The English language can get a special status in Ukraine, at least after Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s statement about such a possibility in June, the Ministry of Culture began to develop a corresponding draft law. This was announced by Rostyslav Karandeev, First Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine .

“Expanding the scope of the English language in Ukraine will contribute to the activation of the processes of integration of Ukrainians into the European community. Every Ukrainian who learns English will be much more aware of European life. It will also help the formation of Ukraine’s subjectivity in the world globalization processes. In addition, after our victory, it will affect the growth of Ukraine’s investment and tourist attractiveness,” Karandeev said during the briefing.

The draft law is still under development, but the authors plan to provide in it:

Establishing the special status of English in Ukraine as a language of international communication;
Significant expansion of the scope of the English language in Ukraine;
The English language will be mandatory in certain public spheres of public life where international communications are available.

According to Karandeev, Ukraine currently ranks only 40th out of 112 countries in the world ranking citizens’ knowledge of the English language. The new status of the English language is supposed to solve this problem and emphasize Ukraine’s strategic course toward EU membership.

“The draft law provides for the regulation of the use of the English language in certain public spheres of social life. First of all, it concerns international communications. The project is a certain declaration that will fix the position of the state regarding the English language and the vision, which will additionally need to be done in separate plans and programs,” the official notes.