EDMONTON, Alberta – Leading specialists in the fields of second language acquisition and language pedagogy affirm that study abroad programs are the most effective way of learning a language. Such programs are designed to enrich learners’ educational experience through immersion into the target language and culture.
The most important and engaging aspect of study abroad courses is that learning takes place not just in the classroom, but outside as well. The environment itself becomes a “living textbook.”
Such courses are part of the language programs at the University of Alberta, too. Specifically, the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies (MLCS) offers a number of language and culture courses in Italy, France, Russia and Ukraine.
The Ukrainian language summer courses are conducted in Lviv, the western capital of Ukraine and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They involve two levels of intensive language study: “Ukrainian Through its Living Culture,” levels I and II, which are UKR 300 and UKR 400, respectively.
The language of instruction for both courses is Ukrainian. They have been taught for many years by a leading specialist in the field of Ukrainian language pedagogy, Dr. Alla Nedashkivska, assistant professor from the MLCS department.
Dr. Nedashkivska notes that the courses are designed to enhance language proficiency through direct exposure to popular culture and media, as well as current life in Ukraine. The courses enable students to take maximum advantage of the urban Lviv environment to expand vocabulary and comprehension, and improve speaking and interactional skills.
Students during an excursion to Lviv’s Shevchenkivskyi Hai outdoor museum of folk architecture in 2012.
“The Ukrainian language summer courses,” – says Dr. Nedashkivska, “are often taken to pursue degrees and certificates at the University of Alberta, such as those in translation (Ukrainian), European studies, and international learning.”
“But any student from another university can use this study abroad experience towards their own degree,” Dr. Nedashkivska continues. “Indeed, many students from the United States have already taken these courses and had the credits applied at their home university.”
Both levels of “Ukrainian Through its Living Culture” are intensive language courses. Within four weeks students cover materials typical of a two-semester course. The courses incorporate 19 hours per week of in-class study, as well as several language and cultural projects, which students create based on their newly obtained experience of living in Ukraine.
Among the most popular topics for projects on modern Ukrainian life are: Lviv street musicians, the body language of Ukrainians, and Lviv coffee and chocolate traditions.
Students are able to be active in Ukraine by participating in everyday life. They also go to theaters, order food in restaurants and cafes, shop at grocery stores, bargain at farmer’s markets and interview Lviv locals for their cultural projects.
Such a combination of informative and educational aspects of the program is very positively perceived by its participants.
One past program participant writes: “This course was wonderful for my personal growth… The ability to practice the language, while leading a ‘real life’ in Ukraine was a unique experience… Living in Lviv was a total immersion into the language and culture. From this I greatly improved my ability to converse and expanded my vocabulary. I was exposed to current pop culture, Ukrainian news, and modern everyday life.”
For many students this program is also an opportunity to travel about the country and discover a modern and diverse Ukraine. This often leads to a realization that contemporary Ukraine is far more complex than the images presented in school.
One of the most frequently asked question about the “Ukrainian Through its Living Culture” courses in Lviv is related to the cost of travel and stay in Ukraine.
Those interested in learning Ukrainian in Lviv through the University of Alberta can receive financial support from its International Center, the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies, the Shevchenko Foundation and other community education foundations.
The UKR 300 and UKR 400 courses have been offered since 2001. There was a gap in 2014-2016 due to the serious tensions in Ukraine. “But this year we are very happy to announce that the study abroad program in Lviv has resumed,” – notes Dr. Nedashkivska.
So, if you are excited about improving your Ukrainian language skills and getting first-hand cultural experience in one of the most beautiful of Europe’s cities, please contact the Department of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta for more information.
Students on a tour to Lvivska Pyvovarnia, the Lviv Brewery in 2012.