On the border of Asia, between Russia and the Middle East, lies the tiny country of Georgia - home to just under four and a half million people. It has been settled for many thousands of years, coming under Roman control in the first centuries AD and then Arab, Persian, and Turkish influence until the 13th century. In the 19th century, it was absorbed into the Russian empire, then incorporated into the USSR from 1921 to 1991. Since then, the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have experienced separatist movements. In 2008, Russian forces invaded in support of the independence movements and still remain in these contested territories.
Today, its population of nearly five million is made up of around 80 percent ethnic Georgians, with Azeris and Armenians coming in at a distant six percent each. Slightly more than one million live in the capital, Tbilisi, while just over half live in urban areas countrywide. The country is predominantly Orthodox Christian with a small Muslim minority.
The official language, Georgian (Kartuli) is spoken by 71 percent of the population, while Russian, Armenian, and Azeri have small minority language populations. Georgian is a Kartvelian language, unrelated to the North Caucasian, Indo-European, or Turkic languages spoken nearby. It has its own script with 33 letters, and contains many sounds and grammatical features alien to Indo-European ears.
Today, its population of nearly five million is made up of around 80 percent ethnic Georgians, with Azeris and Armenians coming in at a distant six percent each. Slightly more than one million live in the capital, Tbilisi, while just over half live in urban areas countrywide. The country is predominantly Orthodox Christian with a small Muslim minority.
The official language, Georgian (Kartuli) is spoken by 71 percent of the population, while Russian, Armenian, and Azeri have small minority language populations. Georgian is a Kartvelian language, unrelated to the North Caucasian, Indo-European, or Turkic languages spoken nearby. It has its own script with 33 letters, and contains many sounds and grammatical features alien to Indo-European ears.
A map of the Caucasus. Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, is marked.
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It is surprising that a former Soviet country, so far from British or American influence, would have such a strong desire for the English language, yet it is so. Georgia calls out for English.
The motivation for this turn toward English is its gateway to international success. With rising English proficiency in the service sector, the government predicts that Georgia will attract more and more tourism and investment. Because of this motivation, English is now mandatory for all schoolchildren, and the government continues to invest heavily into improving the quality of English education. State-sponsored summer camps draw hundreds of students yearly, the best of whom can win the chance to study in the United Kingdom. The Russian language still has a strong hold on society, but every year the numbers show a rise in English ability. |
Despite these academic gains, young people in Georgia do not generally use the English language among themselves. It remains a sort of status symbol, elevated alongside Russian in a sense. Young people may slip into Russian to appear cool, but when they slip into English it is to joke around, or even intentionally appear haughty.
English is thus associated with education and instruction as well as international prestige. The language taught in schools is not meant to strictly adhere to any particular established norm of English, rather, teachers are encouraged to choose resources from around the world in order to expose their students to many varieties. Alongside English, Georgian students are required to learn at least one other foreign language before completing the twelfth grade.
With this digital project, see the history of the English language in Georgia through commercial and policy decisions, and experience a brief taste of the Georgian language with a traditional folk song and a live Twitter feed.
English is thus associated with education and instruction as well as international prestige. The language taught in schools is not meant to strictly adhere to any particular established norm of English, rather, teachers are encouraged to choose resources from around the world in order to expose their students to many varieties. Alongside English, Georgian students are required to learn at least one other foreign language before completing the twelfth grade.
With this digital project, see the history of the English language in Georgia through commercial and policy decisions, and experience a brief taste of the Georgian language with a traditional folk song and a live Twitter feed.