How Many People Speak and Will Speak the Russian Language?

1. How Many People Speak and Will Speak the Russian Language? Anastasia Orlova, 9th form, the Russian Embassy School in Finland

2. Language makes people get closer Foreign Languages

3. Language is an integral part of diplomatic relations

4. State of the Russian Language Before the Disintegration of the USSR The second part of the XX century became the period of the widest circulation of the Russian language and the Russian culture all over the world. • - It became one of the leading world languages used in all the largest • international organizations (there were about 350 million persons knowing • Russian in 1980s); • the Soviet system of education was considered one of the best in the world; • it brought big contributionto spread of the Russian language.; • in 1989-1990s educational years 180 thousand foreign citizens were trained in • Russian various civil, military, party, trade-union and Komsomol educational institutions • - there were founded High Schools (universities, institutes and specializing faculties), • special secondary educational institutions, Technical Training Colleges and • comprehensive schools in 36 foreign countries, the USSR allies (the USSR equipped • those educational institutions with special methodical literature and organized • training with the help of the forces of the Soviet experts) • significant efforts on creation of the courses of the Russian language for foreigners were made • (in the end of 1980s 600 thousand persons from 90 countries of the world studied • Russian on such courses). During the existence of the Soviet Union 286 million persons used Russian as the basic state language. It was known almost by all inhabitants of union republics and, without fail, each schoolboy knew it well.

5. Fall of the Russian Language’s Status in the Post Soviet Space Disintegration of the USSR and loss of the former economic, technological and geopolitical influence in the Post Soviet space and in the world in general reflected on the position of the Russian language and culture in Near and Far abroad. • By present time the population of 14 former • republics of the USSR numbers over 140 • million persons (the number of the • population of Russia). • However, the Russian language is: • actively known and constantly used at work • and in everyday life by only 63,6 million of • people; • 39,5 millions know Russian passively (they • understand it but do not use as a mean of • communication) and gradually loose • language skills; • and almost 38 million of people totally do not • know Russian.

6. Falling the Russian Language’s Status In the Post Soviet Space The number of people differently knowing the Russian language

7. East Europe and West Europe and the Russian Language Library of the University of Coimbra, Portugal Bristol University, England During the existence of the USSR the countries of East Europe were allies of the Soviet Union and they had to use the Russian language as the language of the business communication. But after disintegration of the USSR the Russian language lost its previous meaning there. As to West Europe, during the Russian “perestroika” at the end of 1980s it was very interested in learning of the Russian language. But after disintegration of the USSR they lost their previous interest. However, nowadays interest in the Russian language is increasing what is connected with the development of economy and foreign-policy relations. Young population of the countries of East and West Europe also shows a big interest in our culture and some Russian emigrants are spreading Russian there. (You can see some pictures of the foreign universities where the Russian language is taught) East Europe, West Europe and the Russian language Oxford University, England

8. The Russian Language in North America, Australia and New Zealand North America, Australia, New Zealand and the Russian language In North America, Australia and New Zealand situation that concerns the Russian language is similar as in Europe. These countries were interested in learning Russian before disintegration of the USSR but after that they changed their opinion. However, nowadays there are a few high and secondary educational institutions where the Russian language is taught in North America, Australia and New Zealand. (You can see some pictures of the foreign universities where the Russian language is taught) Harvard University, USA MacquarieUniversity, Australia The University of Auckland, New Zealand

9. The Russian Language Looses Its Role in Asia, Africa and South America Russian is not very popular in Asia. Its place is taken by the English language. Russian is learnt most of all only in China, Mongolia, Turkey and Japan. In spite of it many people come to live and to work in Russia. Tourism between these (as other) countries and Russia is rather developed. This helps us in spreading of the Russian language because tourism is a mover of progress in learning of any language. As to Near East nowadays the state of the Russian language is stable there. A lot of emigrants, especially Russian women who have married Arabic men spread the Russian language. Most of their children are taught three languages – Arabic, Russian and one more. As a personal example I can tell the following: living in Jordan I studied at the Russian Embassy School. Children of mixed families also studied there. I revealed the fact that the Russian language was known well by many Jordan doctors who had studied in Russia. The countries of Near East also use Russian economic and military help. Asia and the Russian language Near East and the Russian language Africa and the Russian language Unfortunately, the African countries’ interest in learning the Russian language is very low. In 1990s Russian was taught in 40 African countries but today there are only 13 countries continuing such experience.

10. The Russian Language Looses Its Role in Asia, Africa and South America South America and the Russian language The number of people learning Russian in South America is much lower than it is in Africa (there are only 3 national schools where 65 persons study Russian as one of the foreign languages). However, living in Brazil I had an opportunity to see that many young people were very interested in the Russian language and Russian culture as well. I studied at Music and English schools in Brasilia, the capital of Brazil, with other Brazilian students who sometimes asked me about the Russian language (its words and expressions). I also met some Brazilian people, especially doctors and teachers who had graduated from Russian universities. Unfortunately, big distance between the countries led to a low level of knowledge about Russia of the biggest part of Brazilian nation. Some of Brazilian people do not even know about the existence of the Russian Federation; or Russia, in their opinion, is a very cold country with bears walking along the streets. Me (the second girl on the right) with my Brazilian friends, Brasilia

11. Russia and the Russian Language In the Russian Federation the Russian language is the only state language but it is not the only republic language. At the same time there are other 28 republic languages in national republics. By 2005 the Russian population has been shortened. The quantity of population is continuing to shorten; accordingly, number of Russian-speakers in Russia will also decrease. In national republics, especially of the Northern Caucasus, the place of Russian is taken by the native national languages. Russia is upon the influence of the Western culture, economy, techniques and technology. That is the reason of many (especially young) people’s desire to study foreign languages (first of all, English, German, French and some others). Many foreign languages’ borrowings appear in the Russian language. Such borrowings are usually ‘gifted’ by the American and the English language.

12. Russia and the Russian Language As many people have come to live and to work in Russia from the CIS countries the question of changes in the Russian educational institutions appears immediately. Teachers meet with some difficulties: for example, foreign students need more lessons of the Russian language. That is why the Department of Education in Moscow had to open “The Courses of Qualification Increase” for the teachers of secondary schools specializing in “Teaching of the Russian language as the foreign language”. Many foreign people study in the Russian educational institutions. The number of foreign students went growing steadily in 1960s and achieved its peak in 1990s. Later it dropped but didn’t surrender and increased in 2005s. There are special institutes where foreign people can study in Russia. One of the most famous is called Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba. By the way, my teacher of the Spanish language was from Columbia. He came to our country with the aim of studying in this university on the medicine faculty and also had to study Russian. Moreover, Russia practices in “exchange of experience”. With the help of this program many foreign students also come to live in Russia and to learn the Russian language.

13. Finland and the Russian Language After the 1917, when Finland got independence, Finnish inhabitants started to lose interest in learning the Russian language gradually. Nowadays less students of Finnish schools want to learn Russian. More and more people are willing to learn the English language instead of learning other languages. Nevertheless, the Russian language is topical for the Finnish society. Finnish president T. Halonen, Prime Minister M. Vanhanen and MPs presenting different parties have repeatedly expressed their views on the need to support those organizations and municipalities, which will mostly focus on the study of unpopular languages. Russian language was called primarily due to the increasing role of Russia in the Finnish foreign trade. In general, development of trade between any countries leads to the active development of the interest to the languages.

14. Finland and the Russian Language The Russian language is taught not only in Helsinki educational institutions but also in Jyväskylä, Tampere, Joensuu and Turku universities. Moreover, since 2007, four Russian (St. Petersburg University, Technical State University, European University and Petrozavodsk State University) and five Finnish universities (Universities of Helsinki, Tampere, Kuopio, Joensuu and Lappeenranta University of Technology) carry a project, under which students get half of education in Russia and half - in Finland. • Today there are more than 44 thousands of people in Finland whose mother-tongue is • the Russian language; • The Russian language is studied in 7 private Russian-speaking kinder-gardens situated • in the capital’s region (for example, “Kalinka”, “Teremok”, “Matreshka”, “Mishka”); Turku, • Joensuu and Kotka also have a kinder-garden each; • The Russian language as a native language is taught in 60 schools • (the Finnish-Russian School is one of the biggest and the most well known one); • The Russian language is extensively studied on the basis of • the Russian Center of Science and Culture (RCSC) in Helsinki • (up to 600 persons per year) which is actively supported • by the Russian Embassy in Finland. Finnish-Russian School, Helsinki

15. Finland and the Russian Language The Russian Embassy, Helsinki The Embassy of Russia in Finland has recently made its own contribution to promoting the Russian language and the knowledge of the common pages of the Russian-Finnish history in Finland, as well as in Russia. Several diplomats of the Embassy have translated into Russian the book “The Grand Duchy of Finland 1809-1917” written by a well-known Finnish historian Osmo Jussila. The book was edited by the Ambassador of Russia to Finland, academic of the Russian Academy of Science Alexander Rumyantsev. The Russian version of the book was published in 2009, when Russia and Finland celebrated the bicentennial of the formation of the Finnish autonomy within the Russian Empire. Translated into Russian, the book by Osmo Jussila is now available for Russian and international students,historians and everyone who is interested in the Russian-Finnish history and the Russian language. In Helsinki it can be bought in the “Ruslania” book shop that specializes in Russian literature (from classical masterpiece to modern literary production), periodicals, DVDs, audio books – all in the Russian language. By the way, not so long ago HELSINKI BOOK FAIR 2009 was organized where representatives of the Russian literature also took part. The Russian exposition impressed everyone and people are waiting for its following participation in the Fair.

16. Finland and the Russian Language The Russian Center of Science and Culture, Helsinki The Russian School of the Russian Embassy, Helsinki As to the Russian Center of Science and Culture, it is doing everything for the Russian culture and Russian language. A lot of meetings, seminars, exhibitions for the Finnish inhabitants knowing the Russian language are often held there. People are constantly invited to the concerts and performances organized by the Center (you can listen to different types of the Russian music on the Center’s stage: from Russian folk to classical music). Students of the Finnish schools can get more knowledge about Russia on the RCSC’s excursions. Much attention is paid to the Russian prose and poetry (presentations of both time-tested books and modern books are held). With the help of the Russian Center of Science and Culture the Russian newspaper called ‘Spectrum’ is published each month. It is very popular among the Russian inhabitants of Finland as well as the radio station called ‘Sputnik’ where the broadcasting is held in the Russian language. The Russian School also plays a big role in the advancement of the Russian language in Finnish society. It carries out practice of teachers’ and students’ exchange of experience. That is the reason why I had an opportunity to visit the Finnish-Russian School studying at the Embassy School. Our school also organizes open lessons for the Finnish-Russian teachers and Students what is, first of all, very interesting and, secondly, it helps us, the Russian-speakers, in spreading the Russian language.

17. Finland and the Russian Language Despite all that, the prospects of the Russian language in Finnish society are foggy. • Local experts allocated the following reasons of this: • most of Finnish schools are scanty; lack of teaching staff does not allow to pay necessary • attention to the Russian language; • the Russian language is often dropped out of the planned language programs because of • the “preferred” languages, such as English and Swedish and some others; • the country does not work properly uponattraction of the population to study the Russian • language. • Among the factors impeding the preservation of the language are the following ones: • difficulties in organizing the studies of the native language for children and youth and lack • of motivation to it; • the absence of qualified teachers and training materials aimed at specific audiences • (the quantity of information materials in Russian is not enough, and the quality of its translations • from the Finnish language often leaves much to be desired). • Nevertheless, the following factors affect to the preservation of the Russian language in Finland • positively; they are: • - geographical proximity of Russia; • - an opportunity to use the Russian language sources of information; • - demand for the Russian language in the business environment.

18. Conclusion And still how many people speak and will speak Russian? • Time will answer this question. • At the same time: • - there should be our State’s more active actions directed to the popularization and • advancement of the Russian language in the other countries; • we, representatives of Russia, should also try to promote peoples’s interest in studying the • Russian language ourselves and find new ways of the development of our language. • Surely, the fact that many Russian notable persons of different fields of life are known and • respected all over the world is encouraging for everyone and it also helps in the spreading of • the Russian language. It is true that the Russian culture is immense and diverse. The main task • is to continue developing it. • In my opinion, the Russian language is not less worth studying than the languages of • “the top of the rate”. It is not less “rich” and beautiful. • To conclude, personally I believe that the Russian language is one of the best languages of • the world. And I sincerely hope that its day will come in the future.

19. Conclusion ‘And we will preserve you, the Russian speech, The Russian great word. We will carry you free and clear, And we will give you to the grandchildren, and we will save you from bondage Forever!’ Anna Akhmatova, the Russian poetess (1889-1966)