Caravela will offer subsidized language classes in English, Polish, and Spanish for Ukrainians living outside Ukraine in a country where one of these languages is spoken. A price subsidy is available depending on the current situation of the student. Contact Svetlana Zorina for more information and to register.
Virtido is a software development company based in Lviv Ukraine with roots in Switzerland. We currently do a weekly English group covering topics of interest for the participants that includes leadership, management, business practices, and many other topics that help them to build both their English vocabulary and their understanding of sound business practices.
Tom Laughlin currently leads the group in cooperation with Larysa Voloshchenko from Virtido and Iryna Oliynyk Virtido's inhouse English teacher.
The world has become much smaller due to the Internet. Unfortunately, language translation technologies have not kept up. When I began talking to people in Ukraine on the Internet, and started to travel here to establish a life, I found myself walking through a verifiable minefield of challenges to understand and be understood. Here is what I've learned.
Translation and interpretation are slightly different things. For the purposes of this article I will refer to translation as written translation and interpretation as oral translation because these terms translate better into the Slavic languages spoken here in Ukraine. Written translation is meant to take a text written in a "source" language and rewrite it into a "target" language using vocabulary and a structure that is as close as possible to the source. Oral translation is meant to interpret the meaning of something spoken and communicate that meaning as accurately as possible. A good oral translator might take an entire five minute tirade and reduce it to, "they are really angry about what you said because it's an insult to question someone's authority here in Ukraine."
Computerized translators have improved considerably but still struggle to accurately translate many messages. There are a couple of ways to minimize misunderstandings. First, always back-translate a message if possible. By using the same translator you can take the target translation and translate it back to the source language. If the meaning is retained it's probably a good translation. If the meaning of the back-translation is incorrect you can reword the original message and try again. As I mentioned earlier in this article, we use written and oral translation instead of translation and interpretation because these terms translate better into other languages, especially with computer translators. Second, when possible write in your native language and let the other person use a translator. I discovered, the hard way, that if I sent my message in translated form the other person assumed I meant exactly what it said but, if they did the translation themselves they were much more likely to understand that the translation might not be completely accurate.
If you want your message to be clearly understood a human translator is still required. This has its own challenges as I discovered when I first started hiring written and oral translators here in Ukraine. I found that many of the translation agencies I used were simply running the text through computerized translators and then giving the text a cursory look. In addition, the oral translators I hired, complete with certifications, simply could not keep up with even simple conversations.
Oral translation is challenging because it requires not only a solid command of both languages but, a familiarity with the subject of the conversation. This includes both technical terminology and the ability to understand and communicate the context surrounding the conversation. The makes an understanding of the subject and the situation even more important than the basic languages skills of the translator.
Written translation is challenging because there is typically an expectation that the vocabulary be very accurate and the writing be without grammatical mistakes. This makes the command of the target language important to the point where most written translations are done by someone who is a native speaker and a skilled writer of the target language.
Unfortunately, finding good written and oral translators here in Ukraine is challenging. The level of English required for various degrees and certifications is relatively low and students rarely have significant contact with native English speakers. That said, there are definitely very skills translators here in Ukraine. One just needs to vet them carefully.
At Caravela we have a team of written and oral translators who are native speakers in Russian and Ukrainian and work with native English speakers on regular basis. We prepare them for oral translation projects by studying the topic and interviewing participants before the event so as to understand the technical language and context. Finally, we have native English speakers who edit any translations when English is the target language.
In 2016, when I decided to establish a life here in Ukraine I wanted to continue working. My career has covered a wide range of different technical disciplines, geographies, and types of organizations.
I have worked in organizations that range from gigantic to tiny. My undergraduate degree is in food and beverage science where I began my career in operations and general management. After getting an MBA I went on to work for a large consumer foods company in marketing and brand management. which included international positions. Later, I returned to school to get an M.A. in Leadership with Post Graduate studies in psychology and started doing Leadership and Organizational Development consulting.
So, when I looked at what I could do while living in Ukraine there were two immediate options. Work remotely and travel back to the U.S. to work with clients there and teach English in Ukraine. Those are the two most common options I see for expats here in Ukraine. I know many expats who work remotely as IT consultants and contractors. I also know some who work remotely as dispatchers for transpiration companies in English speaking countries. In addition, there is always a demand for native speakers to teach English.
There are two primary complications with working in Ukraine as an expat. Very few expats speak Russian or Ukrainian fluently and they are very difficult languages to learn quickly. This makes the options for working in Ukraine very limited. In addition, the pay scales for work here are considerably lower than the U.S. and Western Europe.
I have been able to work with some English schools in Ukraine, not only to teach English but help them with business development and management. I have also been able to teach seminars and do business consulting which has helped me enormously to learn about both the culture and business environment here in Ukraine. I eventually established my own English school and translation agency with a staff of interpreters, translators and language instructors. This has allowed me to do consulting projects and contract work for expats and foreign organizations in Ukraine.
Our primary focus now is remote work for western clients, consulting and contract work for expats and foreign companies in Ukraine, and English proficiency exam preparation for IELTS and other exams.
As in many places, language is a significant political and social issue in Ukraine. Some counties have more than one predominant language, in Canada it's English and French, while other countries have only one, like English in the United States. Ukraine has two predominant languages, Ukrainian and Russian. It's a complex issue with strong feelings all around. Russian was the language of the Soviet Union, and prior to that, the Russian Empire. Some people see Russian as the language of the oppressor or enemy while others see it as a part of their identity and ethnic traditions. In this article I want to focus on the challenges this presents for foreigners as well as the challenge of learning one of the languages spoken in Ukraine.
One question is what language to study. I live in Kherson which is predominately Russian speaking. I am married to a Ukrainian woman and our Ukrainian family speaks Russian. Even though they speak Ukrainian they prefer to speak Russian. I have chosen to study Russian for that reason. Also, Russian is more widely spoken than Ukrainian outside of Ukraine. This choice has caused tension in some situations when people question this choice. I certainly plan to learn both but I have chosen to begin with Russian and pick up Ukrainian after that. In addition, I try to use the Ukrainian version of the names of cities and have learned enough Ukrainian to great someone and be polite. When people ask why I chose Russian I usually just say that it's what my family speaks and that is usually an acceptable reason because most people put family over politics.
There is a significant challenge to learn either language if you didn't grow up speaking a Slavic language. Slavic languages are very different from the Germanic and Latin languages I speak and are seen as some of the most difficult languages to master in the western world. The languages are based much more on word conjugations to convey meaning which makes both learning the vocabulary and the grammar incredibly difficult.
In addition to the challenge of learning either one in its pure form, the two are mixed together here. Signs in Kherson seem pretty evenly divided between Russian and Ukrainian. In addition, there are people who prefer to speak Ukrainian even though Russian is prevalent and when you run across people from the surrounding villages they'll speak Surzhyk which varies from village to village.
I remember getting my vaccinations at the travel clinic before my first visit to Ukraine about five years ago. In addition to significant presence of tuberculosis, there were cases of polio and lots of stray dogs that could be carrying rabies. I immediately thought of the 1957 film Old Yeller about a boy who adopts a stray dog that, at the end of the movie, he must kill because the dog contracts rabies. Rabies is almost unheard of in the U.S. today. If you go to the CDC website and look at the notifications for Ukraine you will find the following. "Rabid dogs are commonly found in Ukraine. If you are bitten or scratched by a dog or other mammal while in Ukraine, there may be limited or no rabies treatment available." Yikes!
So, when I arrived in Kherson Ukraine the first thing I noticed was stray dogs, lots of them. I have been around dogs all my life so I was not particularly afraid, just careful. Many of the stray dogs were very friendly and came up to me but I resisted the temptation to pet them. After living in Kherson for about four years now I have seen the rather interesting and complex situation with dogs here.
There are three different kinds of dogs roaming around unsupervised. There are the neighborhood dogs. They are the dogs that live in the yards or common areas around apartments and other buildings. They have a territory and people feed them regularly. In fact, many of them are quite overweight. They can be very aggressive if they do not recognize you. Then there are the pack dogs. The video in this post is of a pack that had decided to follow a couple of girls in my neighborhood. They don't tend to stay in a particular area and may or may not be aggressive depending on the pack. They are somewhat of a danger to people but considerably more dangerous for the other stray dogs and cats which can present a good meal, especially in the winter months. Finally, there are the unsupervised pets, rarely leashed and often aggressive if they are protecting their masters. I have found them to be the most aggressive of all the dogs and just as likely not to be vaccinated as any of the stray dogs.
I carry a can of pepper spray just in case I get cornered but I've never had to use it. I used to carry a small collapsible baton but, as I talked about in an earlier post, it got me into trouble with the police here. In general, I find that if I leave the dogs alone they return the favor.
This is a shop we frequent in the Tavrichesky district of Kherson Ukraine.
My sister-in-law makes antique style art from images and photos on wood and she made a piece with the Caravela logo for me for Christmas. Thanks Tonya! If you'd like to see more or order a piece you can do so at her Instagram store https://www.instagram.com/odd_wood_shop/.
We spoke of our work with Oksana Osnach and Andrey Lopushinsky in an earlier post. They have resurrected a traditional Chumak artform, images on fish. Here is a video from a local television station in Kherson who covered their activities in a news report. For those who do not speak Russian/Ukrainian you can click on the Closed Caption icon at the bottom of the video and then click on the Setting Icon (gear), click on Subtitles, Automatic Translation, and then select the language you would like to see. It is not a prefect translation but it will give you a general idea of who Oksana and Andrey are and how they decided to do this traditional art. Contact Oksana Osnach by private message on Facebook @oks.osn for more information or to place an order. Pieces can be shipped anywhere in Ukraine.
Every Sunday Tom Laughlin and Sveta Zorina from Caravela host the Window on America meeting at the Gonchara library in Kherson Ukraine for cultural exchange between the United States and Ukraine. Window on America sites are funded by the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. You can see Tom on the far left and Sveta on the far right of the picture.
Every Friday Caravela has a business club meeting led by Tom Laughlin. The purpose of the meeting is to give business owners the opportunity to talk about their opportunities and challenges as well as get ideas and support for their business activities. From left to right we have Oksana Osnach who is an artist and runs an art school, Tom Laughlin who has a training and consulting business, Sveta Zorina who has a English school and translation business, Oksana Voronina who has a custom embroidery and apparel business, and Aloyna Yashuk who is a yoga instructor.
We are delighted to work with Oksana Osnach and Andrey Lopushinsky who have resurrected a traditional Chumak artform, images on fish. The Chumaks were salt traders in traditional Ukrainian society who hauled salt and other goods in ox drawn wagons. They painted religious icons on dried fish to protect them on their journeys. Contact Oksana Osnach by private message on Facebook @oks.osn for more information or to place an order. Pieces can be shipped anywhere in Ukraine.
Presentation at Window on America in Kherson. How to prepare for the IELTS, TOEFL and other English proficiency exams. English with Russian translation.
Designs by Voronina did a custom mask for our office mate, Світлана Юр'єва (Svetlana Yurieva), a local artist in Kherson. You can see examples of her work at https://www.instagram.com/svetlana_jureva/.
In cooperation with local artist Світлана Юр'єва (Svetlana Yurieva), Designs by Voronina embroidered special bags for the Kherson Chamber of Commerce and Industry with their logo and a sturgeon which is native to the Dnieper river that runs through Kherson.
