Sobol O. “Spiritual and cultural foundations of preserving the national identity of American teenagers of Ukrainian origin in US educational institutions”.

The dissertation examines the basics of preserving the national identity of American teenagers of Ukrainian origin in educational institutions in the United States. Spiritual and cultural values and value orientations as the basic categories of education are defined, Schools of Ukrainian Studies as important centers of preservation of national culture in the US Diaspora are grounded, regulatory and legal support for the organization of education of teenagers of Ukrainian origin in the United States in the context of bilingualism are considered. The historical periods of development of American Society, which had a significant impact on the need to preserve the national identity of American citizens of Ukrainian origin, have been analyzed. It is established that in the second half of the twentieth century, the preservation of the language and the development of teaching the native language of Ukrainians in the United States became the main priority of Ukrainian organizations and periodicals. During that period, the most attention was paid to them by the pedagogical journals “Life and School”, “Teacher’s Word”, “Native School”, etc. The philosophy of teaching the Ukrainian language, which is the basis for the self-defence of the Ukrainian communities, has taken various forms in different historical periods. Its development is largely influenced by two factors: external factors (the government’s language policy, especially language education for immigrants) and internal factors (ethnic communities’ own attitude to mastering and preserving their native language). The dissertation highlights the educational activities of the Ukrainian diaspora in the United States in the context of preserving spirituality, preserving traditions, enriching the cultural memory of the Ukrainian people, national and cultural traditions, and cultivating spiritual, cultural and universal values in the family of emigrants of Ukrainian origin in the United States. It is stated that at the beginning of this century, the problem of language learning by young people of Ukrainian origin in educational institutions in the United States became extremely important because just knowledge of the language allowed students to master the content of Ukrainian Studies Education, the main component of which is the cultural and historical heritage of the indigenous population. Possible ways of using the best practices of American scientists in the pedagogical aspects in Ukraine have been identified. The special course “Theory and Methodology of Familiarizing children with Ukrainian knowledge”, Methodological Recommendations for the Discipline “Ukrainian Language for Foreigners”, Methodological Recommendations “Electronic Resources for Mastering the Ukrainian Language” have been developed.