The lazy man's way to speak Ukrainian...

So, like me, You've decided to learn the relatively obscure (yet beautiful) language of Ukrainian but shock, horror! You're lazy and there are absolutely zero or zilch resources avalilable to you on the Internet or in book stores.

What to do? Well, no worries friend because I've prepared this handy (and probably badly written) guide.

1. Download/buy Pimsleur's Ukrainian - It's one of those audio courses that you can use to drill some basic grammar and vocabulary into your head. Pimsleur's is the only Ukrainian audio course I can find and it's about 20 years old which means a little of the content is dated. However, it works, you will learn something and it's a nice gentle introduction Ukrainian.

Update (Aug 2011): I'm writing this little update regarding Pimsleur's Ukrainian, four weeks into my Ukrainian summer in L'viv. I can honestly say, Wow! I'm grateful I used it. The course is so well designed the by the time you have finished the 30 units - you really will be able to say a lot in Ukrainian. I can do all the day to day stuff with Ukrainian and when I'm using the language, I know it's coming from the Pimsleur more than any other resource I used. Particularly useful is the way the content is subtly repeated as you study, giving you really effective learning consolidation. I know it's pricey but it's a must buy if you want to succeed in Ukraine!

2. Find a writing partner - I used 'Conversation Exchange' for this and found Наташа (Natasha), a wonderful teacher who patiently exchanges emails with me in a mixture of Ukrainian and English. Sometimes she sends me some vocabulary to practice, other times a story or two. The point is, using a language partner (especially a good one like Наташа) has made the cyrillic script a pleasure to learn and something I now feel comfortable even at ease with.

2.b Download a Ukrainian keyboard for Windows - Here

3. Find a speaking partner - So once you have learned a few words, have some grammar under your belt and can read and write, find someone to speak to. To begin with, I used 'Conversation Exchange', and had some very rudimentary conversations over Skype (Thanks to Oksana), but after a little more writing and Pimsleur practice, I asked around my friends in Wrocław and found Світлана (Svitlana). She more or less only speaks to me in Ukrainian meaning I'm forced to learn (and learn fast) because I have no English to fall back on. I'm pretty sure Svitlana speaks English well however in lessons she only accepts me speaking Ukrainian.


And I have to say after 6 months of on and off learning, without textbooks or fancy internet websites and relying on a 20 year old audio course and the kindness of people, I can speak Ukrainian. Definitely not fluently but I can communicate my ideas and thoughts and that's all that matters to me :)

I guess, the transferable lesson for everyone here is don't be afraid to get out from behind your computer screen or take your head away from the textbook and practice face to face. I was nervous (even scared) to be talking to Svitlana, Oxcana or Natasha but this face to face, human to human communication is definitely the only way to learn.


So thanks to the three teachers :)