Ukrainian Language in the Global Educational Space: The Context of Migration in Times of New Challenges

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

Two years of military aggression against Ukraine has resulted in unprecedented migration and a growing awareness of Ukraine’s nationhood, language and culture. There are also signs of a paradigm shift among Slavic scholars, with some universities now offering Ukrainian language courses or renaming departments formely focused on Russian Studies to a broader title that encompasses East European, Eurasian and Russian Studies (a switch made by Dartmouth College in fall 2023).
Migration caused by war may be viewed through the lens of habitus, integrating past experiences and functions in a matrix of perception, evaluation, and action (Pierre Bourdieu). Through this lens, presenters identify challenges and opportunities for the Ukrainiain language. Challenges in the global context include: (a) finding qualified teachers and resources for Ukrainian language learning (b) familiarization with new curricula, methodologies, and local educational practices (c) coping with identity loss and the negative impact on psychological well-being, self-awareness and connections with Ukraine, and (d) discontent with ‘Saturday schools’ created by and for the Ukrainian diaspora in prior generations.
Despite the challenges, opportunities have arisen due to the unprovoked war, such as: possibilities for new partnerships between global educational institutions and those in Ukraine; the creation of networks to support the sharing of resources, technologies, and methodologies among diaspora communities, and; development of innovative programs to support Ukrainian linguistic and cultural identity across the global educational space. Therefore, the Ukrainian language becomes the key to preserving identity as well as the means to expanding the language's presence across countries and cultures.

Sub Unit

• Linguistics/Language Pedagogy/Translation

Chair

• Olenka Bilash, U of Alberta (Canada)

Roundtable Members

• Olenka Bilash, U of Alberta (Canada)

• Olena Huzar, Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical U (Ukraine)

• Lada Kolomiyets, Taras Shevchenko National U of Kyiv (Ukraine)

• Nadia Prokopchuk, U of Saskatchewan (Canada)

• Victoria Somoff, Dartmouth College