Multilingual Learners
Supporting Bilingual Students & Ukrainian as a Heritage Language
Most of our students grow up in bilingual households: Ukrainian at home (fully or partially) and English at school and in everyday life. That's why we don't teach Ukrainian as a "foreign language" — we teach it as a heritage language: a language that's already part of a child's family history and identity, but needs structured development, especially in reading and writing.
What This Means in Practice
1. Different Starting Points — One Goal: Confident Ukrainian.
A classroom might include children who understand Ukrainian well but feel shy speaking it, alongside kids who speak it freely but have gaps in grammar or spelling. Our job is to help each student reach the next level — without stress or comparison.
2. A Strong Focus on Literacy.
For multilingual children, the hardest part isn't learning vocabulary — it's becoming as confident reading and writing Ukrainian as they are in English. That's why we focus on building::
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Reading comprehension (from short texts to essays and journalism);
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Spelling and punctuation;
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Written expression: retelling, essays, argumentation.
3. Language as Real Communication.
We create an environment where Ukrainian sounds natural — in conversation, projects, presentations, performances, and school events. We want every child to feel that Ukrainian isn't just for answering questions in class — it's a language you can joke in, persuade in, and make friends in.
4. Gentle Work with "Mixed" Language.
Switching between languages is a normal part of bilingualism. We don't penalize it — instead, we gently and consistently help students build Ukrainian sentence structures, expand their vocabulary, and move away from direct word-for-word translations from English, through practice, examples, and repetition in the right context.
5. Differentiated Instruction.
Teachers use short diagnostic tasks, pair and group work, leveled exercises, and clear language goals for each lesson — so stronger students stay challenged and those who need more support don't fall behind.
Why This Approach Works
Teaching Ukrainian as a heritage language is about balance: supporting what already exists and building what may be missing — especially academic vocabulary and writing skills. Our approach helps children not simply “know Ukrainian,” but use it confidently — at home, in the community, on stage, in correspondence, and in their studies.
How Parents Can Help (Without Pressure)
10–15 minutes of reading in Ukrainian several times a week (short, but consistent).
Establish “Ukrainian hours” at home or during family activities.
Encourage rather than correct every word: first build the desire to speak, then refine accuracy.