‘Bus Routes and Bazaars’ Fascinate Students of Ukrainian Catholic University’s Summer School

By Otar Dovzhenko

 “It’s the language of my ancestors…

“It’s the key to learning the history, culture, and traditions of my people…

“It’s a bridge to other Slavic languages.”

These and many other reasons inspire foreigners to get acquainted with the Ukrainian language. Some of them come from a Ukrainian background and want to get back to their roots. Others are simply interested in the country and its people. They travel to Lviv, the cultural capital of Ukraine and the largest Ukrainian-speaking city in the World. The Ukrainian Catholic University’s School of Ukrainian Language and Culture offers in the summer two months of total immersion in Ukraine’s language, culture and history. Students leave not only with extensive knowledge but also with new friends, unforgettable impressions, and valuable experience. For those who were born and lived their whole life in Western Europe or North America, there is much here that can shock, or fascinate.

To live together with Ukrainians: that’s the simple recipe for effective study. Experienced language teachers and also tutors, students of UCU or other universities in Lviv, work with the program’s participants. Some live together with the students in dormitories, help them with homework, and spend leisure time together, providing constant conversational practice. Interested students can also live with Lviv families.

The program is filled with interaction in the Ukrainian-language, not only study but also recreation: parties, picnics, visits to museums and theatres. On weekends: trips to castles, monasteries, and villages of the Lviv Region, and also longer trips to Kyiv, Odesa, Kamianets-Podilskyj and the picturesque Carpathian Mountains. And, of course, walks through Lviv. Here the most interesting experiences start.

Most foreign guests are surprised by rides on city minibuses, so different from public transportation in the countries of North America and Western Europe. Students, still getting a little mixed up with words, tell strange stories about city buses.

“I wanted to get home fast… I had ice cream which became milk. Now I think that city bus no. 37 is a super-duper inexpensive ride through Lviv, but not with groceries.” Adam Garner, from the USA, wrote about this in the newspaper Summer with a twist, which the participants of the program prepared themselves.

“I love everything here!” said Colleen Makar, also from the USA, and shared her impressions. “I like that I can walk around a lot. At home, I drive everywhere. I really noticed that there are many old cars, city minivans and buses here.” American student Sarah Sutter wrote a strange story in her daily journal. “I got on city bus no. 39 and saw an unforgettable exchange between an old lady and a bus driver. All the passengers gave their two hryvnias fare, but the old lady didn’t want to pay, or she didn’t have the money, I don’t know. She took two big apricots from her bag and put them on a mat, not saying anything. The driver saw the apricots and looked at the lady. I thought that he would get really mad, but he said ‘Thanks!’ and put the apricots in the cash box. And then he drove off and ate the apricots. I smiled for a long time, thinking that situation would never happen in America.”

Another surprise is the bazaar. “The Shuvar Market really made an impression on me,” wrote Matthew Lovell. “There’s so much meat and sausage there. It’s great! - though I don’t like bacon fat.”

Maybe everyone doesn’t like bacon fat, but you can find something to your taste in the Ukrainian kitchen. When they return home, the graduates of the School of Ukrainian Language and Culture can prepare authentic borshch for their friends or introduce them to the culinary ritual of making varenyky. And few leave Ukraine without an embroidered shirt, a traditional handmade item.

Yet another pleasant surprise is Ukrainian song. Its unmatched euphony, along with the beauty of Lviv’s Old-World architecture, captivates guests from the first day. For you don’t need to know the language to understand beauty. By the way, you can start studying at the school without knowing a single word of Ukrainian. Programs are offered for students at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels.

Intensive language study in groups of five to six students helps them understand the locals, and recreational activities help them look into the Ukrainian soul. “Every time I think that now I totally understand Lviv, Ukraine, or Eastern Europe, something happens in my life here that surprises me incredibly,” wrote Sarah Sutter in her journal. “I really like the fact that there’s always something here that can surprise you.” 

Last year, some 50 students studied at the School, from the USA, Canada, England, Germany, Australia, Poland, Austria, France, and Holland. The program is in its 10^th successful year. Its results dramatically disprove misconceptions that the Ukrainian language has no future and that there’s no reason to learn it. According to the book Ethnologue, more than 40 million people in various countries of the World speak in this language, and this is the native language of 37 million of them. Regardless of all the disputes connected with the pro-Russian political forces in the current government, Ukrainian has not lost its status as the single State Language, but it is gradually becoming a language of communication even in those areas of Ukraine where spoken Russian was dominant in Soviet times.

Fluency in the State Language of the largest country in Europe gives an additional advantage in the job search and career advancement in such fields as diplomacy, international cooperation, economics, education, and journalism. “In my opinion, one should study foreign languages,” said Lesia Witkowsky, a participant in the program. “English is important for business, and Ukrainian for the culture of my ancestors.”

Graduates of the School of Ukrainian Language and Culture reluctantly say “farewell” to Lviv and often return: some to improve their fluency, others to teach English to Ukrainian students, still others simply to see Ukrainian friends. They say there is no place in the World with tastier beer or more fragrant coffee. “People in Lviv are very hospitable and pleasant,” recounted Alanna Wasylkiw from Canada. “If you ask for help, you’ll certainly receive it. If I ever have a chance to return to Lviv, I’ll grab it, and with great pleasure return to this wonderful Ukrainian city.”

In 2012, summer sessions will run from June 18 through August 11. To learn more about UCU’s School of Ukrainian Language and Culture, go to http://studyukrainian.org.ua/

Otar Dovzhenko is a teacher in the Master’s in Journalism Program at the Ukrainian Catholic University.

PHOTOS

1 - UCU Summer School 2011 students pose in folk costumes

2 - UCU Summer School 2011 students Maria Hewko and Paul Bandera make pysanky (Easter Eggs)

3 - UCU Summer School 2011 student John Alexander Reves learns to make varenyky