What Language do they Speak in Ukraine?
Ukraine is a large eastern European nation located between Russia and the Black Sea. It is home to over 42 million people and was a part of the Soviet Union for much of its history. In fact, many of its citizens are still on a path to rebuilding their nation after the fall of the USSR. But what language do they speak in Ukraine?
The National Language: Ukrainian
Ukraine has a long and proud linguistic history, with its national language being Ukrainian. It is one of the last three surviving members of the East Slavic language family, and it is the native tongue of 44.9% of all Ukrainians according to the 2019 census. It is the official language of the Ukraine, and is the primary language used in education and business. As a Slavic language, Ukrainian shares many similarities with its close relatives, Russian and Belarusian. It is written using the Cyrillic alphabet, which is based on the letters used by Orthodox churches in old Russia.
A Multilingual Country: Russian and Other Minorities
Russian is the primary language for 28.2% of Ukrainians. It is traditional for many children born in Ukraine to learn both Russian and Ukrainian. English, Hungarian, Romanian and Bulgarian are also spoken in various parts of Ukraine by minority groups.
Switching Languages According to Region
Depending on which part of Ukraine you are in, it’s not uncommon to find people switching between Ukraine and Russian, according to the region’s native language preference. In the west, Ukrainian is widely spoken, while the Russian language is more common in the east. The language divide can be so strong that some people may even go so far as to refer to Ukraine as being “divided in two countries” due to the language barrier.
The Language of the Future: English
Ukraine is increasingly becoming a bilingual nation, with English being the language of international business. According to a survey by language learning platform, the Busuu, English is the most sought-after language in Ukraine. This has led to a variety of English language learning and teaching programs popping up around the country. In recent years, Ukrainians have implemented a ‘Preschool Education in English’ program and opened learning programmes for teachers of English in hopes of increasing the proficiency of their people.
In conclusion, Ukrainians speak Ukrainian as their national language and Russian as a second language. English is gaining traction as a third language for international business and education. Ukrainian, Russian and other minority languages are also prevalent in many regions. Language use depends on one’s locality, with a strong language divide still present according to region.