English has been taught as the first foreign language in the schools of Latvia for more than 10 years and is a compulsory subject from the age of nine, but university professors frequently observe that undergraduates who study English make verb errors when both formal and informal register is required. Therefore, the goal of the research was to find the common errors in the use of English finite verb forms and explain their causes. Research participants were first-year students who have studied English for at least ten years at school and now are majoring in language and business studies at a university in Latvia. A case study was used as a research method. Fifty students’ tests on the use of English verb tense, aspect and voice forms were analysed. A questionnaire survey was applied to analyse the potential causes of the verb errors the students make. The analysis allows us to conclude that the most common errors are in the use of the verb aspect forms, followed by the use of the verb tense forms, and that they can be classified as intralingual errors. The most typical causes of these errors are simplifications, the fact that some students have not yet reached the required language level for advanced studies and the use of English, the students’ misconceptions about their real knowledge of verb forms, lack of independent learning habits and also the metalanguage to deal with tertiary level tasks.

Distance learning introduced in almost all educational establishments in spring 2020 has raised interest among researchers how to deal with it in a more productive way. Thus, the goal of the research was to find out undergraduates’ views on distance learning of English grammar and the use of online revision materials in developing students’ independent study skills at a tertiary institution in Latvia. the research tool was a questionnaire consisting of open-ended and closed questions. Twenty-three students answered the survey questions. the research results indicate that studying by distance is preferred because it allows the students to choose the study time and place, to develop their timemanagement, independent study skills, as well as improve their motivation. the main drawbacks of studying by distance, according to the students, are insufficient feedback, inability to ask questions directly and receive immediate answers and problems with their own time management and independent study skills.

In crisis situations, on the one hand, teachers must be resilient, know not only how the didactic of the subject works, but also technologies, the psychology of pupils, classroom management, self- regulation, time management, self-compassion etc. Research on teachers’ social emotional health and resilience is important for quality learning and well-being at school, especially during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The following paper provides a description of the study that was carried out in Latvia on the problems of teachers’ social and emotional health distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in the context of an international study in the Erasmus + project research “Teacher resilience: problems and solutions. Supporting teachers to face the challenge of distance teaching’’. Therefore, the samples are denoted by N1 = 23, N2 = 635, N3 = 380, N4 = 245. The main question of the paper is: Which of the variables (burnout, work engagement strategies) most significantly predict teachers’ social-emotional health indicators? The results showed that there were statistically significant positive correlations between teachers’ SEHS-T, teacher engagement, and emotional burnout rates. The other results show low scores from SEHS-T which could indicate that teachers’ self-confidence could be problematic, which could be explained by their uncertainty about their work during distance learning in a stressful COVID-19 crisis and that they need support for developing their strengths. The other results show that Resilience are moderate medium, but about 18% of the sample demonstrates the lowest Resilience scores. Results from SEHS-T: the subscale of teacher work engagement Cognitive engagement (p< 0.001) is significant in predicting SEH-T indicators.

Over the last decade, there has been an increased interest in analysing writing skills of students studying English as a Foreign Language both at secondary and tertiary level, including the essay writing skills of non-language students. The aim of the present study is to analyse the types of errors in the use of linking words and phrases in student examination essays in a tertiary level academic writing course and state the probable causes of these errors. The research method is a case study. The empirical research is based on Corder's (1967), Reid's (1998, mentioned in Yates andKenkel, 2002) and Ngadda and Nwoke's (2014) theories on the classification of errors and Biber et al. 's (2002) classification of linking adverbials as well as presents the frequency of the types of errors. The research object is academic illustration essays of 18 students studying in Latvia. The main findings of the research indicate that proficient users of a language tend to use linking words and phrases appropriately. The main type of errors found in the essays is intralingual errors caused by faulty learning or teaching, forgetfulness or overexposure to informal use of the target language.

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