VAPSHE ARA: ATTITUDES OF ENGLISH PHILOLOGY STUDENTS IN GEORGIA TOWARDS THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE

Yasmine  Mitaishvili-Rayyis

doi:10.52340/PUTK.2023.2346-8149.05

Authors

Yasmine Mitaishvili-Rayyis

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52340/PUTK.2023.2346-8149.05

Keywords:

Georgia, language policy, language prestige

Abstract

This article explores the beliefs and attitudes of English Philology students in Georgia towards the Russian language, focusing on Russia’s linguistic prestige and history within Georgia, and the current state of Russian-Georgian relations. The study employs a qualitative research approach through interviews and contrastive analysis to investigate linguistic prestige, models for language context, relevant educational and language policy, and student perspectives. This exploration is rooted in sociolinguists, though draws from linguistic anthropology, and political science, taking an interdisciplinary approach to the subject. The study seeks to answer various research questions, including the role of Russian in contemporary and historical Georgia, the factors that influence the students' perceptions of the Russian language, and how historical context shapes linguistic attitudes. The findings suggest that the status of Russian in Georgia reflects the country’s historical, cultural, and political context, where the promotion of both Georgian national identity and language, as well as the English language, has led to the marginalization of Russian in most domains. Additionally, the research underscores the significant role of the legacy of the Soviet occupation in shaping the views of English Philology students toward the Russian language. Overall, this article sheds light on the complex relationship between language, politics, and identity in contemporary Georgia.

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Author Biography

Yasmine Mitaishvili-Rayyis

Yasmine Mitaishvili-Rayyis is currently working at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University as a U.S. Department of State, Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in English Philology. She received degrees in Linguistics and Global Studies from the University of California, Berkeley. Her prior work includes early language acquisition research at the UC Berkeley Language and Cognitive Development Lab, U.S. political campaign work for equal access to education, and translation work in Russian-English and Mandarin Chinese-English. She holds both TEFL and TESOL certifications. In the fall, she will begin an MSc in International Development Management at the London School of Economics and Political Sciences, where she will focus on the educational and language policy of the South Caucasus.

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