We spoke with Yuri Prokhorov, rector of Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, about how the Russian language has become a valuable product in international communication and why the number of people studying the language is on the rise.
– According to various sources (VCIOM, UNESCO, etc.), over the past decade the Russian language has moved down from fifth place to sixth-eighth place according to its international influence. What in your opinion are the reasons for the decline of the international status of the Russian language?
– I would not agree with this assertion that its status has supposedly declined. The difference between the number of people once studying Russian in schools abroad and the number of people speaking the language is often confused. In the countries of the former Socialist bloc Russian was taught as mandatory, but that does not mean that people spoke the language. I can tell you from experience: you go about a country where Russian was mandatory for six years in school – out of ten people you meet, eight cannot communicate with you in Russian and two do not want to. Or eight don’t want to and two cannot. So the number of people who once studied the language and the number of people who speak the language are not comparable figures. But the number of Russian speakers – that’s a debatable issue. I would even venture to say that their number has increased.
– Could you explain why?
– The existence in various countries around the world of large Russian diasporas is leading to large number of state employees in these countries speaking Russian. Our tourists have begun actively exploring the world. As a rule, hotels and tourism firms in many countries have taken on managers who speak Russian. Yes, the number of people studying the language has ‘decreased’. But the number of those who use it in communication has grown and is growing. Russian language is once again in demand in the world. In the EU, for example, small but sustained growth in interest in its study exists. The reason is joint companies, the oil business and the necessity of traveling to Russia for work. They learn it there.
– In recent years there has been heighten interest in the study of the Russian language even in Eastern Europe (the leaders being Slovakia, the Czech Republic, republics of the former Yugoslavia and Germany) while at the same time Russian-language schools in Baltic states, Georgia and Ukraine are being shut down. What is happening?
– This is the new reality. Demand for the Russian language is on the rise in Eastern Europe. For example, in our institute the greatest number of students are Polish economists and Hungarian businessmen and economists. They need the language for work. Each year students come from approximately 75 countries. They include lawyers, tourism workers, philologists and businessmen, i.e., those who can find work involving the Russian language in their home countries. In general, the economic demand is the best way to popularize the Russian language.
– And from the CIS?
– In these countries the ‘reality’ depicted to us is not related to the Russian language so much as it is related to the political attitude toward the Russian language. The supposed ‘suppression of the Russian language’ as depicted in the press of a number of countries of the CIS and Baltic contradicts reality – in truth people in these countries actively use the Russian language and study it in school. And the elites that reject the language represent something of a source of self confirmation for the newly independent states, which can be understood: in a number of CIS states up to 40% of the residents do not speak the national language. I am convinced that this is not normal. If you are a citizen of the country, be so kind as to learn the state language.
– How is the group of those seeking to study the Russian language changing?
– Our institute has students from everywhere, from Australia and from Argentina. Each year 3000 people from 75 countries study with us. So in terms of the national groups, everything is more or less stable – only the quantitative indicators fluctuate.
– What do you do in order to popularize the study of the Russian language?
– You don’t need to popularize or reinforce anything – this is a self-managing system. A simple example can be seen driving on our roads. When there weren’t so many cars – there was one manner of interaction on road. But once there became a lot of cars on the road, people started letting people by when they needed to turn left. Why? Because ten meters down the road they will be in the same situation. Another example. Drivers have started yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks. As soon as someone begins to have a material need, a real material need, he begins to seek out a way to satisfy this need. The same goes for language. All competent top managers know the language of the country in which they work. This is part of concept of belonging to one’s own class – you can’t live in China and not know a few words of the language. It’s not so important that they understand you perfectly, but you can put together some words or even much more. I suppose that this is what many of the individual businessmen and groups from the embassies are seeking to attain through classes at our institute. In the modern world, as it has turned out, you’ve got butter on your bread – the English language. But try getting by for a full month just on bread and butter. Your stomach won’t be able to handle it. You need to put something else on there. You need a sandwich. So I try to convince people that if you add Russian language, it’s turns out to be both great tasting and good for you.
– EU countries have long been living in a situation of bilingualism, under the assumption that this is natural for their society. In the system of international multilingualism, what niche can the Russian language occupy?
– It’s already built in. The place is determined by the demand. Now they give 30 rubles for 1 dollar, and everyone studies English. When they start giving up to 30 dollars for 1 ruble, what language do you think people will study? I suspect it’s Russian.
– In your opinion, is the Russian language capable of regaining and strengthening lost positions in the world or is it time to see the Russian language as one of the regional languages of the world?
– Language is a product. As a philologist, I understand that the language is also cultural treasure, and I don’t need to be convinced of this. But as a person who is engaged in the teaching of the Russian language to foreigners, I know: I have a client. For him the language is an advantageous product that can be purchased, and I, as the philologist, must convince my client that over a certain period of time I will teach him the language for his benefit. But you need to know how to sell it. And for a long time we presented it as an ideology or assimilation into culture in the most elevated sense of the word. But another culture and its perception is very complicated even for the best prepared.
First he must be placed inside the language environment, engaged in all its stereotypes and only then begins the process of getting to know and grinding up against the cultural reality. Today, you don’t need to convince anyone that the Russian language is a treasure of world culture and that great works are written in this language. If I tell the three thousand students of our institute that if they know Russian, then in their country they will receive 20% more in financial compensation for their work, then they will understand me. But if I tell them that they can read Pushkin in the original, then they will run away. That’s not what they came here for.
Let’s start from the reality of the situation. It’s quite simple: the more people that I teach the Russian language (explaining to them why it is advantageous), the better it will be for the language. Because of those three thousand students, at least ten will turn their attention to Pushkin. And that is a result that is worth striving for.
Anton Samarin
