Background: As part of the Education and Social Justice Project, in June 2024, undergraduate student Michelle Hadebe (SFS’25) interviewed Andrii, a student at one of the EduHubs in Krakow, Poland. In this interview, Andrii discusses his migration to Poland, his integration into his local community through language and pop culture, and his university journey as a Ukrainian living and studying in Poland.
How did you find it when you first arrived in Poland. Did you know how to speak Polish?
No, at all.
At all? And how did you learn, how did you transition to Polish?
Actually, it was a long way, of course, because when I came here, my second problem was that I didn't speak English at all. Like, not at all, but I knew a bit about, like, grammar, because, you know, at school, especially in Ukrainian, in Ukrainian school, we study grammar. And that's awful, actually, because there is really a couple of tenses in order to speak English, yes? Then you should study vocabulary. But unfortunately, I was all the life, I thought all the life that I need to study grammar, like, I am, my favorite subject was always math, and I thought that, like, there is a structure, a grammar, I will study grammar, and I will be successful. But, no.
You need to talk.
Yes, I need to talk. And this was the first thing, that I only spoke Ukrainian. And Russian, of course. But there was a good thing, too, is that I have, like, uncle. My uncle, he is living here in Poland. He have been living here for 20 years. And after that conversation, actually, I will go to him, because he is moving from one apartment to another, and I want to help him, maybe. And when I came to Poland, actually, there was hard, first couple, like, days and weeks was hard, because, like, I didn't even know what I want to do, like, what I want to do. Like, because I am in a new country, because, actually, before the war, I've never been abroad. Never, never. Only in Ukraine, and that's all.
How easy or hard do you find it to make friends with Polish students?
It was, right now, right now it is easy. It is really easy, but the first year, I would say, it was really hard, because I like, my favorite sport is football. Oh, nice.
Ukraine is competing in the Euro, right?
Yes, but unfortunately they are out right now.
Ahhh, yes.
And, actually, until now, really until now, it is hard for me to play football with Polish people. I don't know why, actually. It is just hard. And the first time, the first, like, couple months, I want to talk about, like, how I learned Polish. And, as I said, I have uncle here, and he helped a lot. Actually, I learned it, like, he brought some books from library, and just, I read for, I would say, one week, for five hours a day, and he, like, corrected me. Like, every single, let's say, letter, letter, every single letter. And after the first week, I had, like, good reading skills. And after that, I started to study grammar with him, and then speaking. And it took me, like, one month, and I was able really to speak a bit Polish. And, actually, after that, I understood that the main thing, like, we have reading, listening, grammar, vocabulary, and speaking. And I think the main thing that you should start with is reading. Because, like, reading, not, like, even understanding, but reading. Because when you could read, read, like, I would say, correctly, when you could read correctly, then you have Google, and you could study by yourself. And that's, because, and then, for me, reading is the most important thing right now. It's what you should start, yeah.
So, would you say that learning to speak Polish helped you in making friends and socially integrating into the society?
Yes, of course, yes, because without Polish, I would not, I would never get in university. And at university, I really found my first, like, friends. It was, as I said, one year ago, when I joined the university. And, actually, but before the university, I almost didn't speak with Polish people. Like, not people with my, like, teenagers. Because it was hard for me, just. Like, when you cannot practice, it is hard to find communication in our society. And, yes.
Earlier, we had a conversation, and you mentioned, you were telling me how you transitioned from high school in Ukraine to college here. Can you take me through that process again, and how all of that went?
Like, that process in the sense of problems, yes?
Yes.
Okay, now, I would say the main problem was being in company. Like, actually, when I studied before online, like, you're just sitting, like, and you're just talking to no one, actually, to your screen. And after that, when you came, I came for my first lecture, there was 200 people.
Wow.
Yes, and I was shocked, because a lot of people, really. And there was, like, the first thing, "Oh, no, there was a lot of people, they all looking at me," and I was embarrassed, I was shocked. But during that period of first semester, even, I think, one week or one month, and I was able to communicate, yes. Because there is, because actually, when I was placed for English C1, as I said in our conversation earlier, I started to study English, like, more. And, like, when I came to Poland, like, I'm trying to structurize my material in my head. When I came to Poland, as I said, I didn't speak English at all, and I started studying English, but by myself, only by myself. Like, one month, as a summer, I just opened YouTube every day, and I studied every tense, then I wrote a couple sentences, yes, and then I practiced. And the important thing is that I did it for, like, a couple days. Like, today I study present simple, tomorrow I write sentences, day after tomorrow I practice grammar, but while I'm writing sentences about present simple, I study past simple. And that was, like, I just... You build it up. Yes, I just opened one site, I don't remember, but there was everything about tenses, about, I don't know, gerund, Infinitive, like, and etc. And after that I decided to return to one course. There was one course, maybe you know Callan method. You know Callan methods. And that's, I think, for me that's the best, one of the best methods of studying, because actually they...
How is it going?
When you're in the first level, they make you, I don't know how to say, they... Like, when you... The first thing, you study speaking. You just speak, even first couple lessons without good pronunciation, then you write, and after that you will have vocabulary, writing and listening, because you listen to your teacher. And after that I decided that I want to continue my study by Callan method, and actually I enrolled, and they said that I could go for...
Can you?
Yeah. And we talked about Callan method, and I was enrolled for advanced for 6th level, because there is, like, 10 levels, and I would say first 6th level it was B1, like, the 12th level is C1, I would say. And from 6th level to 8th level I studied one method, and I stopped on B2, because actually I decided to join Polish university. And after that, as I said, I studied Polish for a long time, and then while I started studying English here in Poland, in my university, my first couple lessons was really hard, because the main problem that I came up with, it was shyness. Yes, even... Because when you see, like, 20 people in one room, it is hard even sometimes to explain your idea for me, because, like, I often think what other people think about me, you know.
Yes.
And actually I started to watch more films, I watched a lot of films in English. First couple, like, months...
What's your favorite?
I would say Batman by Christopher Nolan.
Yay! I agree, that's a good one.
Yes, and actually the first couple films it was completely translating, but right now I'm watching probably, you know Christopher Nolan, of course, and he has a brother, and probably you know Westworld. You know?
No, I haven't.
Westworld, it's a serial, and it's like... You know Christopher Nolan films? They're like… They're super amazing. Sherman Doves, I would say. And that serial that I started watching, my father suggested me. That's, like, amazing. That's the best serial I've ever watched. Really, because a lot of things, like, changing. I understand that it was written by Christopher Nolan, I would say, but Nolan, by his brother. And actually I watched yesterday, no, two days ago, I ended watching first season, and I watched it almost completely, almost without translating. There is no problems with understanding right now. But it was a hard and a long way to know like that, for me, actually. And the second thing I wanted to say, it was that I found, a couple of months ago, I found one app, it's name is Real Life English, you probably know. And there are podcasts. And I just, from my home to university, I go by bus for, I think, 30-40 minutes, and just, I download that program, that app, that is here.
Ah, then you listen to the podcast.
Yes, and I started listening podcasts by not just listening. Because before that program, I just listened to it one week, and it was enough. Before that program, I watched all YouTube with subtitles. Right now, I could watch without subtitles. Films, I watch with subtitles, of course, because...
Because they speak fast?
Yes, fast, or like... Quiet, and... You know. Because even... Here I want to say, too, about that education hub, where we are recording right now. There was lessons with teachers from USA. Actually, it was with Patrick Brennan from Chicago, and with Pani Leopolda from Chicago, too, and they helped me a lot, too, because... With one teacher, we had just more grammar, and the second teacher was a real American guy. She was speaking. Yes, a guy speaking. We played games. I don't know. It was... That education hub, in which we are here, helped me... Helped me a lot, because… Because I found here communication in Ukrainian. That's important, because it is hard...
Why is it important to you? Why is it important—communication in Ukrainian?
Because... Actually, because I was born in Ukraine, and that's something that I just need. That's my necessity. I need to speak with Ukrainian guys, friends. Without it, it's hard to live. And, of course... But actually, I really find it interesting to speak with someone from another culture, another country, because... I don't know why, but it is interesting for me, because I'm practicing my language, and so on.
So, when did you start coming to the Eduhub?
It was almost two years ago. Oh, almost two years ago.
So, is this around about the time when you started university?
Yes, but I started university in Ukraine at that time.
Ah, OK. I mean in Krakow.
But... One more time, OK? I came to Eduhub two years ago, but I started my study at Krakow University one year ago.
Ah, OK.
Because the main thing when I came to Eduhub, it was the place to study in quiet, online. Because here, the first couple of months, we had less people, and it was possible to sit and study in quiet, you know, programming, that thing. But in a couple of months, I found friends here, and this Eduhub was just in order to communicate. Like, I studied at home.
So, you came here to communicate in Ukrainian and make friends?
Yes, yes.
And I think you touched a little bit on it, but I want us to go back. Those English lessons at the Eduhub, how frequent were they? And how effective do you think they were in helping you solidify your English language, but also for Polish? Did you also take Polish lessons at the Eduhub, as well? And did they also help you with that, as well?
Actually, that English lesson was two times a week. And it was really… I would say it was really... It was important for me, because that lesson broke the ice with English, with all English for me, because I was too shy to communicate with anyone. It was hard for me just to say, "Hello." And by half of the year, like, studying here English, I was able to break an ice with someone. I wasn't able to speak a lot, but I was able to break the ice and start my conversation with someone. But then, there was one more tutor. His name is Kawa. He is from New Zealand. And he is living in Poland here. And I know him as a friend, I would say. And he helped me a lot in speaking. And he was in Eduhub, too. And he was more like a psychology teacher, philosophy, psychology teacher. And we spoke about goats, about things like that. What about... I wanted to say about Polish, because you asked about Polish. And Eduhub didn't help about Polish. I don't know why, because, as I said, I knew Polish after... because my uncle helped me. And I studied here at the Lyceum for three months. But, as I said, I studied Polish more by myself. I was able to read, and it was enough. Yes, and I even taught my friend Polish. That's good. And he wrote an exam for B1, a national exam for B1.
And that was good.
Yes.
So, the last question, I know you have to leave soon, so I'm just going to ask rounding questions towards the end. If there was anything about the Eduhubs you would change, anything you would improve, what would it be? And if there's one thing that is like, the greatest highlight for the Eduhubs, what would it be? What's the strong point of Eduhub? And what's one thing that also needs improvement?
Okay. Actually, the thing that needs improvement, which is... I want to, like… English. I want to learn English. English. More English. Like you. Because speaking with you is practicing. And it would be really nice to have that kind of teaching. And the second thing, like the most important thing about Eduhubs, I think it is communication. Communication with people from Ukraine. That's the most important thing for me. Yes.
That's good. Thank you so much for your time.
Thank you too.
