This school year, our project «Ukraine Speaks English» has launched conversational lessons with foreign volunteers in four schools: Kherson (Kherson Lyceum 1), Kharkiv (Kharkiv Scientific Lyceum «Obdarovanist»), Chernihiv (Chernihiv Gymnasium 34) and Boyarka (Boyarka Academic Lyceum «Harmoniya»).
«Nowadays, during the war, children have few opportunities to practice speaking with native speakers, so we provide this opportunity. During our regular open classes, we have different activities through which we teach English: drawing, yoga, and reading clubs. During lessons with school classes, we focus on speaking clubs where children talk about topics corresponding to the school curriculum, such as pets, hobbies, introducing themselves, music, etc.,» said Olena Zhupanova, a project manager.
Teachers from the participating schools coordinate the lessons throughout the school year: they gather children, send them links to classes, and keep in touch with volunteers to help choose relevant class topics.
Due to the time difference, most English clubs occur in the afternoon, after school, so children and teachers join in their free time. The afternoon classes for the children from Boyarka, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv are taught by a volunteer from the United States, Sherry Grazda, and volunteers from Canada, Natalia Kostiw and Cassidy Harke.
At the Lyceum in Kherson, the lessons with Australian volunteer Sue Snelgrove start at 9 a.m. The students attend the Lyceum online, and the administration has created a schedule that includes meetings with a native speaker.
According to the project manager, volunteers will work with students weekly for at least three months. They should have experience in teaching English as a second language and working with children. They also develop a learning plan and should understand what topics to teach and activities to choose.
«We expect this project will help children improve their speaking and listening skills through classes with native speakers. Also, we believe that students will have a positive experience communicating with people from other countries and learning new things about other cultures. I have had a delightful impression since the beginning of our cooperation: Ukrainian teachers from the schools are motivated and try to make these classes useful for the children. The children are also doing their best — 20-30 students join each class regularly and try to say something in English, even when they are shy,» notes Olena Zhupanova.
Last school year, the project team conducted such conversation lessons for 15 classes from different schools. In the future, they plan to continue these lessons for schools as long as they are needed and as long as the schools and volunteers are available.
«Ukraine Speaks English» is a project that provides free English-language meetings with foreign volunteers for Ukrainian children to improve their language skills, demonstrate support from around the world, provide a safe space and community, and offer opportunities for new knowledge and leisure.
The project has already involved 170 volunteer teachers from Canada, Australia, Portugal, Austria, Turkey, the United States, Spain, Japan, and India. The project is implemented by the NGO «Smart Osvita» in partnership with Classrooms Without Walls/ @Teachers for Ukraine.