Have you decided to learn English from scratch? Congratulations. You are braver than half of those who have been saying “I need to get started” for years. Now the main thing is not to give up after a month. Because there will be no miracles: you can’t pour a language into your head with a dropper. But there will be a system, progress, and that rush when you order coffee in English for the first time and the barista realizes you’re not using Google Translate.
1. The alphabet and sounds — you can’t get anywhere without them
No, you can’t “skip the alphabet because I already know A-B-C.” You don’t. You confuse “i” and “e,” pronounce “u” as “yu,” and turn ‘th’ into “z.” Sorry, but that’s how it is.
The good news is that it’s possible to fix this. Learn the sounds as if you were a child learning to speak for the first time. Because that’s exactly what you are.
You don’t need 5,000 words right away. You need 50. Yes, exactly 50. If you can say “eat, drink, go, work,” you can already form sentences.
The method is simple:
● Flashcards. Yes, it’s boring. Yes, it works.
● One topic per week. Today “food,” tomorrow “actions.”
● Usage. A new word without a sentence is dead.
Remember: a dictionary is not a museum. It is a tool that you need to use constantly.
You don’t need to know 12 tenses right now. You need three: Present Simple, Past Simple, and Future Simple. That’s it. The rest will come with time.
Example:
● I work.
● I worked.
● I will work.
Yes, it’s primitive. But primitivism is not a shame, it’s a stage. And don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Seriously, native speakers make them by the dozen too. You just don’t notice it.
Turn on children’s cartoons or simple podcasts. And listen. At first, it will seem that you only catch “hello” and “ok.” That’s normal.
The main thing is to do it regularly. The brain is like a muscle: the more you “work it out,” the better it perceives a foreign language.
You don’t have to start with Shakespeare right away. Read adapted stories or short articles. The rule is simple: if you understand at least 70% of the text, it’s for you. If less, it’s too early.
Don’t think that writing is “not that important.” It’s a way to check if you really know something. Try to write one sentence in English every day. Even if it’s just “I am tired.” It’s a step forward.
In a month, you’ll already have mini-stories. And yes, it will look naive. But that’s where real confidence comes from.
You will blush, get confused, and insert “um” and “uh.” That’s normal. That’s inevitable. It will pass.
The main rule here is to start speaking right away. Whether with a textbook, in front of a mirror, or with your cat. Ideally, find a partner or teacher, but don’t wait until you’re “ready.” You’ll never be ready if you stay silent.
Learned a new word? Repeat it the next day. Then three days later. Then a week later. Without this, it will fly out of your head as quickly as it came in.
You are an adult, you have a job, a family, a lot of things to do. Your motivation will drop. And here it is important to know: this is normal.
Tricks:
● Set minimal goals. “10 minutes a day” is realistic.
● Don’t punish yourself. Missed a day? Start again.
● Track small victories: understanding 5 words in a TV series today is already a success.
Learning English is a marathon, not a sprint. There are no magic pills. But there is you, your brain, and the right system.
In 3 months, you will be speaking simple sentences. In a year, you will be able to communicate on basic topics. In a few years, you will be able to think in English.
And most importantly, English will open doors that now seem closed. But only you can open these doors — with small steps every day.
Prepared by ENGLISH.KH.UA
The laboratory diagnostics market in Ukraine showed growth in the first half of 2025 after declining in previous years, Mykola Skavronsky, deputy general director of Sinevo Ukraine, said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“We were very surprised that in the first half of this year there was a significant increase in the number of tests and patients. The growth was 15-20% compared to the second half of 2024,” he said.
According to Skavronsky, this growth cannot be explained solely by the return of Ukrainians from abroad. “Most likely, objective reasons played a role: the gradual stabilization of the economy and the fact that after COVID-19, the culture of regular testing has taken root,” he added.
Sinevo Ukraine is the largest network of private medical laboratories in the country and is part of the European Medicover group. The company provides a wide range of diagnostic services and operates more than 300 testing centers.
As Serbian Economist reports, Belgrade’s preparations for EXPO 2027 are gaining momentum: the authorities and investors are actively modernizing the hotel infrastructure. The most notable project is the reconstruction of the Hotel Slavija, which has been authorized by the Serbian Ministry of Construction for a complete renovation.
The hotel, built 63 years ago and long considered a symbol of Belgrade hospitality, after the completion of the reconstruction at the end of 2026, will receive the category of “four stars” and will offer 465 rooms.
According to the hotel association HORES, there are now 120 hotels with about 8 thousand rooms in Belgrade, and by the exhibition they will be 20 more, adding about 2 thousand more accommodations. Private apartments will also play a significant role.
HORES Director Gjorge Genov stressed the need to organize shuttle transport between Belgrade and neighboring cities (Novi Sad, Šabac) in order to use additional accommodation reserves.
EXPO organizers said that more than 120 countries, including the world’s largest economies, have already confirmed their participation in Belgrade:
– China;
– Germany;
– France;
– Italy;
– Turkey.
The total number of participants is expected to exceed 130 countries.
EXPO 2027, which will last 93 days, will be the largest international event in the history of modern Serbia. For the hotel and tourism sector, it is a chance to reach new service standards and attract long-term investments.
https://t.me/relocationrs/1466
Vitamin D test has become one of the most demanded analyses in Ukraine, which surprises specialists, Deputy Director General of Sinevo Ukraine Mykola Skavronsky said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“I am a bit surprised by the great popularity of this expensive analysis. Moreover, it is paid for by the state through the medical guarantee program. Even many rich countries do not cover the vitamin D test at the expense of the budget,” he said.
Skavronsky noted that the popularity of the test is due to the active promotion of vitamin D preparations on the market since 2017-2018. “Pharmaceutical companies have made it part of the medical discourse, and the demand has taken hold,” he added.
“Synevo Ukraine is part of Synevo’s international laboratory network operating in more than 10 countries in Europe.”
Competition in the Ukrainian laboratory diagnostics market is intensifying, which could lead to price wars, said Mykola Skavronsky, deputy CEO of Sinevo Ukraine, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
“The number of laboratories has increased after COVID-19, and there are fewer people in the country, so the cost of attracting customers has increased significantly. This could lead to dumping, discounts, and even an increase in drug kickbacks,” he said.
Skavronsky added that the cost of services has also increased due to the devaluation of the hryvnia and the weakening of the dollar against the euro, which forced the company to raise prices by 10-15%.
Sinevo Ukraine is part of the Medicover Group, an international holding company in the field of medical and diagnostic services, whose shares are listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange.
In August this year, Ukrainian metallurgical companies reduced steel production by 6.1% compared to the same period last year, from 691,000 tons to 649,000 tons, but increased it by 11.7% compared to the previous month (581,000 tons).
In the ranking of global producers of this product, compiled by the World Steel Association (Worldsteel), Ukraine ranked 21st among 70 countries.
According to Worldsteel, in August 2025, there was a decline in steel production compared to August 2024 in most of the top ten countries, except for India, the US, Turkey, and Vietnam.
The top ten steel-producing countries in August were as follows: China – 77.370 million tons (down 0.7% from August 2024), India – 14.087 million tons (up 13.2%), the US – 7.156 million tons (+3.2%), Japan – 6.636 million tons (-3.4%), Russia – 5.5 million tons (-4.6%), South Korea – 5.177 million tons (-6.1%), Turkey – 3.394 million tons (+7.9%), Brazil – 2.866 million tons (-4.6%), Germany – 2.577 million tons (-10.5%), and Vietnam – 2.040 million tons (+13.8%).
In total, steel production in August this year increased by 0.3% compared to the same period last year, to 145.288 million tons.
Based on the results of the first eight months of this year, the top ten steel-producing countries are as follows: China – 671.810 million tons (-2.8% compared to January-August 2024), India – 108.920 million tons (+10.2%), the United States – 54.552 million tons (+1.6%), Japan – 54.099 million tons (-4.5%), Russia – 46.091 million tons (-4.8%), South Korea – 41.061 million tons (-3.5%), Turkey – 24.878 million tons (+0.2%), Germany – 22.405 million tons (-11.9%), Brazil – 22.180 million tons (-1.5%) and Iran – 19.781 million tons (-3.6%).
Over the first eight months of this year, Ukrainian steel companies reduced steel production by 6.8% compared to the same period last year, from 5.274 million tons to 4.912 million tons. The country ranked 22nd.
In general, global steel production in January-August 2025 decreased by 1.7% compared to the same period in 2024, to 1 billion 230.635 million tons.
As reported, at the end of 2024, the top ten steel-producing countries among 71 countries were as follows: China – 1 billion 5.090 million tons (-1.7%), India – 149.587 million tons (+6.3%), Japan – 84.009 million tons (-3.4%), the United States – 79.452 million tons (-2.4%), Russia – 70.690 million tons (-7%), South Korea – 63.531 million tons (-4.7%), Germany – 37.234 million tons (+5.2%), Turkey – 36.893 million tons (+9.4%), Brazil – 33.741 million tons (+5.3%), and Iran – 30.952 million tons (+0.8%).
In total, 71 countries produced 1 billion 839.449 million tons of steel last year, which is 0.9% less than in 2023.
At the same time, Ukraine produced 7.575 million tons of steel in 2024, which is 21.6% higher than in 2023 (6.228 million tons). The country ranked 20th in 2024.
In 2023, China produced 1 billion 19.080 million tons (at the level of the previous year), India – 140.171 million tons (+11.8%), Japan – 86.996 million tons (-2.5%), the US – 80.664 million tons (+0.2%), Russia – 75.8 million tons (+5.6%), South Korea – 66.676 million tons (+1.3%), Germany – 35.438 million tons (-3.9%), Turkey – 33.714 million tons (-4%), Brazil – 31.869 million tons (-6.5%), and Iran – 31.139 million tons (+1.8%). In total, 71 countries produced 1 billion 849.734 million tons of steel in 2023, which is 0.1% less than in 2022.
At the same time, Ukraine produced 6.228 million tons of steel in 2023, which is 0.6% less than in 2022. The country ranked 22nd in 2023.
At the end of 2022, the top ten steel-producing countries were as follows: China – 1.013 billion tons (-2.1%), India – 124.720 million tons (+5.5%), Japan – 89.235 million tons (-7.4%), the United States – 80.715 million tons (-5.9%), Russia – 71.5 million tons (-7.2%), South Korea – 65.865 million tons (-6.5%), Germany – 36.849 million tons (-8.4%), Turkey – 35.134 million tons (-12.9%), Brazil – 33.972 million tons (-5.8%), and Iran – 30.593 million tons (+8%).
Ukraine ranked 23rd in 2022 with 6.263 million tons of steel (-70.7%).
In total, 64 countries produced 1 billion 831.467 million tons of steel in 2022, which is 4.3% less than in 2021.
