Our goal in the long term is to return home and work in a peaceful Ukraine, perhaps as teachers. At the moment it is impossible for us to plan the future in detail. As a first step, we will complete our studies here. Further studies and work in Norway are good options for us, says Mariia Shylova.
She, Olena Zhyhaltsova and Valeriia V. Pobedash are three of a total of six Ukrainian refugees studying Norwegian language and culture at Hamar campus. Most Ukrainians have an educational background from their home country and need the course ahead of further education or work in Norway.
"These students contribute to the diversity at INN University with their experiences, linguistic resources and not least their perspectives. These are students who give useful feedback to us as teachers and who know what they need to progress. This is how they assist us in developing our language teaching," says course coordinator Kristin Vold Lexander.
Guided by a teaching assistant
After the war in Ukraine broke out, INN University was awarded 50 out of a total of 1,000 study places created by the government. The result was a new course that launched in the middle of the 2022 fall semester.
Every Monday and Wednesday, the Ukrainian students gather to learn about Norwegian language and culture. On the team is teaching assistant Ingrid Snekkerhaugen, who guides the Ukrainian students in solving the tasks they are given in class. There is a lot of focus on oral communication and everyday chatting in order to facilitate flowing conversations.
"I find that I learn as much from them as they learn from me, so this is very rewarding for me as an education student. The Ukrainian students are reflective and give me greater insight into what it is like to learn a second and third language in adulthood, since they are skilled at putting into words how they solve the tasks they are given," says Snekkerhaugen.
Considerable payoff for everyone involved
She chose to take a master's degree in cultural and language didactics precisely to inspire and help others. The fact that she, as a teaching assistant, gets the opportunity to work with students from Ukraine feels particularly meaningful.
"They have recently arrived in Norway, and language skills in Norwegian are absolutely essential for their professional development and for them to be well integrated into Norwegian society. At the same time, it is interesting for me to gain an insight into where they come from, their culture and what their future plans are," says Snekkerhaugen.
"For us, it is very valuable to have a teaching assistant like Ingrid. She has helped us a lot with understanding Norwegian expressions, grammar and sentence structure. She is an outgoing student who fits well in this role," says Shylova.
Vold Lexander believes that both the Ukrainian students and the teaching assistants benefit greatly from the weekly sessions where they work together. She believes that such follow-up from a fellow student can create security and space to ask questions that you might not get to ask in the classroom.
"The teaching assistants gain an insight into and experience learning in a community where they have a role other than that of a teacher. These are useful perspectives to take with you to develop your own competence in teaching," says Vold Lexander.
Educational background from their home country
Shylova has a master's degree in international economics, and previously worked in a bank for many years. In addition, she has worked as a creative director in an advertising agency in Kiev. She came to Norway in March, and has already learned a lot about Norwegian language and culture.
"Of course, peace is what I wish for most, but nobody knows how long the war will last," says Olena. But in the meantime, it's good to have something else to think about in the form of studies. Maybe I will work as an interpreter at a learning centre or as a language teacher in the future? Time will tell," says Shylova.
From Eastern Ukraine to Hamar
Fellow students Valeriia and Olena both come from Eastern Ukraine, and have previously studied pedagogy and philology in their home country. Both have previously worked as English teachers, and are now learning the Norwegian language at INN University. Dialects in particular are something they describe as demanding to understand, but overall they are grateful for the opportunity they have been given.
"This is a good opportunity for us and we are all very grateful to everyone who has contributed to us receiving higher education in Norway and not least learning the Norwegian language. We received a warm welcome, and it was easy for us to enter the course of studies," says Olena Zhygaltsova.
"Some of the words have similarities with Ukrainian words and expressions, but Norwegian is a demanding language to learn. Understanding dialects is particularly difficult for us, so it's good that we have Ingrid as a teaching assistant," says Valeriia V. Pobedash.
This article was translated from Norwegian by Noorit Larsen.