Ukrainian-American cultural dialuge within the science and methodical seminar successfully continues
Ukrainian-American cultural dialuge within the scientific and methodical seminar successfully continues. Today was the second day of international scientific and methodical seminar with Jody Cornell from the state Iowa University (USA) and Carroll Keenely, expert in American secondary education system. Teachers and students has a possibility to talk about features in the USA and Ukraine cultures, studying in american schools, colleges, universities, and also about experiens in learning and teaching a course of foreign languages.
From the beginning of the meeting, the acquaintance with the tutor continued. Teachers and students has an opportunity to find out about many-year Jody Cornell's experience, which he gained while studying foreign languages, including Ukrainian. The idea of motivation to learn ways of communicating with people from different parts of the world came to him when he was in school. Once they were visited by children from Belarus according to one of the international programs. As Jody recalls, his classmate knew some Russian words, whic gave him a possibility to communicate with foreigners in some way. Then he formed a desire to learn other cultures and languages.
It was mentionet that in USA the most popular languages to learn in high school are spanish, german and french as foreign. But Jody started to learn Slavic languages. Being a student he arrives to already independent Ukraine through the exchange program to our university. Before this moment Jody never heard the Ukrainian language, so he was impressed of its melodiousness and beauty.
Our guest couldn't get rid of desire to attend Ukraine again, to cognize her culture and depth. So he becomes a Peace Corps volunteer and returns as a teacher of English language in Cherkasy gymnasium. When he has given a choice which language he will learn - Ukrainian or Russian, he undoubtedly chooses the first variant. This is where he is getting closer with our culture, learning folk songs and poems, trying to make varenyks (but as he admits he can't find a common language with dough). In this context Jody stresses on that fact, that the best way to learn a language is through learning the culture of its native speakers. The tradition of Ukrainians gather together in a family circle on holidays and sing songs becomes for him the most impressive. He didn't expect that such a touching unity of generations can occur.