Free English Classes Begin Next Week for Ukrainian Refugees in Maple Ridge

A university instructor experienced in teaching English to Ukrainians in Ukraine, now helps in Maple Ridge.

Katerina Pogrebinsky is offering English classes at two levels at three different times, mornings, evenings and Saturdays, starting August 8. She will teach with Ksenia Beliaeva, a Ukrainian refugee herself who only moved to Maple Ridge for about four weeks. from. Beliaeva is a professor at Kharkiv University and a teacher of English as a second language.

The Golden Ears United Church provides the location.

Assistance in learning the language is free for Ukrainian refugees, although they must pay a deposit, which is refunded when the course is finished. Pogrebinsky of Maple Ridge Language School said the reason for the filing was to keep students engaged in their classes.

The fee for morning sessions, which take place Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon, is $90 per week. These courses are for those with little or no English and are intended to teach a basic language quickly.

Evening classes are for those with a minimum level of English, who may already have a job during the day and need to improve their communication skills.

These classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The cost is $40 per week.

There is also a communication course on Saturday mornings which combines the two levels of teaching and is ideal for those who have some English, but want to improve their conversation skills. It will focus on the vocabulary and dialogue needed for everyday business. The cost for this is $20 per session.

However, volunteers are also needed to watch the children while the mothers attend classes.

Most of the refugees are women and children, with husbands and fathers expected to stay and help fight the Russian invasion.

For those who want to be able to learn how to teach people to learn English, there is also a Zoom lesson that will prepare people to take the Teaching English as a Foreign Language exam.

Anyone interested in taking one of the courses should contact: office@mrlanguageschool.com as soon as possible.