Learning a second language was never a focus of my childhood upbringing, and until starting the race, I didn’t take the idea seriously. However, struggling for three months to communicate through hand gestures and Spanglish terms gave me a newfound outlook on the value of learning a second language.
In Ukraine, it’s assumed that most people know at least two languages—Russian (the main language spoken where we were) and Ukrainian. Not many people speak English in the rural areas of Ukraine; but it’s an up-and-coming language in Ukrainian schools’ curriculums. All Ukrainian students learn at least one language other than Russian and Ukrainian.
During Team Meizon’s first week in Ukraine, we had the privilege to visit an elementary school near our home in Litugina. Tanya, the school's ESL teacher asked Bruce (our host) if we could help with the school’s “ABC Day”. She said we would spend the day leading the children in fun games and activities with English vocabulary. When we arrived at the school she had the entire schedule structured perfectly and gave us roles and instructions for the activities she had in place for the day.
The school’s ESL teacher, Tanya, is known as one of the best English teachers in the province, and has received many awards for her efforts to motivate this generation to master the English language.
All the children were so well behaved and eager to learn English; most of them had a basic knowledge of the language already—counting, vocabulary, and basic conversational skills. These children actually want to learn English!
Naomi plays an animal name game with the first graders.
Hosanna leads the students in a school supply relay run, where they have to identify all the objects that go in their backpacks.
All the students showed off the ABC certificates they received for participating in the day of activities.
This first visit in a Ukrainian school set the stage for our last week of ministry, when we helped kick-off an ESL camp in Antrasit, a town an hour from our house in Lutugino.
During our week volunteering at the camp, in collaboration with Kristen, a Peace Corps worker, we engaged students from ages 10-17 in improving their English grammar and conversational skills; and in the afternoons we taught them to play kickball and ultimate frisbee.
My teammate Jill and I were paired with the seventh and eighth grade students, and almost immediately fell in love with them! Our teacher, Jane, was eager to have our input on the lessons and the kids wanted to learn and be challenged. We decided to use music lessons to review grammar and teach them American culture and slang. One day we had a tea party, which isn’t unusual for them—Ukrainians love their tea! — and talked about traveling. I showed them photos from our Race travels and they wrote stories about their dream adventure.
In addition to English, most of our students also had Chinese or German lessons during the day, and because of language immersion they receive from their native teachers, they have a firm grasp on the value of language learning.
I went to Antracit’s School No. 5 ready to bless the teachers and students with everything I had—my time, voices, minimal athletic ability, laughter, hope, and care for their education. In return they blessed me with more than I could have anticipated. I received love and joy from dozens of smiling faces. I always had two or three lunch invitations, and linking my arm in theirs on our walk to the cafe, the girls would probe me with every question they knew in English. Our class would bring us candy and make us bracelets. They gave us standing ovations and encores when we sang, and brought their instruments to class. They friended us on Facebook and every day we would have to pose for five or six cameras at a time while the kids crowded around for photos with us. The camp director invited us to tea daily and continually thanked us for our contributions.
One of the many pictures of me and the girls from my class.
Vlad, one of my students, decided to bring in his electric guitar for "music day".
Those children filled my spirit ‘til it overflowed, and I couldn’t help but choose joy. I will never forget the passion and drive with which the kids of Ukraine approached learning a second language—it’s a passion that inspires me, gives me hope of breaking the boundaries that stand between me and the hundreds of people I will encounter in the next six months. The wall that stands between people who do not speak the same language can seem high and thick, with no footholds. Yet, when the intense desire to simply know a stranger overcomes you, the determination hits you right between the eyes. No wall is too high to scale…and every person I encounter is worth the effort it will take to reach them and love them.
To see more photos from my World Race, visit my photo blog at seerobinfly.tumblr.com
I still need $2,900 by July 1st to reach my last fundraising deadline and continue my race!
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