Students are increasingly choosing Hindi as their preferred language of study

Fresh Take:

Hey there! Let's dive into the latest language learning trends sweeping through Russian universities!

Last year, there was a significant surge in students signing up for general education programs with additional Chinese, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, Korean, and Hindi language studies compared to 2022. In contrast, there was a noticeable drop in demand for programs offering additional German, French, Italian, and Japanese languages.

According to Ekaterina Kolesnikova, the director of the Foreign Languages School at the Higher School of Economics (HSE), there's a rising interest amongst applicants for languages like Turkish and Arabic. In fact, educational programs in 2022-2023 even began incorporating Korean and Hindi into their curriculum.

Similarly, Olga Dmitrieva, a senior lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, has observed a shift in language preferences. Whereas English and French were once the most sought-after languages, there's now a notable uptick in the demand for Chinese (increased by 79% from 2022), Arabic (+59%), and Turkish (+55%). Furthermore, there's increased interest in tutors for Serbian (+78%) and Georgian (+88%) languages.

Olga attributes this change to the immediate need for logistics specialists who specialize in transportation through friendly countries.

Now, you might wonder what causes these shifts in language demand within the country. Professional translator Viktor Tarykin says it's all about geopolitical changes. With complications in visa openings, exchange programs between universities and scientific organizations being canceled, and the closure of quasi-embassy structures promoting their country's language as a soft power, it's inevitable that the demand for these languages will dwindle.

Said Gafurov, an associate professor of the Department of Foreign Regional Studies at the Moscow State Linguistic University, confirms that applicants' preferences are primarily driven by their perceptions of employment opportunities after graduation. However, he notes that these prospects don't always correspond to reality — graduates with relatively unpopular languages like Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, etc., are actually highly sought after in the job market, while specialists with knowledge of popular languages like German or Scandinavian languages sometimes struggle to find employment in their respective fields.

But wait, Gafurov reminds us that a significant period can pass between entering university and graduation — anywhere from 4 to 6 years. During this time, demand for specialists with knowledge of a particular language can change on the job market.

It's also worth mentioning that each language has its own specific context. For instance, the popularity of Hindi is largely due to the lack of opportunities to learn other South Asian languages such as Bengali, Tamil, Gujarati, and Malayalam. Yet, in India, Hindi is often considered socially less prestigious, and its elite prefers communicating in English.

Incidentally, according to "Avito.Rabota", knowledge of English remains the most common requirement that employers seek in potential employees. By spring 2024, the share of vacancies requiring English will be 78% of all vacancies requiring knowledge of a foreign language. The share of vacancies requiring Chinese is relatively small, at just 14%.

So, there you have it! There's a growing interest in learning "eastern" languages in Russian universities, with Turkish, Arabic, Korean, and Hindi being the current favorites. Keep an eye on these trends, as they're set to shape the future of global language learning!

In contrast to the decreased demand for programs offering additional German, French, Italian, and Japanese languages, there has been an increased enrollment in educational programs involving Kyrgyz language studies for the 2023 academic year.
Due to the rising demand for logistics specialists with expertise in transportation through friendly countries, there has been a substantial increase in interest in learning languages such as Turkish and Arabic, as well as Korean and Hindi, in online education platforms focused on education and self-development.
As a result of the significant surge in students signing up for general education programs with additional Chinese, Spanish, Turkish, Arabic, Korean, and Hindi language studies compared to 2022, online education providers are expanding their offerings to include learning resources for less common languages like Kyrgyz.
In the education and self-development sector, there has been a trending upward movement in the number of individuals seeking online courses in learning Kyrgyz, reflecting the increased demand for "eastern" languages in the realm of global language learning.