The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has submitted to the Verkhovna Rada a draft law on granting English the status of an international language. This will become a driver for the development of innovation, business, education and our integration into the EU.
The team of the Ministry of Digital Transformation conducted a study. It turned out that 49% of the adult population does not know English, and 56% want to improve their skills. And another fact: 45% of English teachers have a low C level of English!
Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykhailo Fedorov said:
“We will help Ukrainians actively learn and use English to the fullest extent possible in all spheres of life.”
According to him, amendments to the legislation on the introduction of the English language for 2023-2026 are being prepared in parallel.
What is being prepared
- Support for learning English. Every Ukrainian will have the opportunity to improve their language skills free of charge. The state will pay for special courses. They will engage English-speaking volunteers in schools and organize conversation clubs. They will also launch a separate portal with free lessons and courses.
- English will become compulsory in the entire education system – from kindergartens to universities, from preschoolers to scientists. The state will support the professional development of educators and their desire to improve their English language skills.
The civil service is changing radically. Ukraine is open to the world, so officials will speak English. - English-language films and TV programs will be broadcast on television in their original language. This is one of the best practices from other countries.
- Transportation information and announcements will be dubbed in English. Foreigners will be answered in English when they contact information services at train stations, airports, river ports, etc.
Prospects
English language proficiency is directly related to the level of competitiveness and salary in the labor market for each citizen.
The Ministry of Digital Transformation continues to create revolutionary projects and pass laws for the development of human capital.
