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01/11/2023
Future Perfect

Knowledge of the English language provides wide opportunities for every Ukrainian — from professional to personal development. A high level of language allows people to compete decently on the international market and receive a high salary. In addition, English is an element of Ukraine’s European future.

According to a study by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, 88% of surveyed Ukrainians believe that they should learn English. In addition, the transformation of the status of English as the language of international communication in Ukraine is an important step towards EU membership, which will increase the competitiveness of Ukrainian business, science, education, innovation and government. 

That is why the President of Ukraine initiated the launch of the Future Perfect national program, which will create demand for the English language among Ukrainians. The language program will be coordinated by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

«The President announced a specific goal for the GDP of Ukraine — a trillion dollar economy. And our goal is to increase the country’s income by more than 5 times. For us, innovative companies with high added value that will cost billions should be created. They are created by people who learn quickly, gain new knowledge and skills. One of the steps to achieve this goal is knowledge of the English language. 56% of Ukrainians want to improve their foreign language skills. The Future Perfect program will be one of the drivers of change along this path. So that Ukrainians can speak a common language with the world, to exchange experience and share innovative ideas», says Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for Innovation, Development of Education, Science and Technology — Minister of Digital Transformation.

The Future Perfect program will consist of products and services that will help learn English in a convenient and accessible format. The first of them are the Empower platform and the Promova language learning platform.

«Our global goal is to strengthen Ukraine, Ukrainians and everything Ukrainian, in particular by entering the global market. And the English language is one of the necessary tools for this. Currently, 49% of surveyed Ukrainians do not have any English language skills. And this suggests that about half of the surveyed citizens may lose additional opportunities that could be used both for personal development and for the development of the state. This gap can be filled in particular by the changes in education. Therefore, at the state level, we will promote the study of the English language at all levels of education and at any age, starting with preschoolers», said Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine.

Today, knowledge of English implies wider prospects for finding a job or getting an education. In addition, knowing the language allows you to consume a large amount of the original content — literature, cinema, scientific works, media of foreign opinion leaders, etc. For entrepreneurs, the English language opens up opportunities for negotiations without intermediaries, which can significantly speed up processes and preserve important context.

Promova, a language learning platform with a personalized approach, offers Ukrainians Premium access to all language courses for 3 years. And the online platform for learning English Empower from the University of Cambridge is available for Ukrainian teachers and students.

«The functioning of English as the language of international communication in Ukraine must be regulated at the state level. Therefore, the MCIP, in cooperation with other departments, has developed a corresponding project of the law, which will expand the scope of application of the English language and create conditions for its mastery. At the same time, the adoption of this Law will strengthen our cultural diplomacy and help promote Ukraine in the world, creating opportunities for creative development for our artists», said Rostyslav Karandeev, Acting Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine.

The results of the study show that teachers of English, who will play a pivotal role in achieving the broad goals for improving English capacity, have a very strong English language proficiency and English language teaching capacity. This is a strong foundation on which to build further language policy innovation and implementation. Not only do teachers have a strong English language proficiency, with 90% having CEFR levels B2 or C1, teachers have shown themselves to be highly motivated with positive attitudes to teaching in both face-to-face and online contexts.

«The development of human capital is one of the key priorities of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. Education is an integral part of this process, and we want to build one of the most flexible and fastest-growing education systems in the world. The KMIS study shows that people with a very low income do not know English at all (65%), and among people with a high income, only 27% do. Get international education, enter the international labor market and participate in global projects — all this is possible if you know the language of international communication. The Future Perfect program will allow us to speak the same language with the world, understand each other, share experience and gain knowledge», says Valeriya Ionan, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation for European Integration.

The Future Perfect language program will help expand the use of the English language in public spheres of social life, stimulate language learning for each of the groups: educators, civil servants, entrepreneurs, citizens and local self-government bodies. This will help create a favorable language climate for everyone who lives and works in Ukraine.

«The aspirations of the Ukrainian people are clear: they want to integrate further into Europe, revitalize their economy, build back better than before, and implement critical reforms. Increasing the understanding and use of the English language is vital to achieving these priorities», says Theodora Dell, USAID/Ukraine Acting Mission Director. 

Knowledge of English means wider prospects for finding a job or getting an education. In addition, knowing the language allows people to consume a large amount of the original content — literature, cinema, scientific works, channels of foreign opinion leaders, etc. For entrepreneurs, the English language opens up opportunities for negotiations without intermediaries, which can significantly speed up processes and preserve important context.

«This project is about the future of Ukraine. I am sure that the day will come when every Ukrainian man and woman, regardless of age, gender, region of residence and level of education, will be able to communicate freely in English as needed: for work, study, travel or leisure. We at the Eastern Europe Foundation have been supporting all innovative projects of the Ministry of Digital Affairs and partners for eight years. However, this particular project is special, because it is visionary and strategic for Ukraine», says Victor Liakh, president of East Europe Foundation.

A high level of English allows Ukrainians to attend international conferences and establish contacts with professionals from any country. Industry events allow expanding the circle of professional communication and presenting Ukraine as a state ready for international communication and agreements.

«Mastercard, as an international company operating in 210 countries and territories around the world, believes in creating a barrier-free world for everyone to realize their greatest potential. We are happy to support an important national project to deepen knowledge of the English language, which, in our opinion, will help Ukraine integrate more into the European and world context, open up new opportunities for Ukrainians, provide even more knowledge and technology, and also promote access to communication without restrictions. and ultimately will help us get one step closer to our new future», emphasized Inga Andreeva, CEO of Mastercard in Ukraine and Moldova.

Businesses, organizations and initiatives that help Ukrainians learn English can join the Future Perfect program. From now on, you can become part of the program with your project by sending proposals to the e-mail: [email protected]

The Future Perfect language program is implemented by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, with the support of the USAID / UK Aid project «Transparency and Accountability in Public Administration and Services / TAPAS» and the Eastern Europe Foundation. The project partner is the international technology company Mastercard.