eng 
укр 
Journalists of MISTOSUMY.com investigated the experience of foreign students of Sumy State University who overcame the language barrier and were able to start speaking Ukrainian. Together with the senior lecturer of the Language Training of Foreign Citizens Department, the head of the Preparatory Department, Inna Levenok (PhD) and foreign students - Alych Zyumryut (Turkey) and Al Bakhlouz Al Vashak (Jordan) - gave an interview about the peculiarities of studying Ukrainian as a foreign language.
-Was it difficult to start learning Ukrainian and how did you get there? What was the impetus for this?
Alych Zyumryut:
- I started studying the Ukrainian language precisely at the preparatory department. It wasn't difficult, but I was a little confused by the grammar, which was different from my native language. In general, the motivator for studying Ukrainian was my curiosity about the language, as well as culture in general.
Alych Zyumryut:
- I started studying the Ukrainian language precisely at the preparatory department. It wasn't difficult, but I was a little confused by the grammar, which was different from my native language. In general, the motivator for studying Ukrainian was my curiosity about the language, as well as culture in general.
Al Bakhlouz Al Washak Samer Wade:
- I graduated from the preparatory department for foreign students of the Department of International Education of Sumy State University in 2022. After completing the preparatory department, I planned to enter the 1st year at the Medical Institute of Sumy State University. There are no doctors in my family, but I have a flair for biology, chemistry, I want to be a doctor, so I am waiting for the end of the war to return and continue my studies.
- What was or is the most difficult thing in our language for you?
Alych Zyumryut:
- For me, the most difficult thing was, and still is, adding suffixes to each subject and object in a different way.
- I graduated from the preparatory department for foreign students of the Department of International Education of Sumy State University in 2022. After completing the preparatory department, I planned to enter the 1st year at the Medical Institute of Sumy State University. There are no doctors in my family, but I have a flair for biology, chemistry, I want to be a doctor, so I am waiting for the end of the war to return and continue my studies.
- What was or is the most difficult thing in our language for you?
Alych Zyumryut:
- For me, the most difficult thing was, and still is, adding suffixes to each subject and object in a different way.
Al Bakhlouz Al Washak Samer Wade:
- The difficulty in studying was that there is no letter "P" in the Arabic language. To be honest, it was a discovery for me to pronounce words with "p". I confused it with the letter "b", and the cases were also hard to come with (laughs).
- What obstacles did you encounter while learning Ukrainian?
Alych Zyumryut:
- While studying Ukrainian, I can understand and speak colloquially, but when it comes to the faculty where I study, I have difficulties in understanding professional terminology, because there are different terms and sometimes it is difficult for me to express my opinion in class.
Al Bakhlouz Al Washak Samer Wade:
- There is no opportunity to practice the language itself now because I am not in Ukraine.
- What words did you learn first?
Alych Zyumryut:
- Greeting words: hello, good afternoon, good morning, good evening, how are you, etc.
Al Bakhlouz Al Washak Samer Wade:
- The first thing I learned was: "Your name", "friend", "my dormitory", numbers from 1 to 10, "chocolate", "banana", "sugar", etc. By the way, the word "sugar" is also in the Arabic language. It is pronounced almost the same. (smiles - ed.)
- There is no opportunity to practice the language itself now because I am not in Ukraine.
- What words did you learn first?
Alych Zyumryut:
- Greeting words: hello, good afternoon, good morning, good evening, how are you, etc.
Al Bakhlouz Al Washak Samer Wade:
- The first thing I learned was: "Your name", "friend", "my dormitory", numbers from 1 to 10, "chocolate", "banana", "sugar", etc. By the way, the word "sugar" is also in the Arabic language. It is pronounced almost the same. (smiles - ed.)
- What methods of learning the Ukrainian language proved to be the most effective for you?
Alych Zyumryut:
- When I do my homework, I can better understand the grammar and familiarize myself with some words. Therefore, I can say for sure that learning through writing is more effective.
Al Bakhlouz Al Washak Samer Wade:
- Ukrainian language teachers used the communicative method, I liked it. I mastered vocabulary faster when I repeated what I heard and spoke difficult words.
Alych Zyumryut:
- When I do my homework, I can better understand the grammar and familiarize myself with some words. Therefore, I can say for sure that learning through writing is more effective.
Al Bakhlouz Al Washak Samer Wade:
- Ukrainian language teachers used the communicative method, I liked it. I mastered vocabulary faster when I repeated what I heard and spoke difficult words.