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Russian Language in Georgia: Problems and Prospects
The Russian language that had previously played a leading role in the Georgian society, became the main foreign language after the USSR collapse and Georgia obtaining its independence. However, the Russian language lost its significance in Georgia under the influence of decommunization and de-russification policy, dramatically intensified in result of the 2008 tragic events.
Georgian youth started considering Russian as a dead-end language, nearly all the Russian schools and departments of Russian Studies at universities were closed. The level of Russian language proficiency has dropped sharply in the country where previously almost everyone knew the Russian language perfectly or was fluent in it. Due to educational reforms the Russian language received the second foreign language status and began to be studied at schools from the 7th grade, as an optional, not a compulsory subject.
In result the younger generation of Georgians is fluent in English, meanwhile many Georgian youngsters do not see the need in studying Russian.
However, positive changes have been observed in recent years. The Russian language proficiency equals getting a highlypaid job in international companies, hotel and resort business, in the sphere of tourism and governmental institutions. The Russian
language is regaining its status of a language of intercultural and interethnic communication in the multinational county of Georgia.
The presence of close economic and cultural ties between Russia and Georgia enhances the status of the Russian language as a language of interethnic communication between friendly peoples of the two states.
Georgian youth started considering Russian as a dead-end language, nearly all the Russian schools and departments of Russian Studies at universities were closed. The level of Russian language proficiency has dropped sharply in the country where previously almost everyone knew the Russian language perfectly or was fluent in it. Due to educational reforms the Russian language received the second foreign language status and began to be studied at schools from the 7th grade, as an optional, not a compulsory subject.
In result the younger generation of Georgians is fluent in English, meanwhile many Georgian youngsters do not see the need in studying Russian.
However, positive changes have been observed in recent years. The Russian language proficiency equals getting a highlypaid job in international companies, hotel and resort business, in the sphere of tourism and governmental institutions. The Russian
language is regaining its status of a language of intercultural and interethnic communication in the multinational county of Georgia.
The presence of close economic and cultural ties between Russia and Georgia enhances the status of the Russian language as a language of interethnic communication between friendly peoples of the two states.
Georgia, Russian language, younger generation of the Georgian society, international communication, cultural ties