Ukrainian language study changed dramatically when Ukraine became an independent state in 1991. In the period since then, the Ukrainian nation has initiated a robust re-examination of its language and fostered the spread of Ukrainian-language learning. In North America, new students have joined the traditional cadre of heritage learners who previously made up the bulk of students in Ukrainian-language courses. These new students are interested in professional opportunities in Ukraine or Ukrainian studies; many have been exposed to Russian.

Rozmovljajmo! is the first textbook to fully embrace the new realities of the Ukrainian landscape and to incorporate the latest advances of the communicative classroom. Mainly geared toward three to four semesters of college-level work, Rozmovljajmo! can also be used for advanced high school learners. At the core of the book are twenty-two lessons, each beginning with situational polylogs and communicative exercises and followed by grammatical explanations with further exercises for practice. These lessons allow for a variety of classroom pedagogical approaches and provide a wealth of material for structured and open-ended conversational exercises, as well as a clear reference grammar that will aid more traditional learners. The lessons are supplemented by a detailed "Ukrainian for Russian Speakers" section that specifically aids students who already have studied Russian by giving them lists of faux amis, explanations of correspondences and historical divergences, etc. The book also includes fourteen topical conversation lessons - above and beyond the polylogs Ð to further diversify the book's utility, as well as tabular appendices, a glossary, and a detailed index.

For those who wish to learn or teach the Ukrainian that is now spoken in Ukraine, Rozmovljajmo! will be an indispensable tool. The authors have carefully keyed the text to the dominant conversational standard in post-Soviet Ukraine. Authentic texts and numerous illustrations incorporated into the book will provide students with a good sense of today's Ukraine. Rozmovljajmo! sets a new standard for Ukrainian language instruction for the decade to come.