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HIS ACHIEVEMENT GOT HIM A MEETING WITH THE THEN EDUCATION MINISTER A Ukrainian student was invited to meet the Education Minister after obtaining his baccalauréat with a good grade just over

a year after arriving here without any French. Miron Motulko, 18, left Odessa on the day Russia invaded Ukraine and began at a school in Cherbourg (Manche) in April 2022. He will begin

university in Lyon in September. His family chose to settle in France due to its strong higher education system. During the meeting, minister Pap Ndiaye (since replaced by Gabriel Attal) is

said to have praised the teenager’s level of French, which helped him achieve a _mention assez bien_, meaning an overall grade between 12 and 14 out of 20. _Photo: Miron Motulko on

Instagram_ PURELY DOWN TO HIS TALENT Such an achievement is rare, said Hervé Adami, a professor of sociolinguistics who specialises in French learning for migrants. “We could presume that

one of his parents lived in France, or was a French teacher, or it can also be easier for children who are used to travelling – if their parents are diplomats, for example – but none of that

is the case. “It means it is purely down to him and his talent.” The feat cannot be due to generous marking either, he added, as apart from small amounts of coursework and the oral exam,

the bac is marked anonymously. Dr Adami said Ukrainian students often need a year or more to acclimatise. “Everything is different. It is already difficult for French people to understand

how the bac works.” READ MORE: COMMON MISTAKES FRENCH LEARNERS MAKE AND HOW TO FIX THEM UKRAINIANS IMMERSED IN LANGUAGES Claire Kaiser, a German studies professor in Bordeaux who volunteers

to teach French to displaced Ukrainians, called the achievement “exceptional”, even if the language barrier is less for his chosen scientific speciality. “Ukranians are immersed in

bilingualism from a young age, as many master Russian and Ukrainian,” she said. “That helps when learning other languages, and young people often speak good English as well.” DIFFICULT

WITHOUT BRIDGING LANGUAGES LIKE ENGLISH OR SPANISH Miron has said he spoke to teachers and pupils in English when he arrived. Dr Kaiser said one of her Ukrainian students, aged 23, is also

due to start university after reaching B1 intermediate level in French after starting from scratch a year ago. The classes are organised by the association La Maison Ukrainienne, which began

with informal lessons in Bordeaux’s English pubs but has now taught French to around 150 Ukrainians, often adult women. Stéphane Bernard, who oversees the classes, said adult learners have

more trouble. “They have no French, no English, no Spanish – none of the bridge languages that would help with communicating.” When new beginner classes are created, the initial lessons are

with a teacher who speaks Ukrainian or Russian. Otherwise, it is too difficult, he said. They begin with the alphabet. The students’ children often help with translation at the start. READ

MORE: DON’T LET AGE BE AN OBSTACLE TO PURSUING BETTER FRENCH 20,000 UKRAINE CHILDREN IN FRENCH SCHOOLS Around 115,000 Ukrainians have arrived in France since the start of the war, including

20,000 children in French schools (February 2023 figures). Children who do not speak French can receive extra language lessons via a scheme dubbed UPE2A. However, there is a lack of guidance

as to whether migrant students should be separated from peers for all classes, or only for extra French lessons, Dr Adami said. RELATED ARTICLES ‘EXCELLENT’, ‘A NIGHTMARE’: YOUR THOUGHTS ON

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