The classes will be provided to residents of Kiev aged 18 and over, and will be held two to three times a week in each of the capital’s ten administrative districts.

This initiative, entitled Capital English, is expecting to see six groups in every district, each with around 30 students enrolled per group.

“English is the language of international communication, removes the barriers between people and offers great opportunities”

“English is the language of international communication, removes the barriers between people and offers great opportunities,” said the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, on the website.

Financial assistance for this initiative is being given by the British Council in Ukraine and the US embassy, while Cambridge Assessment and Ukrainian English Language School, Speak Up, are helping to provide curriculum materials and teachers.

The first semester is expected to start on September 14, lasting two months, which is tailored for beginners – those who are at English proficiency level A1 and A2.

However, it is expected there will be second semester courses suitable for   higher proficiency students.

With an EF English Proficiency Index score of 48.50, “low proficiency”, Ukraine is currently 44th out of 63 countries globally on EF’s rankings.

Among European countries, it ranks 23rd of 24,  ahead of only Turkey.

The implementation of the Capital English programme in Kiev is part of president Petro Poroshenko’s attempt to make 2016 the “year of the English language”.