The Ukrainian Brainfor methodology claims that by the end of the 9th grade, students master about 5,000 English words, understand over 90% of the content, and confidently communicate on everyday topics.
The Ukrainian Brainfor methodology claims that by the end of the 9th grade, students master about 5,000 English words, understand over 90% of the content, and confidently communicate on everyday topics.
Since 2001, children in Ukrainian schools have been learning English according to the A1-C2 system, which involves a thematic approach — family, school, sports, travel, etc. Thus, students by grade 9 reach level B1. This means that in over 1,000 hours of study, students acquire a vocabulary of 2,500 words, but at the same time may experience a barrier in live communication.
Is it possible to study more effectively? This question is acute today, especially when educational inequalities between urban and rural schools are only growing. And here new approaches in the field of Ed-Tech enter the arena — those based on innovative solutions.
Instead of learning the language by topic, Brainfor suggests learning English based on mnemonics for better memorization of the material. Children at 10 years old easily learn 50 English words in 1 lesson without cramming, playing with associations or rhyming words.
For example, to remember the word «groom», we rhyme it with the well-known word «room». The following sentence is formed: A groom cleans the room .
Thus, the author of the Brainfor methodology, Bohdan Stadnik, divided the entire English language into 2,500 simple sentences that are easy to remember through associations and rhyming. The average time to memorize 5,000 words is from 100 to 150 hours of study. As for grammar, it is learned through these same sentences, and speaking and writing practice takes place in parallel.
After classes with the teacher, students do homework in the mobile application, which is presented in an interactive form. So the repetition of the studied material occurs naturally with correct pronunciation. The application has voice-over, which helps to consolidate speaking skills. A separate important point is that the application tracks the learning time and progress of students. And this means that parents and teachers can see specific data: what exactly was learned, how much time the child spent studying. This creates a transparent picture of the learning process and makes it possible to compare results between different students, classes and schools. And also to compare the quality of teachers' work.
The Brainfor methodology was copyrighted in 2022. Since then, it has been tested by over 3,000 students of all ages, from children to adults. It is currently being tested for grades 5–9 as an elective.
| Indicator | CEFR methodology (A1-C2) | Brainfor Methodology |
| Study time |
600 hours | 600 hours |
| Teaching methodology | Study by topic (family, school, weather, travel, sports) | Associations and Rhymes |
| Grade 9 result | Level B1 | Level B2 |
| Vocabulary | 2500 words | 5000 words |
| Communication skills | Possible barrier to expressing your opinion | Expressing your opinion confidently |
| Learning tool | Textbooks, workbooks | Mobile application |
| The main role of the teacher | Source of knowledge, control of learned knowledge | Mentor, motivator for learning |
Brainfor’s vision is to offer an alternative approach to learning English for private and public schools, based on the principles of how the brain works. Namely, creating word-to-word neural connections for better memorization of information in long-term memory.
«Our methodology has already been studied by over 3,000 students, who have confirmed its effectiveness. We have also begun working with private schools to integrate the methodology for teaching in grades 5–9. Our team is working to begin working with the Ministry of Education and Science to test the methodology in Ukrainian public schools, especially in rural communities.»
