Most people understand the importance and benefits of being bilingual. Increased brainpower, academic advantages in kids, increased awareness of cultures, improved competitiveness in the job market, and making it easier to learn a third language are just some of the benefits. For me, I believe that language is the basis of culture and, without language, the culture eventually disappears.
When I became a mom, I didn’t know there were so many resources out there that could help in learning Ukrainian. So much has changed since I was a kid. After nine years and four kids, I thought I would offer a list of compiled resources that have helped my family, as well as some tips on raising truly bilingual children. I hope this may help others in their quest for their kids to know Ukrainian as well. This obviously is not all-encompassing, but it is meant to offer a good base from which to begin.
First off, and the most important by far, is to speak Ukrainian at home. If both parents are able to speak Ukrainian, it is best to speak Ukrainian at home all the time. If one parent is unable to do so, the next best thing is for one parent to speak the minority language (Ukrainian in this example) and the other the majority language (English in the U.S.).
Apart from speaking Ukrainian in the home, we are so fortunate to have some great resources surrounding us that may be of use to you:
— Books! Reading and listening to someone read to you truly helps with language development. There are books online, such as those found at казка.укр and one of my favorite places to buy Ukrainian books and games is at www.kootaooma.com. (For Harry Pottery fans out there, the Ukrainian version of this fan favorite is wonderful!)
— Kids’ magazines such as “Розумники” from Toronto. This is a great kids’ magazine that is interesting to adults and children alike. In Ukraine, there are many kids’ magazines, such as “Малятко,” “Пізнайко,” and others. I found it to be difficult to get these shipped directly to the U.S., so a family member or a friend in Ukraine may be needed to get these. Readers can find “Малятко” at the following internet address: https://malyatko-tv.com.ua/noviy_nomer/.
Music
— Music. Оля Фриз, ‘Добридень!’ by Мірка й Оля, Перші Кроки, Зореплавці… there are many great Ukrainian kids’ CDs that have catchy toons and are worthy of adult ears, as well. Also, for a mix of Ukrainian and English radio, try UkrRadio out of both New York City and Chicago.
Online
— Who doesn’t like Sesame Street or Baby Einstein? Visit www.ukrainianpower.com to purchase the Ukrainian version of Baby Einstein and a few episodes of Boomchyk Borovyk, the Ukrainian version of Sesame Street. There are even catchy songs that teach the days of the week and months of the year.
— Online books. Want someone to read a Ukrainian book to your child? Go to youtube.com and type “Казка з Татом.”
— Cartoons! Growing up we just didn’t have access to Ukrainian cartoons, but with the internet, it is a cartoon explosion! Simply go to youtube.com and type in cartoons such as “свинка пеппа укр,” “томас укр,” “чаггінгтон укр,” “зак і крак укр,” “фіксики укр,” “герої в масках укр,” “чіп і дейл,” etc. You can visit the Ukrainian kids cartoon network online by searching “плюс плюс” to get ideas of other cartoons out there. Other cartoons can be found by visiting the following web sites: https://dity.tydyvy.com/ and http://video.meta.ua/mult/ua/. Also, Mickey Mouse Club can be found at the following link: http://video.meta.ua/community/mult/album/1614075/1614496/.
— Movies! I am so proud to say that the translation of kids’ movies, such as Trolls, Big Hero 6, Captain Underpants, Frozen, and basically a whole slew of Disney movies, have been translated brilliantly into Ukrainian. Though the language can be a bit fast for those not used to it, you can get the ear for it relatively quickly. Talk about a great way to pick up a language! Visit the following link for movies: http://moviestape.net/
I’m sure there are many other resources and I’d be interested in hearing what other readers recommend. To be honest, I never ‘taught’ my kids Ukrainian, but, rather, we just spoke Ukrainian at home and used the above resources to enhance the kids’ learning. It’s been a lot of fun and enriching for everyone. Yes, it may have been easier to not do any of this and stick to just English, but few things worth doing are easy, and the rewards of raising bilingual kids are tremendous.