Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks to establish English as one of the international communication languages in Ukraine, making English proficiency mandatory for specific official positions and setting guidelines for its usage across various domains.
On 28 June, the Ukrainian Parliament registted the corresponding draft law 9432, “On the use of the English language in Ukraine,” submitted by the President.
The bill aims to establish certain categories of positions that require knowledge of the English language. It is also aimed at regulating the use of English in various spheres, including the functioning of state and local governments, emergency services for the population, crossing borders, education, culture, transport, and health care.
If the Parliament adopts the bill, English proficiency would become mandatory for applicants for various official positions, including heads of local administrations and their deputies, military officers, middle and senior police officers, prosecutors, tax and customs officials, heads of state-owned enterprises, and civil servants of several categories.
In order to assess the level of English proficiency of candidates for these positions, the Ministry of Education and Science will organize free tests.
