Welcome to e-mova: Core Ukrainian 10!

Introduction to the Alphabet and the Language

•  Ukrainian is a Slavic language

•  Where will I hear the Ukrainian language spoken?

•  Is the language difficult to learn?

•  How does each letter sound?

•  Learning the letters and their sounds

You are about to embark on a journey which will introduce you to the Ukrainian language. In order to be successful on this journey, you will need to be determined and committed to language learning through the medium of computer-assisted instruction. This will require appropriate blocks of time and concerted effort on your part as a language learner. Are you ready?

Ukrainian is a Slavic language

Ukrainian is one of several languages belonging to the Slavic family of languages . It is related to other languages such as Polish, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, Serbian, Macedonian, Bulgarian, Slovenian, Russian and Belarusian.

Where will I hear the Ukrainian language spoken?

Ukrainian is spoken by nearly 50 million Ukrainians within the country of Ukraine . You might be surprised to learn that the Ukrainian diaspora (émigré community) is widespread, therefore it is also possible to hear Ukrainian spoken in many other countries of the world, including: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, Paraguay and United States. In addition, Ukrainian may be heard in many Eastern European countries, such as Armenia, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia and Slovakia, and in the Baltic States of Latvia, Lithuanian and Estonia .

The Ukrainian language is the official language of Ukraine and is spoken by more than two-thirds of Ukraine 's population. As with most European countries, several other languages are also prevalent in the country, with English experiencing the greatest expansion in the last decade. For more detailed information about the Ukrainian language and other Slavic languages, visit the following website:

http://www.nvtc.gov/lotw/months/december/SlavicBranch.html.

The Ukrainian language is based on the Slavic writing system known as Cyrillic. This alphabet was the result of a creative revision of the Greek alphabet by two Thessalonian monks/priests who spoke a South Slavonic language and were fluent in Greek. The theologians, Cyril (for whom the writing system was named) and Methodius, created the new writing system as a means of spreading Christianity among the Slavic people through their translation of the Bible from its original Greek to Glagolithic (which later became Cyrillic). Both brothers were later canonized as Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Is the language difficult to learn?

Much of this will depend on you, the learner. Certainly, it will be a challenge for you to step out of your comfort zone with English in order to master a new writing system and a new way of communicating with others. But, this is the whole point of learning a new language – to create a new and exciting avenue of communication!

If you are motivated, if you work well independently, if you are flexible and adaptable in a new environment, then you are ready to begin your journey in learning Ukrainian. Imagine yourself as a ‘world traveller' who has just found a map which leads to a rich European cultural and historic treasure. In order to reach this treasure, you will need to be able to read the map, which is printed in Ukrainian! At first glance, the Ukrainian alphabet looks a little like Greek and English put together. However, you are determined to take this journey, so you are not daunted by the appearance of the language.

The Ukrainian alphabet has 33 letters in total, eight more than the English alphabet. Believe it or not, this works to your advantage! Ukrainian is a phonetic language, which means that “if you can say it, you can write it”. Each vowel produces only one sound, so spelling is never a problem if your pronunciation of each word is clear and accurate.

In comparison, the English language has vowels which are diphthongs , meaning that they produce a long and a short vowel sound (a – ape and apple; e – ether and elephant; i – ice and igloo). In English, vowels are also put together in vowel blends in order to create new sounds (ough - though, through, trough;au – laugh, aura; ea – treat, sweat; ie – fiery, believe).

As mentioned previously, the Ukrainian alphabet bears some resemblance to both the Greek and English writing systems. The letters which are unfamiliar are usually fun and easy to learn. You will remember them because they look different. These letters are :

б, г, ґ, д, є, ж, з, и, ї, й, л, п, ф, ц, ч, ш, щ, ю, я, ь

In the initial stages, your knowledge of English might interfere with your pronunciation of certain Ukrainian letters. You will be tempted to transfer the more familiar English sounds to these Ukrainian letters. This will only lead to incorrect spelling and pronunciation of Ukrainian words. If you make a mental note of this tendency, you will be able to adjust your pronunciation accordingly. The letters which look familiar, but sound different when pronounced in Ukrainian are:

а, в, е, і, к, м, н, о, р, с, т, у, х

By the end of this Introductory Unit, you should be able to recognize and pronounce each Ukrainian letter, read simple syllables and words in Ukrainian, and write words, both on paper and using the Ukrainian keyboard of your computer.

Keep in mind that not everyone learns at the same pace. You will need to set aside several blocks of time in your schedule for writing practise at the beginning of the course. It takes time and patience to learn a new writing system and keyboard layout. Although, at times, it may seem to you that you are back in elementary school learning the alphabet again, remember that this is an additional language in your repertoire which will give you more communication opportunities with people around the globe.

If you still don't feel very comfortable with the alphabet at the end of this 12-day Introductory session, you will have more opportunities to become increasingly proficient at reading and writing during the first four Units of the online course. Practise exercises are included in the Cultural Enrichment Segment of Units I – IV of e-mova: Ukrainian 10 Online.

How does each letter sound?

The following is a complete list of the Ukrainian alphabet, with audio clips of their corresponding sounds. The letters which look somewhat similar to English alphabets appear in bronze print.

Key points to remember:

• Ukrainian uses the Cyrillic alphabet.
• Ukrainian is a phonetic language.
• Many people around the world speak Ukrainian.
• Ukrainians have historic ties to other Slavic cultures.
• By learning the sounds and their corresponding letters, you will be able to read and write in Ukrainian with very little difficulty. However, understanding what you have read or written is the next challenge to be met!