As part of the Learn Across Borders project, a conference was held to present a new methodology for teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language. The event served as a platform for educators from Ukraine and Romania to exchange academic experiences.

The conference was officially opened by the project manager, Ihor Usatyuk, Director of the Association of Local Authorities for the EU Strategy for the Danube Region, and Lyubov Zadorozhna, Rector of the Odessa Academy of Continuing Education.

The event brought together a wide range of experts: the discussion was joined by Ukrainian language lecturers and students from the K. D. Ushynsky South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University, the International University, Odessa State Agrarian University and Odessa National Medical University.

Tetyana Hrynchuk, the developer of the methodology, presented a teaching approach aimed at Romanian-speaking audiences and ethnic Ukrainians living abroad. The methodology is based on elements of eidetic imagery and mnemonics — techniques for memorising information through images. This allows learners to absorb the material more quickly and put it into practice immediately, which is critically important for people who have lost their usual learning environment due to military action.

“This method helps people to overcome language barriers quickly and easily, to feel more confident, and to integrate into new communities in border regions,” the authors of the initiative emphasise.

The project involves the operation of a joint educational centre with locations in Tulcha and Odessa. The practical implementation includes the organisation of webinars, training sessions and masterclasses on both sides of the border.

“I’m off to Romania now to train teachers, and they will then go on to form groups and teach ethnic Ukrainians specifically... Our people have moved to various countries, and so we have a significant opportunity to establish a presence there, to showcase ourselves, so that people know who Ukrainians are and can get to know our culture,” emphasises Tetiana Hrynchuk.

The initiative’s strategic objective is to preserve identity and historical memory among the Ukrainian diaspora, which, according to figures cited during the presentation, numbers over 6 million people in Romania.

“When we help people feel a connection to Ukraine, we are in effect strengthening our country. And in doing so, we are building a strong global Ukrainian community that then supports Ukraine through information, culture and financial means,” the speakers concluded during the conference.