How to Keep Learning Ukrainian During the Summer?

Mastering a foreign language is about constant practice.

29 Jun 2023

This article is based on the experience of Ukrainian learners.

No doubt, summer is the best season for fun and relaxation. Ukrainian learners are divided into three camps in this period: students who want to chill, the ones who want to dedicate all their time to self-growth, and the third group in the midst eager to combine the pleasant with the useful.

Mastering a foreign language is about constant practice. As with sports, the more you practice, the better result you get. And so that you keep your Ukrainian “in tune” and do not forget it during the three months of summer, I have prepared some effective tips. Read the material and spend this summer productively.

Motivation

Do you want to support Ukrainians, are motivated to travel to Ukraine, or want to overcome the language barrier with your Ukrainian friend finally—all this is your motivation not to lose what you have been working on for a long time. Sometimes it’s really hard to “stay tuned” in Ukrainian, but you can manage that too: remember your biggest goals and reward yourself for small steps (even a favorite match or a new book can help).

Systematicity

Make it a habit to have a portion of Ukrainian every day. Even 20-30 minutes will help to keep English in good shape, and not to forget everything for three months of summer and “start from the beginning.” Your favorite tv-show on YouTube, an audiobook while you’re on the go, or quizzes when you need to keep yourself busy—challenge yourself or your loved ones and practice your language when you have time.

Practice

Speak Ukrainian where possible: meet more often with a friend or girlfriend who knows the Ukrainian language; keep practicing individually or in a group to keep your Ukrainian from slacking off. Also, visit speaking clubs: especially in the summer; this is a must-have, especially if it is an atmosphere of support, non-trivial topics, and personal feedback from the teacher—the path of “least” resistance. There’s no better way to learn the language than to stay on its territory amongst its native speakers. Why not come to Ukraine for summer volunteering and making a good impact on the world? There’s a plethora of organizations that require human resources. E.g., the initiative «Сміливі відновлювати» helps people whose homes were damaged by the Russian invasion.