feel optional.

### **Fear of making a mistake.** 

> *They won't understand me." "Someone will tell me I'm speaking it wrong." "I don't have enough words.*

For many adults, speaking is far scarier than doing grammar exercises. A wrong ending in a workbook costs nothing. A wrong ending at the pharmacy or at the shop feels like a public failure.

### **Life in the bubble.** 

> *The only person I speak Lithuanian to is the self-checkout." "I only talk to people from my own country." "I work remotely, or for an international company.*

Many emigrants can get through a whole day without needing a single Lithuanian sentence. Yet all of these learners know they need to live and connect here and now. The motivation is there. What's missing is a safe, regular reason to open their mouths.

![Ekaterina Tumashik, founder of LABASklabas, speaking at the conference "Lietuviškai apie lietuvių kalbą"](https://labasklabas.lt/files/public/posts/c4478547-fda7-46e2-9d5d-0388d44556d6.png)
*Ekaterina Tumashik, founder of LABASklabas, speaking at the conference "Lietuviškai apie lietuvių kalbą"*

## **Plenty of courses, so why no progress?**

The problem isn't a lack of options. Lithuania offers free and paid Lithuanian language courses, private tutors, apps, and self-study materials. But each format has a catch, as learners see it:

| What’s available | What learners actually experience |
| --- | --- |
| Free and paid group courses and meetups | 15 or more people in a group, mixed levels, school-style templates |
| Private lessons | Expensive, and it's hard to find "your" teacher |
| Self-study with apps and materials | No system, repetitive content, AI-generated filler, boredom |

None of these formats is bad in itself. But none of them reliably gives a learner what they lack most: a low-pressure place to *talk*.

Money isn't the missing piece either. Vilnius's 2026–2028 integration action plan for foreign residents, which includes wider Lithuanian learning, has a budget of [€4.3 million](https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2886147/vilnius-to-offer-free-lithuanian-language-courses-to-foreign-residents). Free courses run with Vytautas Magnus University were planned for up to **1,500 participants**. Nationally, the Ministry of Culture runs a 2026–2028 project of free courses for third-country nationals with [partner universities](https://www.flf.vu.lt/en/lsk/courses/course-for-nationals), funded by the EU's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the state budget.

Demand far outstrips supply. When registration for the free Vilnius courses opened in February 2026, **about 6,000 people applied**, while [around 200](https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/3021335/demand-for-free-lithuanian-language-courses-far-exceeds-places-in-vilnius)**[ ](https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/3021335/demand-for-free-lithuanian-language-courses-far-exceeds-places-in-vilnius)**were studying in them by summer. Courses are not cheap to run, either: in 2022, free courses for [474 Ukrainians](https://lrv.lt/media/viesa/saugykla/2023/8/XxXscoho1jQ.pdf) cost the state €369,960, or about **€780 per person**.

Yet even a well-funded course ends with an exam, not with a conversation. That is the gap [LABASklabas](https://labasklabas.lt/en#events) was created to fill: a digital space that connects people who want to speak Lithuanian through live online conversation sessions.

> ## **The modern teacher is a tech-savvy tutor, psychologist, and communicator**

The teaching approach is changing dramatically as AI develops. Today it's not enough just to copy an exercise from the textbook and follow the program strictly. Pupils have also become more discerning. They appreciate a personalized approach and the teacher’s efforts to help them learn a foreign language.

What ultimately proved to be the pitfalls for teachers when transitioning to other working formats:

- **Keeping a conversation going is hard.** Teachers are trained to explain, not to facilitate.
- **There isn't enough automation.** New platforms and tools can feel intimidating.
- **Programs are rigid.** It's hard to bring in what matters to learners right now.
- **Burnout.** Monotony leads to boredom and dissatisfaction on both sides.

The good news is that all of this can be fixed, and you can become a super teacher!

- Imagine you’ve found yourself in an unfamiliar country where they speak a foreign language. Ask yourself what you’d be interested in finding out – such as how to join the library or buy a travel pass.
- Make your lessons more interactive – use AI to prepare lesson plans and materials. AI isn’t your enemy, but your ally – delegate your routine tasks to AI agents, but don’t forget to double-check!
- Don’t tell your pupils that Lithuanian is a difficult language. Any foreign language is difficult if you don’t study it and use it every day in conversation. It’s like exercise – just 15 minutes is enough to keep yourself in shape.

![AI tools for teachers](https://labasklabas.lt/files/public/posts/8a216534-aa09-49cc-8f38-dc79185101e0.png)
*AI tools for teachers*

## A digital space to speak Lithuanian from anywhere

[LABASklabas](https://labasklabas.lt/) is built for the moment after the course, when a learner needs to start talking. More than** 2,000 learners** already use it, mostly Russian speakers at levels A1–B2, and the site works in Lithuanian, Russian, English, and Belarusian. The platform aims to show that learning Lithuanian can be fun and relaxed, turning tedious rote learning into an exciting adventure.

For learners, the platform offers:

- **[Conversation clubs in Lithuanian](https://labasklabas.lt/en#events)**: live online sessions on everyday topics, with new people every time and a host who keeps the talk going;
- **[Individual lessons](https://labasklabas.lt/en/individualios-pamokos)** with platform teachers;
- **[Group lessons and courses](https://labasklabas.lt/en/kursai)** for steady progress between levels;
- **[Self-study lessons](https://labasklabas.lt/en/self-study)** for practice between live sessions.

You don’t have to be a qualified teacher to become a leader of a Lithuanian conversation club. It is important to have a command of Lithuanian at B2 level or above, and to be able not only to speak but also to listen. 

[Become a teacher or club host at ](https://labasklabas.lt/)[labasklabas.lt](http://labasklabas.lt/).

## **Is it still worth speaking Lithuanian?**

The conference ended with a panel discussion under exactly that title. All speakers talked about the state of the language today, multilingualism, identity, and why people choose to use Lithuanian or avoid it.

![Speakers of the panel discussion "Is it still worth speaking Lithuanian?"](https://labasklabas.lt/files/public/posts/f100b435-10be-4dc6-a031-95d3fa56f747.png)
*Speakers of the panel discussion "Is it still worth speaking Lithuanian?"*

For anyone still hesitating, the day in Kaunas left a few encouraging conclusions.

- **Lithuanians are very forgiving of mistakes.** Nobody expects perfect endings from a newcomer. An effort to speak matters far more than flawless grammar.
- **Foreigners can boost their self-esteem with Lithuanian. **Say a few words in Lithuanian at a shop or a clinic, and you are likely to get a smile and a compliment.
- **Speaking Lithuanian opens a new world.** Try stepping out of your comfort zone, and you’ll realise that Lithuanians aren’t actually that "uncommunicative" or "unsociable". They just don’t know how to talk to you. A quick chat in the lift and suddenly you’re friends with your neighbours.

But, as always, there’s another side to the coin. Emigrants don't stay silent because they are lazy or don't care. They stay silent because of uncertainty, fear, and the comfort of their bubble. Teachers who see this can make the classroom the first place where speaking Lithuanian feels safe. After that, locals are usually happy to help.

LABASklabas would like to thank the conference organizers once again for the invitation and the opportunity to make its voice heard.