Last week I was able to take part in a 4 day language camp at the Prolisok Sanatorium. This camp was filled with learning and good times. Here are 5 takeaways from my experience at Peace Corps language camp:

1. Be Prepared

When I first came to the language camp I had just finished a two week long journey from the Carpathians, to Lviv, and back home where my organization hosted a press conference. That means for two weeks I went without my tutor. However, that still did not mean that I had an excuse not to study.

2. Have Fun

It is a good time whenever Peace Corps volunteers get together. My close friends and I see each other a lot, but there are a lot of Volunteers I only get to speak with once or twice a year. Each person has their own something special to offer. I enjoyed playing soccer, ultimate Frisbee, and even trying my hand at acting.

3. Do Not be Afraid to Fail

I probably have one of the worse Ukrainian vocabularies in the Peace Corps. However, that did not stop me from trying. I was not shy about the fact that my learning curve is different than my fellow Volunteers. They understand that we all learn languages at our pace.

4. Use others as Motivation

My close friends are doing great learning the Ukrainian language. They have all made leaps and bounds in their language skills. At first I was a little discouraged by this, but after a while I learned to use their success as motivation for myself. This has led me to keeping a journal in Ukrainian and extra study sessions at the local coffee shop.

5. Trust your Teachers

I knew going into the camp that the Ukrainian teachers working for the Peace Corps were good. However, I had no idea how good they were until I attended this camp. Not only can they teach this complex language in simple terms, but they also do it with vigorous passion.

 

 

 

*These are the thoughts of Richard J. Roman and in no way reflect those of the Peace Corps or its affiliates.