New York offers Ukrainian exam (05/12/96)

New York offers Ukrainian exam

HIGHLAND, N.Y. - As in past years, the Education Department of the State of New York will accord high school students the opportunity to take an accredited examination in the Ukrainian language. It corresponds fully in its format to the Regents exams in foreign languages. Upon passing it, students receive three credits toward their high school foreign language requirement.

Ukrainian is not among the foreign languages usually taught at high schools in the U.S. However, exams in such languages as Japanese, Chinese, Polish, Ukrainian, Greek and Russian are set up by special committees of teachers, and are submitted to the State Education Department, which makes them available, on request, to students of various ethnic groups. These exams are placed under the heading "Sample Comprehensive Exam-ination."

The exam will be given in June, at the following schools: Guilderland Central H.S., Albany; Shaker H.S., Latham; Troy H.S., Troy; Frontier S.H.S., Hamburg; Chittenango H.S., Chittenango; George Hewlett H.S., Hewlett; St. George Academy, New York; Benjamin Cardozo H.S., Bayside; Great Neck South S.H.S., Great Neck; Sacred Heart H.S., Yonkers; New Rochelle S.H.S., New Rochelle; Ossining S.H.S., Ossining; Ward Melville S.H.S., East Setauket; Rondout Valley H.S., Accord; Monroe Woodbury H.S., Monroe; Penfield S.H.S., Penfield; Christian Brothers Academy, Syracuse; Riverside H.S., Buffalo.

Students should file their request to take this exam now with the principal of their school, whereupon the principal should contact Kenneth D. Ormiston, Office of Curriculum and Assessment, Room 761 EBA, New York State Education Department, Albany, N.Y. 12234; (518) 474-0360. Students will be notified by their school office about the date and time of the exam.

Those who wish to take this exam, but do not attend a school on the above list, also have the opportunity to do so. They must apply to the principal of their school, who will make arrangements for them with the authorities of one of the above-mentioned schools.

The exam reflects the contemporary approach to foreign language study. Emphasis is placed on speaking skills and realistic contexts for learning. Grammatical structures, development of vocabulary and the ability to express oneself in writing, are effectively implemented in real-life situations. Students who have completed the intermediate-advanced level of their community Saturday school, and those whose knowledge of basic Ukrainian (in speaking, reading and writing skills) is satisfactory, should pass this exam.

Part 1 of the exam, the oral test (24 points), is conducted in a separate session, several weeks prior to the exam. The written parts 2, 3 and 4, are given in June. Part 2 tests aural comprehension (30 points); part 3 is reading comprehension (30 points); part 4 is writing on a selected topic, and also according to instructions (16 points).

High school teachers of Ukrainian background who have conducted this Ukrainian language test at their school have at their disposal copies of previous tests, as well as a video cassette of a sample of part 1, the oral test. They may use these materials for preparation purposes with interested students.

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