The National Association of European Trainers from Moldova in cooperation with the Interethnic Relations Bureau (IRB) launched a new academic year of Language Training Program for National Minorities from Moldova on Friday, September 25th.

Starting with this month, over 450 non-native adult learners in our country will learn Romanian, under the above-mentioned program, which will help them in everyday activity. Simultaneously, another 150 people from the Transnistrian region of Moldova, will assimilate it through e-learning program – www.invat.antem.md, said Lucia Cucu, ANTEM director, at the launch event.

“Although more than 5,000 speakers of other languages have already benefitted from this program every year, requests from people wishing to enrol for language courses of Romanian exceeded 3000, which does not even reflect the situation entirely,” said Lucia Cucu.

ANTEM program is a great example to put into practice the principle of respect for diversity under which we work. This program is financially supported by OSCE who will continue supporting it, said Henrik Villadsen, Director of the Office of OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities from The Hague, in the same event.

Speaking Romanian gives access to the labour market and to information in any field to national minorities’ representatives, observed Elena Beleacova, general manager of IRB. Soon enough, the draft for National Strategy of Integrating National Minorities will be proposed for approval to the members of the Government, and learning the official language by speakers of other languages could be boosted with the approval of this document. Therefore, there is support from the Government and international organizations as well as many requests from the public, emphasized Elena Beleacova.

“The official language is not yet known sufficiently by the national minorities”, stated Corina Fusu, the Minister of Education. “From my point of view if we are to tackle this problem seriously, we should think of a complex program and teach qualitative courses of Romanian, but also affordable, because wages in our country are modest. I am personally reflecting upon it and I think we’ll come up with such a project”, said Corina Fusu to the media.

Over the new school year, more than 700 adult non-native speakers in our country, employees in the budgetary sector will attend free Romanian language courses, organized by ANTEM, under Language training for national minorities Program, implemented with the financial support of the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities from The Hague in partnership with IRB. However, another 200 people learn Romanian free via “Distance Romanian learning” Program, funded by the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Worth mentioning that, this year, ANTEM will implement combined training method – traditional and distance – for 150 beneficiaries enrolled for B2 level of Language Training Program for National Minorities from Moldova. Combined method was tested successfully over the academic year 2014-2015.

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Tel.: 022/ 24-57-12

E-mail: antem.moldova@gmail.com