OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO LANGUAGE LEARNING FOR NEWCOMERS THROUGH THE ECOLOGICAL APPROACH

Language learning is closely intertwined with human interaction and the identity shaping process. By nature, the ecological approach to language learning conceptualizes language not as an isolated system, but as an interactive and adaptive component of a greater system. This article examines the integration of the ecological paradigm into language education, focusing on the role of ecological, pedagogical, and individual factors that influence learners in the language environment. The focus of the article is on the linguistic adaptation of newcomers to new language and educational ecosystems, in the context of the Latvian school system after the geopolitical shifts of 2022 (the Russian invasion of Ukraine). The results of the theoretical and empirical analysis highlight the importance of localized, adaptive teaching methods that take the individual needs and previous experiences of learners into account to create the conditions for comfortable language integration. Going beyond rigid curricular approaches, the ecological perspective offers a basis for promoting sustainable and inclusive language education. The aim of this study is to explore how the ecological approach to language learning can be effectively applied to support the linguistic integration of newcomer students—particularly Ukrainian children—within the Latvian educational system.