Zooming with Ukrainians
Helping Ukraine Speak to the World!
You don’t have to put put your feet to the ground. I joined ENGinprogram.org and urge you to do the same. Its mission is simple—Helping Ukraine Speak to the World.
ENGin is a global nonprofit building a future in which every young Ukrainian can confidently speak to foreigners in fluent, conversational English. It aims to connect Ukraine to the world in order to propel its postwar reconstruction and longer-term economic & social development.
It is a one-of-a-kind program that pairs Ukrainian youth with English speakers for free online conversation practice and cross-cultural connection. Students age 9-35 and volunteers age 14+ participate.
After a brief interview to gauge my interests and skills, ENGin matched me with a 33-year-old woman, an engineer, who currently designs construction plans for electrical sub-stations for a Ukrainian company. She speaks English but desires increased fluency (I sometimes struggle to find the right English word when I’m speaking); a stronger vocabulary (I can guess words through their use in a sentence, but can’t always define them when they standalone); and easier reading (Reading in English for over five minutes is exhausting).
She’s out to change her career. Her new career goal is helping people build websites and apps, specializing in defining requirements and designing excellent user experiences. This work requires excellent English conversation, writing, listening and interpretation skills. This work was a major part of my career for some years, so ENGin matched me with her—a match nearly made in heaven.
The learning is a two way street. As a tutor, I work to overcome my mild dyslexia (I meant to write kitty cat, not kitty cad); to edit my language (think before I blurt slang or sailor’s words); and most importantly, to listen, not just hear what someone says (I’m sorry, what did you say?)
We enjoy getting to know each other and practicing English during our weekly one-hour sessions. ENGin provides lesson plans and other support for tutors. Plus there’s a Facebook page for Volunteers that I participate in.
Check out the ENGin Program out! Help young Ukrainians engage with the world!