A project that has helped thousands of young Ukrainians successfully overcome language barriers has gained international recognition as one of the best in Europe.
The integration of Ukrainians into Slovak society is a process that is important for both sides and, without exaggeration, sensitive.
According to the head of the Slovak charitable foundation, Alona Kurotova, children often face difficulties due to language barriers, as they need to attend school, communicate with peers, and acquire new knowledge.
Crimean-born Alona Kurotova moved to Slovakia 20 years ago. In 2013, she had a son, followed by a daughter. Her children grew up and studied alongside children of Ukrainians who moved to Slovakia from Luhansk, Donetsk, or Crimea.
"I saw how difficult it was for children to integrate into the social life of the country. This process was not systematized. Of course, at that time, there were far fewer refugees than now, but they faced the same problems as Ukrainians who arrived after the start of the full-scale invasion," recalls Kurotova.
It was during this time that her charitable foundation was established, aimed at helping children, as this topic was very close to Kurotova’s heart. As a mother of two, she understood the needs of Ukrainian families.
"All our projects back then were connected to Ukraine," says Kurotova. Thanks to her initiative, textbooks were created in Slovakia to help children learn Slovak as a foreign language.
One of the most popular books, "Aha, slovenčina!", has helped more than 20,000 children learn Slovak. It is now used in most schools across the country.
The integration of Ukrainians into Slovak society is a process that is important for both sides and, without exaggeration, sensitive.
According to the head of the Slovak charitable foundation, Alona Kurotova, children often face difficulties due to language barriers, as they need to attend school, communicate with peers, and acquire new knowledge.
Crimean-born Alona Kurotova moved to Slovakia 20 years ago. In 2013, she had a son, followed by a daughter. Her children grew up and studied alongside children of Ukrainians who moved to Slovakia from Luhansk, Donetsk, or Crimea.
"I saw how difficult it was for children to integrate into the social life of the country. This process was not systematized. Of course, at that time, there were far fewer refugees than now, but they faced the same problems as Ukrainians who arrived after the start of the full-scale invasion," recalls Kurotova.
It was during this time that her charitable foundation was established, aimed at helping children, as this topic was very close to Kurotova’s heart. As a mother of two, she understood the needs of Ukrainian families.
"All our projects back then were connected to Ukraine," says Kurotova. Thanks to her initiative, textbooks were created in Slovakia to help children learn Slovak as a foreign language.
One of the most popular books, "Aha, slovenčina!", has helped more than 20,000 children learn Slovak. It is now used in most schools across the country.
A New Language Learning Methodology
"We are truly proud of this project and try to talk about it as much as possible," says the founder of the foundation, explaining that initially, she and her like-minded colleagues organized Slovak language courses.
Subsequently, a language school called iCan was established under the charitable foundation, where children and adults could learn Slovak as a foreign language. However, there was a critical shortage of teaching materials for such learning, and the country lacked a systematic approach to teaching Slovak as a foreign language.
According to Kurotova, from 2016 to 2018, they actively proposed the development of teaching methodologies to Slovak educators, emphasizing that children cannot automatically learn a new language, especially older ones. However, they did not receive support at the Ministry of Education level.
"At that time, the Ministry of Education did not meet us halfway. So, in 2018, our school decided to independently create a series of textbooks. For me, as a leader, it was clear that such an educational program was truly necessary because there was demand from society," Kurotova explained.
Later, representatives of the Ministry of Education, including its NIVAM division and some other schools, joined the project. As a result of the diligent work of dedicated individuals, books for learning Slovak as a foreign language were created. This happened in the same month that the full-scale invasion began—February 2022.
Subsequently, a language school called iCan was established under the charitable foundation, where children and adults could learn Slovak as a foreign language. However, there was a critical shortage of teaching materials for such learning, and the country lacked a systematic approach to teaching Slovak as a foreign language.
According to Kurotova, from 2016 to 2018, they actively proposed the development of teaching methodologies to Slovak educators, emphasizing that children cannot automatically learn a new language, especially older ones. However, they did not receive support at the Ministry of Education level.
"At that time, the Ministry of Education did not meet us halfway. So, in 2018, our school decided to independently create a series of textbooks. For me, as a leader, it was clear that such an educational program was truly necessary because there was demand from society," Kurotova explained.
Later, representatives of the Ministry of Education, including its NIVAM division and some other schools, joined the project. As a result of the diligent work of dedicated individuals, books for learning Slovak as a foreign language were created. This happened in the same month that the full-scale invasion began—February 2022.
Slovak Language Textbooks and Supplementary Materials (source: Tamara Zinchenko)
A total of eight books were created, which at the time were not officially considered textbooks. This status was approved later, in 2023, when the methodology was recognized as suitable for teaching the Slovak language.
The textbooks were divided by age: "Svet okolo nás" – a book for preschoolers, and "Aha, slovenčina!" – for primary schools, aimed at children aged 6 to 15. A large team of people worked diligently on them, with several stages of review and testing conducted in collaboration with Slovak schools, the director explained.
The textbooks were divided by age: "Svet okolo nás" – a book for preschoolers, and "Aha, slovenčina!" – for primary schools, aimed at children aged 6 to 15. A large team of people worked diligently on them, with several stages of review and testing conducted in collaboration with Slovak schools, the director explained.
More Than Just Textbooks
According to Kurotova, the books were published thanks to the collaboration between the language school and the Erasmus fund, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic, including Janka Píšová, Karol Csiba, Denisa Ďuranová, and others.
In 2022, the project received the European Label for Languages award as the best project in the country implemented in cooperation with Erasmus. This year, it was recognized as one of the 15 best projects under EU Solidarity with Ukraine, which supported Ukrainians. Thanks to the textbooks, children not only learn the language but also integrate into society through it.
These books enable children not only to learn the language but also to familiarize themselves with Slovak culture and traditions, Kurotova noted. For instance, a separate section is dedicated to Christmas, where children can learn the names of all holiday-related decorations.
"We also have a Ukrainian girl named Olya who travels through this book with young readers, discovering Slovakia alongside them," Kurotova said, opening the book to reveal a page featuring a sweet girl with blonde braids and big green eyes.
Other books developed as part of the project are not as widely used in the learning process.
"For example, we have a wonderful collection of all Slovak grammar rules, which I call *Slovenčina v kocke* – all the rules in one place. It is especially useful if a child, for instance, joins the 4th grade and needs to catch up on previously covered material. Everything is systematically organized by academic year to make the process of integrating into school life easier," Kurotova explained.
Among the additional materials is also a Slovak-Ukrainian dictionary, where the vocabulary is divided by subjects, allowing children to quickly learn the necessary terms. For example, in the mathematics section, children can find terms for operations like addition, multiplication, and so on, with similar sections for other school subjects.
In 2022, the project received the European Label for Languages award as the best project in the country implemented in cooperation with Erasmus. This year, it was recognized as one of the 15 best projects under EU Solidarity with Ukraine, which supported Ukrainians. Thanks to the textbooks, children not only learn the language but also integrate into society through it.
These books enable children not only to learn the language but also to familiarize themselves with Slovak culture and traditions, Kurotova noted. For instance, a separate section is dedicated to Christmas, where children can learn the names of all holiday-related decorations.
"We also have a Ukrainian girl named Olya who travels through this book with young readers, discovering Slovakia alongside them," Kurotova said, opening the book to reveal a page featuring a sweet girl with blonde braids and big green eyes.
Other books developed as part of the project are not as widely used in the learning process.
"For example, we have a wonderful collection of all Slovak grammar rules, which I call *Slovenčina v kocke* – all the rules in one place. It is especially useful if a child, for instance, joins the 4th grade and needs to catch up on previously covered material. Everything is systematically organized by academic year to make the process of integrating into school life easier," Kurotova explained.
Among the additional materials is also a Slovak-Ukrainian dictionary, where the vocabulary is divided by subjects, allowing children to quickly learn the necessary terms. For example, in the mathematics section, children can find terms for operations like addition, multiplication, and so on, with similar sections for other school subjects.
Learning Cards (source: Tetiana Omelchenko)
"For children, game cards were also developed. They contain 264 words most commonly used by kids, making it a sort of super-fast course for the little ones," Kurotova said as she opened one of the boxes with colorful cards designed to help young Ukrainians quickly grasp the Slovak language.
Why do Ukrainian children need to learn Slovak?
The level of integration of Ukrainian children into Slovak society is very low, Kurotova states. Out of 37,000 children who fled due to the war, only 11,800 attend schools.
"This means the majority of children are not attending school. I talk to many parents and see that this situation negatively affects children's development because they are losing valuable years," she added.
Kurotova hopes that starting from the next academic year, attending Slovak schools will become mandatory for Ukrainian children. Even if families plan to return to Ukraine in the future, these years will not be wasted – the child will learn another language, gain new knowledge, and acquire experiences that will be invaluable later in life.
Moreover, for healthy development, children need interaction with their peers.
Last year, the charitable foundation organized a summer program for Ukrainian children and their parents. They engaged in sports activities led by experienced educators, went on walks where they practiced speaking Slovak, and later participated in the Košice Marathon, running 4 kilometers.
Kurotova fondly recalls the top student of this program – Ivan, who learned Slovak in just six months as if he had spoken it from birth. A similar program is planned for this year as well.
According to Kurotova, if a child has some foundational knowledge, a kind of "cheat sheet," it becomes much easier for them to start communicating and actively participating in social life.
She is convinced that both sides benefit from this project. Ukrainians will be able to take an active role in Slovak society, contribute significantly to the country's economy, and their children will gain knowledge that will help rebuild Ukraine in the future.
"This means the majority of children are not attending school. I talk to many parents and see that this situation negatively affects children's development because they are losing valuable years," she added.
Kurotova hopes that starting from the next academic year, attending Slovak schools will become mandatory for Ukrainian children. Even if families plan to return to Ukraine in the future, these years will not be wasted – the child will learn another language, gain new knowledge, and acquire experiences that will be invaluable later in life.
Moreover, for healthy development, children need interaction with their peers.
Last year, the charitable foundation organized a summer program for Ukrainian children and their parents. They engaged in sports activities led by experienced educators, went on walks where they practiced speaking Slovak, and later participated in the Košice Marathon, running 4 kilometers.
Kurotova fondly recalls the top student of this program – Ivan, who learned Slovak in just six months as if he had spoken it from birth. A similar program is planned for this year as well.
According to Kurotova, if a child has some foundational knowledge, a kind of "cheat sheet," it becomes much easier for them to start communicating and actively participating in social life.
She is convinced that both sides benefit from this project. Ukrainians will be able to take an active role in Slovak society, contribute significantly to the country's economy, and their children will gain knowledge that will help rebuild Ukraine in the future.
Edited by: Tamara Zinchenko, Tetiana Omelchenko
Source: novyny.sme.sk
Translation: Sofiia Zayka