Teaching English in Ukraine 1 Teaching English in Ukraine Shaina Gormley ESL 408: Critical Aspects of Teaching ESL May 6, 2019 Robin Rhodes-Crowell Teaching English in Ukraine 2 Abstract This study addresses important background information, cultural considerations, teaching obstacles, and teaching opportunities when considering teaching English for speakers of other languages (ESOL). An ESOL teacher should consider the language and education policies already in place in Ukraine, as well as previous methods to teaching a foreign language. This study also addresses the challenges an ESOL teacher may face in the classroom and how to approach difficulties Ukrainian and Russian speaker from Ukraine may face. An ESOL teacher interested in teaching in Europe might consider Ukraine with its many opportunities for foreign ESOL teachers. Teaching English in Ukraine 3 Introduction and Background Ukraine, a country rich in history, is located in Eastern Europe. This post-Soviet country, was invaded by Nazi forces in World War II and later became part of the Soviet Union after Soviet invasion (“Soviet Ukraine in the Postwar Period”, 2019). Its history has been defined by its location and proximity to other countries and governing bodies, and its language policies reflect this position. Ukraine is ranked 43 in the global English Proficiency Index, with stronger English skills than China and Japan, and weaker skills than South Africa and Norway (“English Proficiency Index”, 2019). In 1989, Ukraine passed a law to limit the amount of Russian spoken in an effort to make Ukrainian the official language (Polese, 2010, p. 47). In addition, schools that had used Russian were required to create curriculum in Ukrainian within one year (Polese, 2010, p. 48). After Ukraine officially declared its independence in 1991, the Ukrainian constitution in 1996 mandated that Ukrainian was the official language and Russian must be slowly removed from Ukrainian society (Polese, 2010, p. 47). In a country with a significant Russian minority and almost 30% of the country Russian speaking, this language policy made a significant claim on national identity in post-Soviet Ukraine (“People and Society: Ukraine,” 2001). The newly independent Ukrainian society took a clear stance on language in Ukraine, with a new national identity closely tied to the Ukrainian language. Ukraine is a country with language learners eager to learn English. A foreign language is required for 5-7 years in secondary schools and two years in higher education. Ukrainian students often choose English as a foreign language because of the country’s interest in joining Teaching English in Ukraine 4 the European Union in the future (Tarnopolsky, 1996, p. 616-617). At the start of independence, Ukrainian students often lacked motivation to learn English. However, as the country’s economic situation has improved, students have become interested in Ukraine’s increasing presence in the international community and the potential to study, travel, and work abroad (Smotrova, 2009, p. 729). The language policies of Ukraine, created due to its history, define how foreign language can be taught in the country, including English. While there are several things one should consider before teaching English in Ukraine, the country does offer an excellent opportunity for Americans to teach English in Europe. Cultural Considerations As mentioned, language is a political subject in Ukraine. Foreign ESOL teachers often choose to learn Russian while living in Ukraine, rather than Ukrainian because Russian is more widely spoken in the world. Whatever language choice an ESOL teacher makes, she should consider the language politics of the country when communicating. As one teacher experienced, a simple lesson mentioning Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, has the potential to become a heated political discussion. For example, Kiev is often written in English as “Kiev,” which is the translation most directly from Russian. However, the Ukrainian translation of the city’s name is written “Kyiv” (Butler, 2018). This seemingly simple classroom moment has the potential to alienate Ukrainian-speaking students and favor Russian speakers. In addition, it may spark debate on the use of language in the classroom which may not be appropriate depending on the context. Teaching English in Ukraine 5 A potential teacher should also consider cultural considerations that may not be visible, but nevertheless affect the classroom environment. For example, the Hofstede model for comparing cultural insights ranks Ukraine with a low score of 25 in individualism. In comparison, the U.S. scores a 91 in individualism, with similarly high scores in other western Anglophone countries (“Country Comparison,” 2019). This means that Ukraine is a more collectivist society than in the U.S. As a result, Ukrainians are more likely to consider themselves in groups, with strong loyalties, rather than individual identities or performing as an individual. This aspect of Ukrainian society has the potential to influence classroom culture and the interaction between students and teachers. In addition, Ukrainian culture tends to value preparedness, details, and clear guidelines. In comparison, the U.S. culture invites ambiguous situations and does not value rules or highly structured assignments (“Country Comparison, 2019). An American ESOL teacher in Ukraine may be more familiar with open-ended assignments, however, these classroom expectations may be unfamiliar and seen as a lack of preparedness of teachers by Ukrainian students. The Ukrainian classroom may respond better to structured assignments, with clear expectations and consequences. Additional cultural considerations must be made when teaching English because of its nature as an international language. As studied in Kramsch 1993, the English classroom must create a “sphere of interculturality” where the language learner is able to reflect on her own culture and experiences while also learning the cultural aspects of English and Anglophone countries (“Culture in Teaching English as an International Language,” p.83-84). In addition, Kramsch emphasizes the importance of avoiding the common view of cultures as monolithic. A teacher must consider the variety of identities within the national identity of a learner in order to best serve the class (“Culture in Teaching English as an International Language,” p.84). In Teaching English in Ukraine 6 Ukraine, these theories are especially important because the connection between language and national identity is a defining factor of Ukrainian society. For example, an ESOL teacher in Ukraine should take care to understand the dynamic in the classroom created by Ukrainian, and Russian and minority students commonly found in Ukraine. Like any society, Ukraine is not solely made up ethnic Ukrainians. In fact, the assumption that all students are Ukrainian or perhaps speak Ukrainian and not Russian, disregards a long history of conflict in the country and the significance of language and ethnicity in the country. Therefore, it is important that ESOL teachers develop a classroom culture that allows students to express ideas about their identity and culture, while also taking into consideration the significance of these topics to Ukrainian students. These cultural considerations and many others are something that any teacher should be familiar with before creating a classroom culture while teaching abroad. Obstacles to Teaching in Ukraine The greatest obstacle an ESOL teacher may face in Ukraine is a lack of funding and resources. The country has made significant improvements in its economy since the fall of the Soviet Union, but its financial state is still in recovery. Ukraine spends about 5% of its GdP on education in a year (“People and Society: Ukraine”, 2018). Although there is a movement to increase English proficiency, teachers often lack the training or funding to produce proficient students. Even with trained teachers, the lack of investment in education means that ESOL teachers do not know the areas in which Ukrainian students tend to struggle with language learning because of a lack of research. However, Ukrainian ESOL teachers may not be as familiar with the communicative approach to teaching a foreign language (Tarnopolsky, 2000, p. Teaching English in Ukraine 7 211-212). The communicative language approach emphasizes the importance of the ability to communicate in the foreign language. Students taught this approach when learning English would likely complete many activities that involve speaking about oneself and expressing thoughts and ideas (Duff, 2014, p. 15). Since English is an international language, the communicative approach is effective in producing English speakers who are able to use the language in a way that makes sense to the context. For example, Ukrainian students do not need to learn about Anglophone culture when learning English. Instead, they might learn how to talk about their own culture and experiences, as well as how to use English while traveling or attending a university abroad (McKay, 2002, p. 12). The communicative approach is effective in teaching an international language because it allows students to learn a language in order to communicate with others who are speaking English, likely as a lingua franca. Ukrainian ESOL teachers have often faced difficulty with securing English curriculum due to funding and a lack of available curriculum. Although there is a significant amount of English curriculum developed by American and British