According to the historical data, the academic teaching of foreign languages started at the time of foundation of the Chernivtsi University, when the Departments of Germanic (i.e. German) and Romanic Languages (French, Italian and Romanian) were founded within the Faculty of Philosophy. The deputy of Reichstag and future Rector of the University, K. Tomashchuk [Rein 1979, p.167] considered the foreign language competence in Bukovyna, annexed by German-speaking Austria, to have “a universal significance… for finding the new ways of development of other nations in Austria”. Though due to the Austrian government German became widely used in Bukovyna, it existed in the form of koine („Buchenlandisch“), and that is why it, as a language of instruction at all faculties (except the Faculty of Theology and Departments of Ukrainian and Romanian Languages), had to be adjusted to the literary norms. Such German-speaking professors as Joseph Schtrobl (1875-1892), Osvald Zingerle (1892-1918) and Wilhelm Kosch (1911-1918) used the traditional direct method, which was comprehensible for the majority of students, who spoke German as their native language or learned it either at school or at gymnasia. Teaching French also had nice traditions (Department Chairs: A. Budinski: 1875-1884; T. Gartner: 1885-1899; M. Fridwagner: 1900-1911; E. Gerzog: 1911-1928) [Rein, p.145-179; Popinceanu, p.180-187].

The tradition of learning foreign languages continued after Bukovyna had been occupied by Romania, which has stipulated learning the Romanic languages. However, the Departments of French (prof. A. Pol, J. Russo), Italian, German (prof. F. Lang) and Slavic languages (prof. H. Nandrish) continued to exist in the King Ferdinand Chernivtsi University. There was also the Department of English Language and Literature (1923: D. Protopopesku) [1995, с.90-92].

After the reunification of Northern Bukovyna with Ukraine, the Departments of English, German, French and Latin languages ​​and literature, as well as the newly created Department of World’s Literature (1945), have become a part of the College of Philology (from1940/44 until 1954) [CSU 1975: 144-147 ]. From the day of its foundation and until now, the chairs of the Department of English were Professors R.O.Rauh and I.H.Fylypchenko, PhDs D.H.Radchenko, N.F. Pelevina, L.I.Mylovydova, V.V.Myhaylenko. The chairs of the Department of German were O.P.Voloschuk, R.I.Kamelin, N.Ie.Nollen, V.S.Babenko, PhDs V.S.Liubopytnova, N.S.Bielashova, I.L.Turchyn, Full Professor V.V.Levytskyy. The chairs of the Department of French were professor O.Ia.Zlatoustova, PhDs V.O.Lysytskyi, V.P.Tytova, A.N.Kallosh, L.V.Yershova, Z.P.Yanosh, H.IaZhernovei, M.M.Popovych. Based on these departments, the Faculty of Foreign Languages was founded in 1954 ​​(its deans: F.M.Heleta, PhDs V.S.Lyubopytnova, D.H.Radchenko, L.I.Mylovydova, Ia.I.Paschuk, Professor V.V.Levytskyy, PhDs V.I.Kushneryk, R.V.Vatseba), which has stipulated professional training of future teachers of foreign languages ​​not only in Bukovyna, but also in the neighbouring areas – Ivano-Frankivsk, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky, Vinnytsia, etc. [CSU 1995: 124-126]. Since 1954, foreign languages (for non-specialised faculties) have been taught at special departments of English, German and French languages ​​with traditional grammatical approach and consciously comparative method.

In the mid-70s, the Faculty of Foreign Languages faced an urgent need to create another centre–the general department of foreign languages ​​(English, German and French) for non-specialised colleges due to the fact that over the past decade, the number of colleges in the university has significantly increased. Besides, the enrolment of students became higher, new specialties were introduced, and, consequently, there occurred the necessity for immediate use of scientific literature in foreign languages ​​and special training of teachers. The Department of Foreign Languages started its work only in September 1976 p., with PhD. I.L.Turchyn at its head. In December 1977, by the order of the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR, it received the status of the reference department for 12 universities in Western Ukraine.Within its competences, the Department had been performing a large amount of work, aiming at the improvement of the educational process, the students’ knowledge control, as well as compilation of methodological guidelines, recommendations, manuals and the application of various educational technologies, which, however, had a significant ideological orientation. Subsequently, the Department became the place where the National Contest in French and German languages has been annually conducted.

Taking into consideration its numerous staff, in 1983, the Department was divided into two sections — the Department of Foreign Languages for Humanities (Chair - Associate Professor I.L. Turchyn) and the Department of Foreign Languages for the Sciences (Chair - Associate Professor N.P. Shcherban).

The Department staff published methodical recommendations on issues of regional geography (A.J. Jovkivska, I.B. Pachevska, G.M. Kiyashko), reviews on abstracts of professional texts (H.A. Labovkina, J.V. Bachinskiy, T.M. Bodnar, N.A. Khouda), introduced a variety of phonetic exercises (L.M. Malashina, and I.L. Turchyn, N.P.Tymoshchuk).

Along with its methodological work, the Department carried out scientific researches. In the 80-ies O.F. Bourbak, G.Y. Semen, T.A. Romanova (Scientific Supervisor: Professor V.V. Levitskiy), G.A. Labovkina defended their PhD theses.

Such specialists of the Department as I.B. Pachevska, G. M. Kiyashko, M.O. Onufriychuk, I.O. Kouharska, Z.P. Slobodyan, J.V. Bachynskiy, M.G. Yatsenyuk, I.A. Ivasiutyn, and many others, whose names would make a long and honorary list, have significantly contributedto the development of teaching and academic matters. 

In 1985, the efficient work of the Department was praised in the report of the Trade Unions head T. M. Bodnar, who has outlined three major areas of the Department’s activities: teaching, research and public relations.

During that time the teachers of the Department wrote methodical recommendations (7), published scientific articles (6), arranged two-round foreign language contests for the students, performed laboratory work (9), worked out visual sets (5), gave open-accessclasses (4), held student conferences, supervised the diploma papers in foreign languages (8), took part inmethodological workshops (12), selected texts forlectures (4), held interviews (76), conferences and debates (44), participated inannual amateur performances in foreign languages(41), performed the commissions, set by the Department, Faculty, and University (21). Moreover, it all has been done throughout one academic year.

In 1990 the two Departments of Foreign Languages merged ​​under the title of "The Department of Germanic Languages ​​for Non-Specialised Faculties", headed by the Doctor of Philology, Professor T.R. Kyyak, who rapidly activatedthe international contactsand the research work of the Department. Professor T.R. Kyyak has founded the School of Terminology. Scientists of the Department became engaged in the work on theoretical and practical issues of Lexicology and Lexicography. During the heading ofT.R.Kyyak, R.V.Ivanytskyy, I.M.Hnatyshena, A.Dyakov,O.Ya.Ivasyuk and L.P.Rudko defended their PhD theses. 

In 1994 – 2000, due to the work of T.R.Kyyakin the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Department was split into the Department of Foreign Languages for Sciences, headed by the PhD, Associate Professor V.I.Kushneryk and the Department of Foreign Languages for Humanities, headed by the PhD, Associate Professor T.O.Romanova. Both Departments have done efficient methodological work, which manifested itself in writing a great number of training manuals and guidelines. 

In April 2001, the Departments were united again. However, the earlier separated German Section (headed by the Associate Professor N.P. Scherban, and in 2003/4 - by the Associate Professor H.A.Labovkina) was affiliated this time to the Department of German Language (Department Chair – Doctor of Philology, Professor V.V.Levytskyy). 

Since April 2001, the major part of the combined Department (The Department of English for Non-Specialised Faculties, founded on the basis of the combined Departments of Germanic languages, which preceded the Department of Foreign Languages) had been managed by the Doctor of Philology, Professor O.D.Ohui. His main task was the creation of a scientific school, based on the essentially renewed Department. The staff of the Department, A.V.Kushniryk, T.V. Venkel, N.P. Tymoshchuk, J.B. Cherska, I.O. Gril, A.I. Hoyan passed Ph.D. defense under his scientific supervision. Furthermore, A.A. Matiychak (2007), O.D. Petrenko (2005), Y.V. Sobkov (2008), T.V Buhinska (2008), N.G Holovatska (2009), O.D. Danylovych (2011), L.H. Hladkoskok (2011), and I.S. Muradhanyan passed Ph.D. defense, whereas I.O. Kuharska became an acting Associate Professor of the Department in 2003 due to a number of scientific and methodological papers (over 60). The main areas of scientific research of the Department were: Lexicology (I.E. Buyar, Y.V. Sobkov, O.D.Petrenko, O.D. Danylovych, I.O. Gril, O.V. Melnyk), Phraseology (S.S. Shkvarchuk, N.P. Tymoshchuk), Terminology (T.V. Dolynska, I.I.Grygorovych.), Methodology (T.L. Belenka), Foreign Literature (A.A. Matiychak, D.V. Paranyuk, A.V. Buchko, I.S. Muradhanyan). Throughout the 2003-2004 academic year, the lecturers of the department, in addition to 11 textbooks, wrote 59 scientific articles; represented the Department, and published the corresponding theses, at various conferences (on both all-Ukrainian, and international levels) for 68 times; passed Ph.D. defense in the fields of Linguistics and Literature, worthily continuing the traditions of the Department, laid down by their predecessors. In order to improve the methodology of teaching foreign languages, the Department staff have published 4 textbooks, that were approved by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (authorship by O.D.Ohui and T.V.Venkel; T.V. Buhinska; T.L. Belenka and A.A.Matiychak; O.D. Petrenko, I.S. Muradhanyan and A.A. Matiychak). A high professional level of the Department is confirmedby the teaching work of its professors in the USA (A.V. Kushniryk, V.V.Arhelyuk).

The department was reorganized again by affiliating the German Section for Non-Specific Faculties in September 2006. As a result of this affiliation, the twodepartments have appeared: the Department of Foreign Languages ​​for Humanities (Department Chair - Doctor of Philology, Professor O.D. Ohui) and the Department of Foreign Languages ​​for Sciences (Department Chair – Doctor of Philology, Professor V.I.Kushneryk).

Since 2014, the Department of Foreign Languages for Humanities has been headed by the Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Full Professor B.I.Labinska. Currently, the Department is composed of one Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, 13 Candidates of Philological Sciences, 10 Associate Professors. The Department professors teach at the Faculties of Education, Psychology and Social Work; Physical Education and Health Care; Philosophy and Theology; Economics; Law; Finance, Enterprise and Accounting.  

The Department staff has been actively engaged in compiling new educational and methodological complexes, typical programs, curricula, manuals, and textbooks.  

Over the past five years, they have released 64 new educational-methodological complexes and 21 manuals, 6 of them with the permission of the Y. Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University Scientific Board. 

As to the Department’s scientific achievements, it is worth mentioning the publication of 69 works in different special editions of Ukraine, 20 works in foreign editions and 6 scientific articles in the scientific-metrical bases, like Copernicus and Scopus, as well as the participation in 51 international and all-Ukrainian conferences. 

The spheres of the Department professors’ scientific interests include the issues of the History of Methodology of Teaching Foreign Languages in Western Ukraine (the second half of the XIX – the first half of the XX centuries); the Contemporary Methodology of Teaching Foreign Languages for Specific Purposes; the Methodology of Foreign Language Teaching in Primary Schools; Lexicology; Phraseology; Terminology; Translation; Foreign Literature, etc. 

Within the framework of investigating the topical trends of Linguistics and Methodology of Teaching, the Department regularly arranges various scientific and methodological seminars. 

Besides, the Department stands responsible for delivering lectures and practical classes to the post-graduate students of the University. 

The Department of Foreign Languages for Humanities cooperates with the leading higher education institutions of Ukraine: Mykhailo Drahomanov Kyiv National Pedagogical University, Kyiv National Linguistic University, Ivan Franko Lviv National Pedagogical University, Lesia Ukrainka Eastern-European National University, Ivan Franko Zhytomyr State University, Ivan Ohiyenko Kamyamets-PodilskyiNational University, Ivan Franko Drohobych State Pedagogical University.   

The teaching staff of the Department constantly participates in the seminars and master classes, held by the British Council in Ukraine, the German Academic Exchange Service in the University of Chernivtsi, etc.