LanguageMarathon-25 Campaign starts under slogan “Switch to Ukrainian – become independent”

 

Massive campaign to encourage speaking Ukrainian language starts on the Independence Day.

Kyiv, August 11, 2016. “LanguageMarathon-25” is a language campaign dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence. Activists of the initiative “Switch to Ukrainian”, all-Ukrainian youth NGO “Regional Initiatives Foundation” and “Free Courses of Ukrainian” launch the campaign on August 24. “This campaign is aimed to encourage people to speak Ukrainian more frequently in everyday life. We offer those who will join the campaign try it for 25 days, starting August 24”, explained Yaryna Chornoguz, сo-founder of the civil initiative “Switch to Ukrainian”, coordinator of LanguageMarathon-25 at a press conference in Ukraine Crisis Media Center. According to organizers, 25-day term is a period needed to create a new habit and to start speaking fluently.

 

To join the LanguageMarathon, one needs to log in on the website movomarafon.in.ua and to choose his “track”- “LanguageMarathon-25”. On every 2-3 days starting from August 24, all participants will receive a task to accomplish. This “homework” will help them to improve their Ukrainian and to learn more about Ukrainian culture and history. Those who wish can publish their results on Facebook with a hashtag #мовомарафон. “More than 200 participants have registered on the website in the first 24 hours. They are not only from Ukraine, but also from Israel, Chicago, even from Moscow”, says Anastasiya Rozlutska, director of the NGO “Ukrainian World” (“Ukrayinskyi Svit”), co-coordinator of the campaign.

In addition to online-section, there will be offline meetings in Kyiv held by LanguageMarathon team and “Free Courses of Ukrainian” teachers. This program includes various quests, contests and workshops with participation of well-known Ukrainian art activists, such as Dzvinko Matiyash and Pavlo Lirnyk. “This is already the third year since we started organizing 6-month free Ukrainian language courses. Our target audience are mostly Russian-speaking Ukrainians”, said Anastasiya Rozlutska.