European Day of Languages: Ukrainian Becomes Part of Poland’s Language Space
On September 26, Europe marks the European Day of Languages — a day that reminds us of the value of linguistic diversity, multilingualism and the opportunity to learn the languages of other nations.
For the Ukrainian language in Poland, this day holds special significance.
In recent years, Associate Professor Pavlo Levchuk, a linguist, lecturer and expert in the Ukrainian language, multilingualism and language policy, has been working consistently to ensure that the Ukrainian language gains a full-fledged place in the Polish education system — not only as the language of the Ukrainian national minority or the language of migrant children, but also as a foreign language that any student in a Polish school can learn.
The result of this work was the original curricula for teaching Ukrainian as a foreign language in the Polish education system — from primary school to lyceum. The curricula follow European principles of language teaching and are based on the CEFR levels and the modern action-oriented approach to language education.
This is no longer just a theoretical concept.
Ukrainian as a foreign language has already begun to be taught in Polish schools. As of June 21, 2026, 3,540 students were learning Ukrainian as a foreign language — meaning that Ukrainian has already become a real element of language education in Polish schools.
In the first year after publication, the original curricula were downloaded more than 2,500 times, and their use in educational practice is spreading to new schools. Today, the curricula are already being implemented in more than 10 Polish schools.
A special moment came in 2026, when Ukrainian as a foreign language appeared for the first time on the Polish state matura exam. A total of 556 students registered for the exam, and 471 students actually took the Ukrainian language exam; 98% of participants passed successfully.
A separate area of work is building a professional community of teachers. That is why conferences “Ukrainian as a Foreign Language in Poland” are held, the “Ukrainian Tuesdays” series has been launched, teacher training is being developed, and an international network of specialists from Poland, Ukraine and other European countries is being formed.
The very principle of the European Day of Languages is important in this work: languages do not compete — they expand a person’s opportunities.
The Ukrainian language in a Polish school is an opportunity to get to know a neighbouring country, its culture and history better, and at the same time to create new spaces for communication between Ukrainian and Polish societies.
The European Day of Languages is not only a celebration of the languages we already know. It is also a day of the languages we discover for ourselves.
The Ukrainian language is one of them.
