Language is essential for integration. We are launching Czech language courses for Ukrainian refugees.

Although the number of temporary protection holders from Ukraine who speak Czech is growing in the Czech Republic, 20% of them still do not speak the language at all. This alarming figure is a challenge for both the Ukrainian community and Czech society. "Language is a fundamental element of integration," explains Jelena Silajdžić, Director of Slovo 21. That is why we are launching a new project, Teaching Czech for Better Integration, which will provide language instruction to 1,300 Ukrainians.

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Over the 25 years of our organization's existence, we have successfully implemented countless integration projects. However, we have been teaching Czech for a relatively short time—since the beginning of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, or the last 2.5 years. We have seen a major shift during that time. At first, many refugees viewed the Czech Republic as a temporary refuge and, hoping for a quick return to Ukraine, did not focus much on learning Czech or integrating. After more than two years of war, however, the situation has changed: "Initially, there wasn't much interest in the courses, but now it is rapidly increasing at all levels," adds Jelena Silajdžić.

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Most temporary protection holders have begun to put down roots in the Czech Republic—children are attending school and adults are looking for work. With the decreasing certainty of returning to Ukraine, it is necessary to increase the insufficient capacity of language courses. Our two-year project, which will run from July 1, 2024, to December 31, 2026, will help with this. Specifically, we plan to organize 87 courses from levels A1 to B2 across the entire country. We are currently in the preparatory phase for methodologies and syllabi, with which we are being assisted by instructors who also work at the Institute for Language and Preparatory Studies at Charles University (UJOP). The first courses should start at the beginning of January 2025.

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Our goal is for protection holders to become more self-sufficient in handling everyday matters, such as communicating with the labor office or at school, through these language courses, and to be less dependent on the help of interpreters. Better language skills will also allow them to build social ties with the local population and get to know Czech culture. Most importantly, language proficiency is essential for finding suitable employment.

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We will collaborate on organizing the courses with several non-governmental organizations founded by Ukrainian refugees themselves. These partnerships will allow us not only to reach participants effectively but also to support the growth of these individual organizations—whether through renting space or creating additional job opportunities for their staff.

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The Teaching Czech for Better Integration project is funded by the European Union's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).

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