Balakun: Join the Conversation

Balakun: Join the Conversation

By BalakunEducationLanguage Learning
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Balakun: Join the Conversation episodes

  • Mentor visiting Ukraine and his student. Quignor

    Welcome!
    In this episode we chat with our friend Quignor. One of the first mentors to join Balakun. He told us about mentoring, his trips to Ukraine as a volunteer and meeting his student in person. Thanks for chatting with us while jet lagged Quignor.   / quignor  
    In other news, Sandi scored a point in the “try to pronounce it” game, finally stumping Vit with a completely nonsense word. Vit quickly reminded her that she can’t say mushroom in Ukrainian.
    Such is life…
    To become a mentor at Balakun go to www.balakun.co
    A big thank you to Vladyslove for your help with the intro, outro and interludes…
      / vladyslove  

    28 min
  • The 24th

    In this episode, recorded on February 22nd 2024, we talk about the anniversary of the russian invasion in its many forms.
    Vit explained events from his perspective and we collated accounts from students and previous guests about their experiences including Yana, Daniel Broomfield, Rick the Ukrainian and a student who wanted to remain anonymous.
    Mentioned links:
    https://www.youtube.com/@ricktheukrainian
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9apDnRRSOCk&t=3s
    https://blog.youcontrol.market/istorichnii-riekord-ukrayintsi-vidkrili-naibilshu-kilkist-fopiv-na-drughii-rik-viini/
    https://standwithukraineworld.ukrainianworldcongress.org/
    https://www.ukrainianworldcongress.org/20-years-since-russian-ukrainian-tuzla-island-conflict/
    https://savelife.in.ua/en/
    https://u24.gov.ua/
    https://twitter.com/bozhablagodat
    https://twitter.com/Brooms1989

    1 hr 13 min
  • Digitalization in Ukraine

    Welcome! In this episode we explore digitalization in Ukraine: paperless life, healthcare, finances and the IT Army of Ukraine. Join to understand all the faces of the Monobank cat, reminisce about the good times during the pandemic and consider the unforeseen consequences of a cashless society. 

      

    Of course there is some news, a meme and Sandi did not escape from her sentence in Ukrainian. She also tried to find a new way to challenge Vit. And failed. 


    36 min
  • A Bridge to Ukraine - Balakun w Our Rebe

    In this episode we chat with out friend Rebe, the verification group coordinator at Balakun. She has been part of the project since the beginning and told us all about the people she meets who want to do something to help Ukraine. Plus we have some news, a couple of fun facts and a language exchange.

    You can follow Rebe on twitter here:

    https://twitter.com/Rivkah1401

    55 min
  • Crimean Tatars Part 2

    Qirimli, or people from Crimea. In part 2 we hear from Mavile about one of the most difficult chapters in the history of Crimean Tatars, the deportations of the 1940s and the painful consequences. 

    If you want to learn more about some of the important people we discussed have a look at:  

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%9Eefiqa_Gasp%C4%B1ral%C4%B1

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ismail_Gasprinsky

    You can join us and become a mentor by signing up at www.balakun.co. We’d love for you to join our amazing community. 



    49 min
  • A Bridge to Ukraine - Qirimli (Part 1)

    Qirimli, or people from Crimea. This week we present a double episode featuring Balakun student Mavile, a Crimean Tatar now living in Kyiv. She tells us about the language, history and culture of the Crimean Tatar nation. 

    We decided to turn this into a double episode, since there was so much to talk about! 

    A huge thank you to our student for giving us this unique insight. 

    If you want to learn more here are some videos we recommend: 

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-sxb5g7DMM

    https://youtu.be/7XG8BWEOarM?feature=shared


    You can join us and become a mentor by signing up at www.balakun.co. We’d love for you to join our amazing community. #JoinTheConversation

    45 min
  • Ukrainian YouTube with Yana

    Welcome! We were delighted to have Balakun student Yana join us for this episode. Yana told us about herself and her motives for joining Balakun before we launched into an episode about Ukrainian YouTube and how it has evolved in the last few years. Ranging from the serious to the ridiculous, here is a commentary on the diverse world of Ukrainian YouTube and all the craziness you didn’t know you were missing. 

    You can find Yana on twitter at https://twitter.com/bozhablagodat


    Channels in English or with English subtitles: 

    Toronto TV https://youtube.com/@UkrainianTorontoTelevision 

    Ukraїner https://www.youtube.com/@ukrainernet 

    Timothy Snyder https://www.youtube.com/@timothysnyder5948 

    Anna from Ukraine https://www.youtube.com/@AnnafromUkraine 

    Rick the Ukrainian https://www.youtube.com/@ricktheukrainian 

    Operator Starsky https://www.youtube.com/@StarskyUA 

    Sternenko https://www.youtube.com/@STERNENKO

    Hromadske https://www.youtube.com/@hromadske_ua 


    Yana’s List: 

    Geek Journal https://youtube.com/@GeekJournal 

    Kopiyka https://www.youtube.com/@kkkopiyka

    Kefirnuy https://www.youtube.com/@kefirnuy

    Ideya Oleksandrivna (Ідея Олександрівна) https://youtube.com/@ideyaolexandrivna 


    Vitalii’s List: 

    Manifest https://manifest.in.ua/ 

    Ragulivna (Рагулівна) https://youtube.com/@Ragulivna 

    Fincher of kubrick (фінчер кубриком) https://youtube.com/@fincherkubrykom

    Searching for a bill (Searching for spelling; На пошуки грамоти) https://youtube.com/@naposhukyhramoty 


    Other mentions: 

    Animarody https://www.youtube.com/@Animarody

    Pes Patron https://www.youtube.com/@patronthedog

    42 min
  • Open Session - Historical Figures

    In this week’s Open Session students discussed historical figures from Ukraine, featuring such iconic, famous, infamous and nefarious characters as:
    Nestor Makhno
    Bohdan Khmelnytsky
    Ivan Kotlyarevsky
    Mykhailo Hrushevsky
    Ivan Sirko
    Ivan Mazepa
    Yaroslav the Wise
    and the krovosisia Azirov
    Many thanks to Yana (on twitter @bozhablagodat) for leading the discussion. https://twitter.com/bozhablagodat
    Warning, some strong language was used.

    53 min

About Balakun: Join the Conversation

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to the Balakun Podcast, where we champion the spirit of mentorship and empowerment. Dive into heartwarming stories of Ukrainians learning English, discover the transformative journeys of our mentors from around the globe, and stay updated with our weekly roundups. As the world listens, Balakun bridges gaps and fosters connections. Join us in amplifying voices, strengthening ties, and building a brighter future. Don't just hear—be part of the change. Subscribe and #JoinTheConversation.