The Ukrainian Bilingual Program is distinct and unique, in that it provides a tremendous opportunity for students to learn a second language in a strong, supportive environment while obtaining a solid education.
The Ukrainian Bilingual Program (UBP) is part of some Alberta school board’s education system. The program was introduced in Edmonton in 1974, then expanded to Vegreville 1978 and Sherwood Park 1979 , and both school systems and Lamont 1980.
The Ukrainian Bilingual Program is currently offered through Elk Island Catholic school system in Sherwood Park, Elk Island Public school system in Vegreville, and Catholic school system in Edmonton.
Why choose the Ukrainian Bilingual Program
- Enhance academic growth and excellence
- Enrich and complement a child’s first language
- Facilitate fluency in additional languages
- Encourage new ways of thinking
- Develop an appreciation for cultural diversity in Canada and the world
- Open doors to exciting new career opportunities
- Create a sense of belonging to an established community
What does the Ukrainian Bilingual Program offer
- A cooperative approach to education, involving the school home, church, and the Ukrainian community at large.
- A proven educational language program delivering outstanding education since 1974.
- Curriculum that follows the Department of Education in both the English and Ukrainian subjects.
- Ukrainian language that is incorporated into language arts, religion, social studies, music, art, health, and physical education – Kindergarten to Grade 6.
- Ukrainian language, which is further developed in Grade 7 to 12 through subjects of religion, language arts, drama and home economics; English is used for core subjects such as language arts, mathematics, and science.
- High level of academic education – students at all levels are highly challenged through this program and transfer academic skills to other areas of studies. As a result, Provincial Achievement Tests show that schools offering the program consistently have above-average achievement levels.
Why learn Ukrainian?* –
Academic benefits
Recent studies of children who grow up in bilingual settings reveal significant advantages over single language children, including both increased attentive focus and cognition essential for academic achievement. Simply put, bilingual brains are smarter, faster and more creative.
(Judy Willis, M.D., M.Ed., 2012)
Open the door to the Global Community
Ukrainian is spoken by more than 50 million people in the world living in Ukraine, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, the US, the UK, and other European countries. Ukrainian is closely related to other Slavic languages. Since there are almost 300 million people in the world speaking a Slavic language, Ukrainian can be an important key to communication in many parts of the world. Speakers of Ukrainian can make themselves understood in many countries in Eastern Europe. Acquiring Ukrainian as an additional language therefore opens up important doors for communicating with others around the globe.
Variety of Job Opportunities
Alberta Education has stated, “…there is an urgent requirement for qualified speakers of languages other than English in areas of science, technology, medicine and global commerce.” Knowing another language will give your child an advantage in today’s diverse and global economy. Bilingualism is valued by all types of employers, and will allow your child greater choice in the job market.
Greater Economic Advantages
In today’s world, the knowledge of a second language and culture, Ukrainian in particular, is an economic advantage because it provides skills that enable students to communicate and interact effectively, as well as compete in the global marketplace and workplace.
Understanding Cultures
In addition to preserving cultural identity, language learning is a part of cultural enrichment, which fosters understanding of other peoples and countries. For those students who already have some knowledge of Ukrainian or a family connection to the culture, there is an opportunity to renew contact with their language, culture and heritage.
Alberta Education’s Language Learning Initiative
Every child in Alberta takes a second language starting in grade 4. This means that your child can get a head start on learning a language by starting school in a Ukrainian Bilingual setting. There is significant evidence showing that early language learning is most beneficial to the student.
When a child begins learning a second language in the early years, their brains are more adaptable to language development. They…
- are more likely to develop native-like pronunciation
- achieve better language accuracy and fluency
- achieve higher in basic academic skills
- are taught through meaningful contexts that enable them to see connections between the language and other topics
- develop greater cognitive flexibility and creative thinking skills
* Based on information from Alberta Education.