The start of professional training: a conference on practical training was held at the Department of Philology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

From 6 April 2026, students on the full-time programmes ‘Secondary Education (Ukrainian Language and Literature)’, ‘Secondary Education (Ukrainian Language and Literature) Practical Psychology’ and ‘Secondary Education (Ukrainian Language and Literature, English Language)’ on a full-time basis, will begin their teaching placements. On 3 April, an orientation conference was held, dedicated to the organization and conduct of academic and work placements in educational institutions.

The event marked an important milestone in the training of future language specialists, combining organizational aspects with a strong professional focus.

The internship supervisors Olga Sopina, Zoya Vovchok, Olga Kharlan, Valentina Shkola, Yulia Boyko and Oksana Dubrova provided students with a detailed overview of the practical training programme, the schedules for placements at secondary schools, and the specifics of maintaining reporting documentation. Particular attention was paid to the criteria for assessing the performance of future bachelor’s degree students.

During the meeting, the scope of tasks for the work placement was outlined, which includes not only teaching Ukrainian language and literature and English, but also active participation in extracurricular activities and methodological work at general secondary education institutions.

A key part of the conference was the motivational session. It was emphasized to the students that a modern philologist is not merely an expert in textual analysis, but also a media-literate professional capable of innovation. The importance of the teaching vocation and the prospects for future employment at leading educational institutions in the region were highlighted.

Future philologists were advised to focus on developing the following competencies:

• testing modern educational technologies (blended learning, using AI tools for text checking),
• the ability to work with pupils of different age groups and create an inclusive environment,
• refining one’s own linguistic and psychological profile.

«Practical training is not simply about following a curriculum, but a unique opportunity to test one’s abilities in a real school setting, to experience the satisfaction of teaching, and to be fully convinced that one has chosen the right path», was the key message of the conference.

The event concluded with a Q&A session, where students received comprehensive advice on completing individual assignments and interacting with practice supervisors and methodologists.

We wish our higher education students inspiration, pedagogical resilience and a successful defense of their practical work!