National Romanian Language Learning Program: 8,200 beneficiaries this year
More and more adults from various fields are benefiting from the National Program for Learning the Romanian Language. This year, the number of students reached 8,200. For them, this represents an opportunity to integrate into society and overcome communication barriers.
At the Banking and Finance College in Chisinau, 18 adults attend Romanian language courses. Most of them are Russian speakers. Liubov and her husband Bakhtiyar, originally from Baku, Azerbaijan, come to classes twice a week.
“I want to learn Romanian for work, for communicating with people in the country. To get to know the traditions of the people even better. I feel that I am closer to the Moldovan people, I understand their traditions, customs, culture and history.”
“We speak Russian, I speak Hebrew with my friends from Israel, and I don’t speak English. Romanian is interesting, it’s a melodious language, for me. I love the Republic of Moldova, I love my wife from the Republic of Moldova”, says Alexander Kleinerman, an Israeli citizen living in Chisinau.
“We have a lot of beautiful words in the Republic of Moldova: my country, Chisinau, family, love, health”.
Many beneficiaries enrolled in the courses when they did not know Romanian at all. They admit that it was difficult for them at first, but now they are making significant progress.
“We are mother and daughter. My mother’s name is Olga, my name is Ecaterina. We are in the courses together. For me, the Romanian language is a part of our homeland, of our culture”.
“I started learning Romanian because I need it for everyday communication, for documents, for integration. I also like this language very much. I want to speak it, but it is very difficult for me”, says Philipp Klevets, a Ukrainian citizen living in the Republic of Moldova.
At the end of the courses, participants receive a certificate attesting to their level of linguistic competence, according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
"I have always encouraged them to speak, even with mistakes, you have seen that they do not have this fear. They are at level A2, they started in the spring and now continue at this level, A2. Let's hope that in 2026 they will continue at level B1. These are welcome, awaited courses and you can see how enthusiastically, at least in this group, they come to classes with great enthusiasm", mentions Angela Arsenii, a Romanian language teacher.
The National Program for Studying the Romanian Language was launched in 2023, at the initiative of the Ministry of Education. So far, about 25,000 people have graduated from this program.
Author: Camelia Babeica
