Participants in the educational project ‘English for War Veterans and Their Families’ shared their impressions
West Ukrainian National University is continuing its educational project ‘English for War Veterans and Their Families,’ which involves retired war veterans and their families, family members of fallen (deceased) war veterans, and family members of Ukraine's fallen defenders who live in Ternopil, Kremenets, Berezhany, Skalat, Buchach, Pidvolochysk, Chortkiv, Zbarazh, and other locations. Training is conducted at the Education and Research Centre for Study of Foreign Languages of WUNU in both Ternopil and Kremenets (with the support of the Kremenets Regional Taras Shevchenko Academy of Humanities and Pedagogy).
This educational campaign is being implemented by WUNU with the aim of improving the professional qualifications and social readaptation of discharged military personnel and their families, with the support of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine and in cooperation with the Department of Veterans Policy of the Ternopil Regional State Administration, the Main Department of the National Police in the Ternopil Region, local social welfare departments in the city of Ternopil and our region, the Ternopil Charitable Foundation ‘Caritas’, as well as veterans' associations and public organisations in the Ternopil region.
Training at the WUNU Centre for Foreign Languages is conducted in a blended format using a communicative programme for in-depth study of English with the use of modern multimedia tools and interactive teaching methods. The teaching staff consists of experienced lecturers from WUNU, namely: Prof. D. Chyk, Assoc. Prof. N. Yanus, Lecturer M. Khmiliar, Lecturer H. Sikora, and others.
The veterans themselves and their family members also shared their impressions of studying at WUNU.
"The solid theoretical foundation and numerous practical tools used in this course help students master English for both everyday communication and professional activities. The friendly attitude, skilful teaching and practice-oriented learning deserve high praise and are extremely relevant in today's difficult conditions, especially for the reintegration into society of certain categories of people who have had traumatic experiences due to military actions in our country. I look forward to the implementation of similar projects at West Ukrainian National University, and I wish the teaching staff endless creative inspiration and successful implementation of innovations!" – Yulia Bryhynets, wife of a war veteran.
"I am sincerely grateful to WUNU and the entire teaching staff for providing me with the opportunity to study and improve my English language skills. For me, this is not just a learning process, but also a way to improve my mental health, find myself, and restore peace and tranquillity in my soul. As a war veteran, I would like to express my special gratitude to the authors of the textbooks English for War Veterans and Their Family Members. I am glad that you have not forgotten us and care about our needs, offering such opportunities for recovery and personal growth. Thank you for your work," said Andrii Popovych, a war veteran.
‘The training is interesting. The material is presented in an accessible and structured way, with lots of spoken language practice, which helps to overcome the language barrier to a large extent,’ says Dmytro Koziupa, a war veteran.
Upon completion of the course, students of the WUNU Centre will receive certificates of professional development and certificates of English language proficiency in accordance with the CEFR.
