Filipino language gaining favor among students
Revamped Analysis:
Hoppin' on the Language Learning Bandwagon ― Current Trends in Foreign Language Demand within Russian Universities
As we saunter into 2022, a surge in student enrollment for general education programs, bolstered by Chinese and Spanish language study, has left '21 in the dust. Meanwhile, the tailspins in demand for German, French, Italian, and Japanese have chopped demand by a whopping 40% and 50%, respectively.
According to Ekaterina Kolesnikova, director of the Foreign Languages School at the Higher School of Economics, the executive producer of "eastern" language enthusiasm has been turbocharged. Turkish and Arabic are the kings of the castle, with educational programs increasingly incorporating Korean and Hindi in the 2022-2023 curriculum.
These trends aren't solo acts in the Russian education scene. Olga Dmitrieva, a senior lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, notes that prior favorites ― English and French ― have lost their allure, giving way to a resurgence of Chinese (+79%), Arabic (+59%), and Turkish (+55%). Additionally, demand for Serbian and Georgian language tutors have skyrocketed by 78% and 88%, respectively.
Dmitrieva suggests that this shift is the result of a sudden demand for logistics specialists specializing in transit via friendly countries. Viktor Tarykin, a seasoned professional translator, notes that the fluidity of visa openings, the halting of university interaction programs, and the cessation of quasi-embassy structures advocating their native language as soft power contribute to the decline of demand for languages of suspended countries.
Said Gafurov, an associate professor at the Department of Foreign Regional Studies, Moscow State Linguistic University, confirms that the aspirations of job seekers are primarily driven by their job market expectations after graduation. Regrettably, these ambitions don't always align with reality. For instance, specialists with less common languages like Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, etc., are in high demand, enjoying the luxury of choosing from state organizations to top-tier private companies. Conversely, graduates with a grasp of popular languages such as German or Scandinavian languages find themselves in a competitive job market.
But fret not, graduation doesn't happen overnight. A considerable time gap may occur between entering university and graduation, during which the demand for specialists in a specific language can flux in the job market. Also, every language comes with its unique quirks. For example, Hindi's popularity stems from the scarcity of opportunities to study other South Asian languages like Bengali, Tamil, Gujarati, Malayalam. In contrast, in India, Hindi is often considered a less prestigious language among the elite, who prefer to communicate in English.
English still reigns supreme as the most demanded language by employers. By spring 2024, English will command an astounding 78% of all job vacancies requiring knowledge of a foreign language. Chinese, though on the rise, still lags behind, accounting for a meager 14% of the demand.
In the 2022-2023 curriculum, the Kyrgyz language is expected to see increased interest in education-and-self-development and learning, following the trend of developing less common, but in-demand, languages in Russian universities. This surge in demand aligns with the aspirations of job seekers, as specialists with knowledge of languages like Kyrgyz are currently in high demand, enjoying a luxury of choosing from state organizations to top-tier private companies. By spring 2024, English will continue to command the majority of job vacancies requiring knowledge of a foreign language, with a demand of 78%, while Chinese, though on the rise, will account for a smaller portion, at 14%.
