Language

Lost in the census: Mingrelian and Svan languages face extinction in Georgia

9 June, 2020

On 21 February, Georgia celebrates International Mother Tongue Day, a day established by UNESCO to promote ‘linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism’. Georgia is home to at least 11 languages on the brink of extinction, according to UNESCO. The…

Young people are learning English in Georgia

30 September, 2019

A common sentiment when discussing foreign languages in Georgia is that young people know some English, older people know Russian, and those in between are mixed. Previous CRRC Georgia analysis from 2014 supported this claim, showing that knowledge of English was on…

Georgian language proficiency and perceptions of government performance among minorities in Georgia

12 August, 2019

Integration of ethnic minorities into Georgian society is a significant challenge. As a result of ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijanis’ linguistic separation from ethnic Georgian compatriots, some research suggests their ability to participate in government has been low. Indeed, programming aimed at minority integration in Georgia often focuses on…

Which foreign language should children learn in schools in Georgia?

3 April, 2018

Since Georgia is a small country with a language that people outside the country rarely know, it is not surprising that people in Georgia want their children to know a foreign language. CRRC’s Caucasus Barometer (CB) survey has regularly asked…