You're reading: Klitschko to offer second semester of free English lessons for adults, German may be next

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko’s initiative to launch a pilot project of free English courses for adults has been so popular that he has decided to make the program permanent and roll out a second stage in the near future.

About 50,000 people in Kyiv applied by Sept. 9 for free English courses in the project, called Capital English, but only 3,000 students were selected and enrolled.

“We didn’t anticipate that so many people would apply, Klitschko said at briefing on Oct. 6. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t accept them all at once. However, it was only the first stage that kicked off in September. The second semester will start in January, and we’ll able to admit those who missed the first one.”

Klitschko’s administration is to establish charity fund to enable the extension of the project, according to William Schreiber, the coordinator of international projects at Kyiv City State Administration .

“The endowment fund will be open to all donors – small and large corporations, individuals, and other donors,” Schreiber told the Kyiv Post. “Most importantly, the (Kyiv) mayor has pledged to disclose the names of all donors and make all contributions public and transparent.

“One of the fastest growing sectors in Kyiv right now is outsourcing and out-staffing. Turnover in the IT-related field alone is close to $800 million. So we’re starting our fundraising efforts by approaching companies in this sector and others like it.”

However, the levels of courses will remain basic: It has been designed for beginners who are 18 years or older. Students will take A1-A2 beginner level courses corresponding to Council of Europe language teaching standards.

The project is based on the successful “Teach for Georgia” program initiated by ex-President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, now the governor of Odesa Oblast. The main goal of the courses is to popularize English and increase Ukraine’s competitive power on the domestic and foreign labor markets.

The U.S. Embassy and British Council are providing financial assistance for the free courses. The English language school Speak Up and Cambridge Assessment provide curriculum materials, language teaching methodology and teachers.

“I am so happy that we launched this,” Klitschko told reporters. “We’re the first (city) in Ukraine to launch such a program for all comers who want to develop. We’re considering creating the same lessons in German.”

In early August, the Education Ministry increased the number of classroom hours for foreign-language learning. Students in grades 10-11 will get three-and-a-half hours of foreign-language study, while pupils in the 5th-8th grades will get three hours of study, and 9th graders two hours.

Klitschko’s program also has backing at top political levels. Addressing parliament on April 4, President Petro Poroshenko said the year “2016 will be the year of the English language (in Ukraine).”

Kyiv Post writer Denys Krasnikov can be reached at [email protected]