New pictorial mini-dictionary to help break down language barrier as number of Ukrainians fleeing to Poland reaches 1.8 million
Students in Warsaw have created a pictorial mini-dictionary for Ukrainian refugees and those who want to communicate with them to overcome language barriers.
The brainchild of students at the SWPS University’s School of Form, the dictionary which has both Polish-Ukrainian and English-Ukrainian versions, is broken down into sections asking about intimate hygiene products, vegetarian food, a SIM card or a smartphone charger, among others.
Bartosz Grześkowiak, a graphic designer who conducts the classes on the basis of which the dictionary was developed said: “It was inspired by the post I saw on one of Poznań's neighborhood groups.
Bartosz Grześkowiak, a graphic designer who conducts classes on the basis of which the dictionary was developed said he had been inspired after seeing a post on social media.
“Someone tried to make a visual dictionary for children on their own, so that children from Poland and Ukraine could get along more easily.
“It was not very professionally done, but then I thought that it was a great idea.”
He continued: “This was confirmed by a meeting with a refugee from Ukraine, who is now being hosted by some of my friends. They asked me to take her somewhere she was supposed to pick up medicines and clothes.
The dictionary is available in both Polish-Ukrainian and English-Ukrainian versions.
“Along the way, it was difficult for us to communicate, despite the fact that Ukrainian is a bit similar to Polish, and I learned Russian as a child.
“Then I realised that many Ukrainians and Poles who help them may have similar problems. Therefore, I decided to develop this project with my students.”
Since February 24, when Russia invaded Ukraine, 1.83 million people have crossed the Polish-Ukrainian border into Poland, the Border Guard (SG) tweeted on Tuesday morning.
English-to-Ukrainian and Polish-to-Ukrainian versions can be downloaded HERE.
