How Fight for Facts Journalists Made English Their Working Tool

Client

Fight for Facts is an international educational project for journalists, implemented by the organization n-ost, that brings together media professionals, including those from Ukraine. The project focuses on topics such as disinformation, war, human rights, international politics, and responsible journalism.

Tasks and Goals

Since English is the primary working language in the international media landscape, the Fight for Facts team approached YAPPI with a request for systematic language training for journalists.

The key goals were straightforward and practical:

• confident spoken communication in English in a professional environment;
• developing written business communication skills (emails, inquiries, status updates);
• expanding professional vocabulary — not in theory, but with practical application in real work situations.

An additional challenge was the difference in prior language levels among participants — ranging from Pre-Intermediate to Advanced.

The Learning Process and Program Adaptation

Since September 2024, seven groups of Fight for Facts journalists have successfully completed their training with YAPPI.

The foundation of the program was General English; however, taking into account the project's professional needs, we developed specialized thematic modules integrated into the lessons of each group.

We worked with topics that journalists genuinely encounter in their day-to-day work:

• diplomatic and military terminology;
• genocide in the context of Ukrainian history;
• types of international aid;
• sanctions;
• disinformation and propaganda;
• business correspondence in practice.

Although the topics were demanding — both linguistically and emotionally — they became a space for genuine, meaningful practice. Through gamification, discussions, and a clearly structured format for each lesson, the project's journalists gradually learned to speak about complex subjects with confidence.

Results

All groups completed the training in full, and some participants stayed with us for several semesters.

The real results speak more eloquently than any certificate — and they come straight from the students themselves. Communication became easier: asking questions, clarifying ideas, and expressing thoughts in work situations felt more natural. English gradually stopped being a source of tension and became an ordinary working tool — living, practical, and necessary.

Another important benefit that participants mentioned more than once in their feedback: the training gave them a sense of community, new acquaintances, and professional connections.

Student Feedback

Here is how participants from the latest Fight for Facts cohort describe their learning experience:

A year and a half flew by so quickly, and it's hard to say what I enjoyed more — the learning process itself or the time spent with wonderful teachers and equally wonderful classmates. It was easy, fun, interesting, and completely stress-free. Exactly what I was hoping for.
Olena

Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to learn and connect with such interesting, inspiring people! Yappi — one love. Everything is structured, knowledge is presented consistently, logically, and accessibly. And I was lucky with my teachers every time.
Maryna

Thank you for the interesting conversations, the laughs, and learning conditionals, gerunds, and other scary words together (I'm not afraid of them anymore!). I'm so glad I joined this course. It has already changed my life — and that's just the beginning.
Anna

This project is a reminder that practical English isn't about being "correct" or "incorrect" — it's about the ability to speak and be heard in an international context.

In our collaboration with Fight for Facts, we were able to build a learning experience where English became a tool that helped journalists work with difficult topics — rather than adding another layer of complexity. We are grateful for this meaningful experience.