Learn some Ukrainian!

Some languages get all the resources and attention- Ukrainian, unfortunately, is not one of them. Lack of learning material aside, it's certainly a beautiful language and worth the effort to learn. (Hint: sadly, you can't learn it simply by watching movies. I tried that.)

Why learn Ukrainian? 

•  it's pretty cool (see image below)

"Ukrainian makes you successful."

• you'll get to actually (eventually) communicate like an adult with people instead of pantomime awkwardly

• being able to read the language, even at a very basic level, will be a huge help when you visit Ukraine. Does that door say push or pull? Does that sign say open or closed?

• can you quote Taras Shevchenko? Free drinks for life!

• you'll be miles kilometers ahead when it comes to learning a similar language like Russian or Polish. To misquote what one guy said in this thread- "then you can later take advantage of the 'buy one, get the second at a discount' fun of Slavic languages." 

• tell me your reason in the comment section below : )

If you're ready to get started, here are some free resources to help you learn Ukrainian. This list is what I've found / used.... please add to it if you find another useful site or book!

Vocab

One Minute Ukrainian is great if you're just starting out and crunched for time.

Free phone app to learn your first 6,000 words in Ukrainian

АБВ? It's the Ukrainian alphabet song!

Loecsen 17 categories of basic phrases with audio.

A Taste of Ukraine offers a short slideshow of English / Ukrainian cognates. No audio. Use the play button when viewing to see the cognates- the fast forward will skip over them.

Ukrainian Power: Interactive children's games in Ukrainian. Come on, you know you wanna be a kid again ;) Try the zoo animal quiz.

Learn Ukrainian with Roman is an easy way to bring more of the language into your life if you use Facebook.

Peace Corps Ukraine 23 pages of survival Ukrainian. Go here for the audio. When you're ready to level up, consider applying to serve in-country.

Funky Ukrainian Free demos include lots of vocab + listening test. 

Reading

Ukrinform: Ukraine-centric news in English, Ukrainian, plus 4 other languages.

Read Ukrainian: Online reading course, starting with the alphabet.

Ukrainian Grammar Should you dare...

Listening

Study Ukrainian: awesome site that will take you all the way from huh? to wow-I'm-actually-having-a-conversation! Short dialogs + bonus grammar notes.

Easy Ukrainian: street interviews- need I say more?

Okean Elzy is a famous and beloved Ukrainian band. I've linked their name to my favorite song. Also good: Kishka and the recent single Not Your War.

Verka Serduchka- a cultural icon of Ukraine.

Websites

Ukrainian Language for Beginners is sponsored by a Kyiv university and has 11 comprehensive lessons.

Duolingo currently has a free Ukrainian course in beta. Also of interest: this discussion among their users on learning Ukrainian vs learning Russian.

Mango Languages has a Ukrainian course. If you live in the US or Canada, you may be able to access the course for free through your local public library.

Reddit Ukrainian: good place to look for new resources and tips.

Preply: find a teacher or teacher to help you advance.

Motivation : )

Bonus! Easy Cognates 

Once you've got the basics of the alphabet down, these signs should be a piece of cake for you. As should this odd Pepsi advertising campaign.

Бажаю успіхів! :) I wish you success!

Again, if you find a cool free resource for learning Ukrainian, please leave a link below so I can add it to this list. Дякую!