Dear Students,
If you are interested in this web-based textbook, you probably have already completed a few semesters or years of studying Ukrainian, or perhaps you use Ukrainian in your everyday practices, but you are not that familiar with the professional sphere of communication in the language. Whichever the case is,
Welcome to the Ukrainian for Professional Communication web-based textbook!
It is my hope that this textbook will assist you in learning about the Ukrainian professional sphere and how to function within it, while still enhancing your language skills and functional proficiency in the language.
This web-based textbook is designed to help you improve your Ukrainian language proficiency and become better equipped to use the language for professional purposes. This textbook includes diverse cultural materials, as well as facts and issues with which Ukrainians or those interested in Ukraine are concerned today — in the sphere of business and professional communication. The five chapters are: 1) Resumé; 2) Employment and job interview process; 3) Official documentation; 4) Finances and banking; and 5) Insurance. All instructional materials are in Ukrainian (as the target audience are students with an advanced/intermediate high level of language proficiency).
Each chapter includes a selection of authentic texts and documents (such as resumés, cover letters, official documents, correspondence samples, etc.), authentic images and video files.
Glance over the authentic images provided on the right hand side of each unit. These are authentic visual texts that carry lots of valuable cultural information and examples. I hope that you will enjoy these snippets of Ukrainian culture and everyday life.
You will most likely appreciate the fact that all texts for reading practice contain an enhanced glossing system. Click on hyperlinked vocabulary items (relevant to business communication) and you will instantly receive relevant translations, which will assist with the reading/comprehension process.
I am confident that you will also find interesting information provided at the end of each unit under the heading Цікавинка. Here you will find some cartoons and anecdotes, which hopefully elicit a few laughs or discussions about cultural differences of humour.
In this web-based textbook, you will have quick access to three sets of Appendices, which provide an array of functional expressions for oral and written communication, such as agreeing, disagreeing, conveying an opinion, supporting an argument, and describing an article or a TV report. You will also find information on which language constructions to use in official or unofficial situations, how to address people, and what language to use in an official or unofficial letters.
The textbook includes a dictionary of vocabulary items relevant to business, used in the chapters and glossed in texts for reading and listening (supplemented with relevant grammatical information to ease the use of these items in context).
Several interactive online exercises, as well as crossword puzzles, will assist you in practicing the language and acquiring new vocabulary and expressions.
Best of luck with your journey into the world of professional communication in Ukrainian.
Багато успіхів!
Алла Недашківська
Alla Nedashkivska
University of Alberta, Edmonton
P.S. If you have any comments, suggestions and recommendation, please write to:
alla.nedashkivska@ualberta.ca
I always value students’ feedback!!!