International Mother Language Day at TNMU
Traditionally, the lecturers of the Department of the Ukrainian Language at I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University organized events dedicated to International Mother Language Day. The celebration was attended by students of the Medical and Dental Faculties and the Faculty of Foreign Students.
On the initiative of Professor Anatoliy Vykhrushch, future dentists watched a speech by the Director of the Institute of the Ukrainian Language, Pavlo Hrytsenko, and wrote letters to the renowned specialist. Here are some excerpts:
- “I am confident that your words—’Language is what unites people as human beings’—resonated in every heart. Language creates a community, enables understanding, and unites people around shared values. Losing a language means losing the connection between generations, while its preservation ensures the unity and resilience of a nation. ‘A person enters the world with a language and falls silent when leaving it’—this reminds us that language accompanies a person from birth to their last breath. It shapes our thinking, defines our place in the world, and passes on our traditions and cultural codes to future generations.” (Sofia Strokal)
- “I am especially concerned about the future of the Ukrainian language in the territories currently under Russian occupation. The Russian authorities actively suppress the Ukrainian language by closing schools and libraries. I believe it is crucial to do everything possible to protect the Ukrainian language. It is a vital part of our culture and identity.” (Yulia Bordova)
- “Your words particularly struck me that even philologists sometimes struggle to distinguish Ukrainian from Russian clearly. This resulted from decades during which technical and legal documentation, education, and professional terminology existed primarily in a Russian-speaking environment. I had long realized that the Ukrainian language had undergone significant changes under colonial pressure, but I had not imagined how deep this influence was. Your call to purify the language is especially important.” (Daryna Kondratiuk)
Students of The Dental Faculty (SS-105 and SS-106), together with Associate Professor Nadiya Oliinyk, prepared reports on the celebration of International Mother Language Day worldwide, the history of the holiday, and the preservation of indigenous languages in France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Philippines, and Pakistan. Special attention was given to traditions of protecting the Ukrainian language. The event concluded with screening the documentary “How Ukrainians Started Speaking Ukrainian.”
Associate Professor Iryna Zalipska held an educational event with third-year medical students. They deepened their knowledge of linguistic diversity, discussed the topic “Language is the treasure of every nation,” and examined the importance of communicative competence and love for the Ukrainian language as an invaluable heritage of the Ukrainian people.
Associate Professor Oksana Novitska conducted an oral journal session on “Mother Language – My Honor and Dignity” with international students of group IM-126. Student Yan Hagarkin read poems by Ukrainian poet Oleksandr Oles and German poet Friedrich Rückert. Student Elias Steblewski recited poems by Vasyl Symonenko.
Lecturer Solomiya Hnatyshyn discussed the importance of learning and preserving one’s mother language with paramedic students of group VPBv-4-109. The students noted that speaking a language in everyday life is the simplest and most effective way to preserve it. They emphasized the need to support Ukrainian-language content by choosing books, films, music, and other cultural products in Ukrainian. This helps sustain Ukrainian creators and promotes the spread of Ukrainian culture.
