I’ve been using Babbel to study French every day for the last few months, having taken advantage of one of their Yuletide specials to get a Lifetime membership. Tuesday morning, I received notice of a new press release from them.
Babbel Launches Free Language Courses For Ukrainians On Its Platform
- Babbel to launch language courses for Ukrainians to learn German, Polish and English
- Expert-created courses range from beginner to intermediate levels, focussing on fast learning
- Free courses are available via Babbel’s app and web platform and are set to accommodate millions of learners
Berlin, 03.05.22: Babbel, the online language learning platform committed to creating mutual understanding, knows how important language learning is for displaced communities. Today, Babbel announces the launch of Ukrainian language courses. Created with Babbel’s high quality standards, the courses offer native Ukrainian speakers the opportunity to learn German, Polish or English for free with Babbel’s award-winning app. The content is suitable for all learners, from beginner to intermediate, and available free of charge, making the community’s transition to Germany, Poland and other host countries easier. As the world’s best-selling language learning platform, Babbel is well set to accommodate millions of Ukrainian learners. The language courses are available in Babbel’s app, available for download within the Apple app store, Google Play store and via babbel.com. The courses are also available via this landing page, which includes further offerings for Ukrainian refugees: ua.babbel.com.
“Language is often more than a skill. It can be a lifesaver, enabling access to critical information and essential services, reducing communication challenges, and empowering mutual understanding across people and communities. It helps build bridges rather than walls, something that the world needs now more than ever. For Babbel, offering language courses for free to refugees in Ukrainian is wholly aligned with our purpose. With millions of Ukrainians displaced and fleeing to the EU, there was an urgency to develop these courses in less than a month from start to finish, “ says Arne Schepker, CEO at Babbel. “Our courses, developed by our linguistic experts and based in one’s native language, allow faster learning and memory building to enable meaningful conversations. In this case, it meant creating courses that can be applied to real-life situations to meet the urgent language needs of Ukrainian displaced communities.”
For Ukrainian speakers learning English and German, the language levels available are A1 to B1, Newcomer to Intermediate, and cover introductions, basic expressions, asking questions, and describing events. For Ukrainian speakers learning Polish, the language levels offered are A1 to A2, Newcomer to Beginner, which includes introductions, common expressions and talking about one’s daily life. These courses were developed with the rigor of all of Babbel’s language offerings and rooted in research, learner experience design and didactic expertise. Newcomer courses will be immediately available for learners, with beginner and intermediate courses released sequentially throughout the coming month.
In addition to language courses, Babbel developed a multitude of resources, including articles on arriving in Germany and Poland, a glossary for learning Ukrainian for citizens in host countries, and in-app push notifications to thousands of Russian learners living in Berlin, asking them to volunteer at welcome centers where Russian speakers were needed. Finally, Babbel is providing office space for Ukrainian humanitarian organisations in the Berlin office, where a volunteering center offers support for the care and accommodation of refugees, including child integration activities, information campaigns, call-centers and organisation of aid deliveries.
All Babbel initiatives for refugees from Ukraine can be found here: ua.babbel.com.
