20 Educators from Ukraine traveled to East Lansing as part of a two-week faculty exchange program at Michigan State University. These educators continue to deal with tough situations as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues. Forcing them to adjust the way they interact with students and how they teach them.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing for 10 years, starting when Russia annexed Crimea.

“The war started in my town, from my yard, I would say because I was living in the center and I saw everything happen with my own eyes,” said Maryna Shevenko, an English Teacher in Ukraine.

On February 28, 2024, Associate Professor Iryna Liashenko shared insights from a seminar on teaching English using the lexical method, based on Hugh Dellar's approach. Dellar co-founded the London Language Lab with Andrew Walkley in 2016.The author's approach, known as the lexical approach, is based on the idea that language is made up of lexical units rather than grammatical structures.. Iryna Liashenko recommended his site, Lexical Lab, as a valuable resource for educators. She underscored the significance of adopting a lexical teaching approach, citing Dellar's book co-authored with Andrew Walkley. Liashenko elaborated on the effectiveness of teaching phrases like "There's no harm in asking," highlighting their ability to be retained by students even without full comprehension of grammar rules. Furthermore, Iryna Liashenko emphasized the use of personalized questioning techniques in language learning and introduced a new edition of National Geographic's page learning, which provides authentic English language content without outdated forms. Finally, she generously shared additional resources from Lexical Lab and training handouts with her colleagues.

On February 17-18, the Ukrainian Veterans Badminton Championship took place in Kyiv, where athletes from Sumy participated, including senior lecturer of the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics Oksana Gladchenko and senior lecturer of the Department of Physical Education and Sports Antonina Siryk. In the women's doubles category 55+, Oksana Gladchenko and Antonina Siryk became the champions. Additionally, Oksana Gladchenko, together with Sumy badminton player Yuriy Kovalov, won bronze medals in the mixed category 50+.

Today, on February 11th, we commemorate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a significant initiative led by UNESCO to champion the cause of women and girls in the realm of scientific endeavors. This annual event serves as a poignant reminder of the invaluable contributions made by women and girls in scientific and technological domains, underlining the imperative to bolster their participation.
This day underscores the imperative to ensure unfettered and equitable access to scientific pursuits for women and girls, empowering them to articulate their ideas with confidence—a pivotal driver for societal advancement and global harmony.
We extend heartfelt congratulations to all the remarkable women and girls who are actively shaping the landscape of scientific research and development, enriching our world with their ingenuity and dedication!

Summing up the results of the scientific and methodological work in the project "Professional Development for Instructors of Pre-service Teachers" (TESOL Faculty United for Ukraine)

The Handbook “Reading and analyzing short stories: focus on SEL” by Yuliia Korobova (Sumy State University) and Hanna Podosynnikova (Sumy Makarenko State Pedagogical University) is one of the project end products. The handbook is essentially designed to teach analytical and critical reading of modern authentic short stories to pre-service English teachers of Bachelor programs. The book offers a scaffolding approach toward developing students’ analytical and critical reading skills with focus on SEL. With an overview of SEL issues, basic theoretical frameworks of literary text interpretation, well structured reading practice and communicative response (independent work) sections, this handbook focuses on teacher and learner priorities, upbringing, language and communication, reflective reading practices and provides valuable insights into modern American society contexts. Various tasks and activities aim to familiarize students with critical reading and SEL strategies that can be used in their academic and professional life. The handbook is designed to be used in the classroom; however, pre-service English teachers might use it on their own successfully.

Academic mobility serves as a driving force for internationalization and the advancement of modern higher education. Associate Professor Iryna Liashenko, from the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics, recently seized the opportunity to participate in international academic mobility for research training at the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague (CZU). This initiative falls under the Agrisciences platform, designed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among researchers.
The Agrisciences platform is dedicated to promoting interdisciplinary research and cooperation in agricultural sciences. It provides valuable opportunities for higher education researchers, actively supporting initiatives that strengthen the scientific potential and encourage collaboration between universities, including Sumy State University.

In times when the majority of the world receives information online, it is crucial to know how to present it correctly. Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics, Iryna Liashenko, had the opportunity to undergo training in online teaching and facilitation initiated by the Global U.S. Department of State OPEN Program.
Iryna Liashenko took the training course in January 2023 and, starting from the summer of 2023, honed her virtual facilitation skills for six months on the Practical Community (CoP) platform of the Online Professional English Network (OPEN) - an active online forum created to establish connections, promote collaboration and knowledge exchange, as well as foster cultural understanding between OPEN course alumni and TESOL experts from the United States.
In six months of dedicated work, Iryna Liashenko made a significant contribution to the practical community of OPEN graduates, demonstrating her commitment to creating an environment for collaboration and engagement.
The practice aimed at selecting and disseminating information on TESOL and supporting communication among community participants.
To commemorate this achievement, Iryna Liashenko was awarded a certificate signed by Chris McDonnell, the head of the global OPEN program at the U.S. Department of State.

On December 18-23, 2023, the head of the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics, Nataliia Tatsenko, and senior teacher of the department, guarantor of the Study Program "English and German Languages and Literatures", Yuliia Korobova, successfully completed their internship at the European Academy "Europass Teacher Academy" in Spain (Barcelona). The travel and training grant was received as part of the Professional Development and Exchange for Educators of Preservice English Language Teachers Project from the international organization "Childhood Education International" and with the support of the US Embassy in Ukraine.

As part of the professional development program, Ukrainian educators, together with teachers from Italy and Spain, studied the intensive Erasmus course "Discovery of the best educational systems from Europe and the world", which was developed by "Europass Teacher Academy" and conducted by a highly qualified teacher trainer Yanella E. Ojeda. The following topics were thoroughly studied: - Key elements of effective educational systems: standards, evaluation, professional development of teachers, autonomy of schools, involvement of parents, use of ICT, etc.; - Educational systems of Great Britain, the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Canada, Singapore and Japan; - Values of the European Union; - Use of AI resources in the educational process. The classes on Artful Thinking were held in the halls of the National Art Museum of Catalonia.

Wishing you a Christmas filled with the magic of love, the warmth of family, and the joy of the holiday season. May this festive time bring you closer to your loved ones and fill your home with laughter and happiness.
May the spirit of Christmas inspire you with hope and kindness, and may the coming year be filled with new opportunities and exciting adventures. May your days be merry and bright, and may the peace and goodwill of this season stay with you throughout the year.
Sending you heartfelt wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May your celebrations be joyful, your heart be light, and your days be festive.

On December 16-17, the Kyiv Open 2023 Badminton Championship took place, featuring participation from athletes from Sumy, including Oksana Gladchenko, senior lecturer at the Department of Foreign Languages and Linguodidactics, and Antonina Siryk, senior lecturer at the Department of Physical Education and Sports. Among the 130 participants in the competition, there were representatives from India and Georgia.
Sumy badminton players Oksana Gladchenko and Antonina Siryk won in the women's doubles category (WDC). In the championship final, they competed against Kyiv's female players and, engaging in an intense struggle, emerged victorious after three sets, with scores of 21:19, 20:22, 24:22.
Congratulations to the champions!

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