“I always tell my students that the homeland must be within a person, particularly within the soul,” says participant of the Training Course for Teachers of Armenian Language and History and Organizers of Education (part of the “Diaspora” Summer School Program) Ruzanna Martirosyan. The Armenian teacher from Kiev has her understanding of the homeland that she has been trying to instill in her students through her Armenian language courses for the past five years. “Those courses are designed for adults and people who live far away from the homeland and have become detached from the nation, but have felt the power of their genes and have decided to become attached to their roots and learn Armenian,” Mrs. Martirosyan said in an interview with Hayern Aysor.

As a journalist for the “Haykakan Lratu” (Armenian News) magazine published in Ukraine, she also views problems with the sharp eye of a journalist and realizes that the gaps need to be filled, not circumvented. “It is not always that attending an Armenian school once a week and learning the Armenian language lead to a major outcome. It is clear that language is used the most, but when the language of communication is the language that is dominant in the given environment and not your native language, it is very hard to lead a struggle. Here is where the courses must come into play and will help preserve the “Armenianness”. I have been organizing and holding my courses for the past five years. By starting with the letters, pronunciation, orthography and moving on to the grammar, I try to develop linguistic thinking in my students,” the teacher says and adds that after a year of studies, the students have the opportunity to visit the homeland and improve their Armenian through the programs of the RA Ministry of Diaspora.

“The best introductory books and guidelines can’t convey the picture of the homeland that my students see and feel here. As the saying goes, it is better to see once than hear a thousand times. I tell them about the homeland a thousand times. It is important because even the power of words can always keep them attached to Armenia, but when they visit Armenia, they feel different. Now my students are here. They talk to each other every evening and share what they saw and experienced every day. I understand how excited they are and also realize that this visit binds them to continue their work with more vigor,” Ruzanna said.

As the world is slowly becoming “Diasporized”, states and national languages are at risk of extinction and the more common languages that are the highest in demand become the main means of communication. There are courses on English, French, Spanish and Russian everywhere, and people can have command of a foreign language in a matter of months. “In this sense, our job is also difficult. We had to develop a course that is no different from foreign language courses and is competitive. Of course, it was difficult, but the number of students is growing, meaning that we have chosen the right path for teaching and presenting the language. My students love me, and I worship them. Yes, when I see how much they love the Armenian language, I start worshipping them. You know, it is not easy to be in a struggle against foreign values and foreign language for years. You need the will, and my students have that will. This inspires me a lot. By dedicating my evening hours to courses, I rush to work during the part of the day when my family gathers. I never regret the job that I have started doing,” the teacher said and added jokingly that if she didn’t have a husband who is an Armenologist, she would never be able to achieve this result.

The “Diaspora” Summer School Program serves as a platform for more energy and more opportunities for Mrs. Martirosyan. “This serves as an opportunity for Diaspora Armenian teachers to come together and share their experiences. We all have the same mission, and that is to help Armenian children and youth preserve their Armenian identity abroad. In this sense, each of us has his or her teaching method. The “Diaspora” Summer School Program provides us with the opportunity to share the tremendous amount of experience with each other and gain new skills. I would like to thank the Ministry of Diaspora and the National Congress of Armenians of Ukraine for being here, for having these feelings, for the assistance and for the great support,” Mrs. Martirosyan said. Martirosyan will be leaving Armenia for Kiev with new perspectives and will bring her Armenian-speaking students to the homeland next year.

Amalya Karapetyan