The Center for Foreign Languages is a structural unit of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, established in 2010. Its mission is to provide instruction in modern foreign languages for students, academic staff, and university employees; to foster the development of linguistic, professional, and communicative competences; and to promote academic mobility and international cooperation.
The Center offers courses in over 20 European and Oriental languages ranging from A1 to C2 levels, including: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Modern Greek, Swedish, Bulgarian, Polish, Croatian, Czech, Serbian, Russian, Arabic, Turkish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Hindi, Crimean Tatar, and Persian.
The Center’s key areas of activity include conducting courses in modern foreign languages, offering specialized language courses for professional and academic purposes, preparing students for international language exams such as IELTS, TOEFL, DELF, and HSK, as well as for national exams like ZNO, NMT, and EVI. Additionally, the Center provides language proficiency certification from levels A1 to C2 and participates in international educational projects.
The Center actively develops partnerships with international educational institutions, engages highly qualified teaching staff, implements innovative formats of learning (blended, online, intensive), and continuously updates its programs in line with the evolving needs of the global educational landscape.
It also serves as a vibrant platform for intercultural exchange and non-formal education. Between 2017 and 2019, the Center hosted several summer schools in the Ukrainian language and simultaneous interpreting (English–Ukrainian), which gained wide popularity among participants from both Ukraine and abroad. Among the teaching staff were lecturers from the Department of Ukrainian Language and Applied Linguistics – L. Kravchenko, S. Riznyk, V. Kolomiitseva, and expert interpreters – S. Skrylnyk, Yu. Loboda, M. Hrytsenko, and A. Shpyhunov (a TSNUK graduate). The interpreting classes were conducted in specialized classrooms equipped with modern interpreting technology, providing participants with hands-on experience in real-life conditions.
The summer schools attracted learners from various regions of Ukraine and numerous countries, including the USA, France, Poland, Turkey, China, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Norway, Slovenia, Slovakia, Uruguay, among others. Participants included students, faculty from Ukrainian and international universities, professional translators, and representatives of government bodies and international organizations. These initiatives contribute to strengthening the University’s international reputation and promoting the Ukrainian philological tradition globally.
Director of the Center – Dr. Olga Yashenkova, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor.
The Center for Foreign Languages holds a prominent place in the University’s infrastructure as a platform for intercultural dialogue, professional development, and the enhancement of international competitiveness among students and academic staff.
