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Languages spoken in Georgia | ||
Tags: Georgian | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Specific Languages |  | |
| mrpootys Groupie United States Joined 5611 days ago 62 posts - 69 votes  Speaks: English* | Message 1 of 12 12 April 2011 at 1:01am | IP Logged | ||
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I was planning on traveling to Georgia next year, and was wondering what the major languages are spoken there. I
am planning on doing a study abroad there, but I wanted to also be able to interact with the community. Im not sure how much English is spoken there. English is my native language, but I speak German and Russian. Im really looking for firsthand knowledge and not internet figures, as I have found those to be highly misleading in the past. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| TixhiiDon Tetraglot Senior Member Japan Joined 5464 days ago 772 posts - 1474 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese, German, Russian Studies: Georgian | Message 2 of 12 12 April 2011 at 5:01am | IP Logged | ||
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I'm currently studying Georgian, and although I haven't been there yet (I'm going next month), I have heard and learned a little about the language situation there from Georgian friends and Georgian media. The following is what I've gathered.
Almost everyone speaks Georgian, first of all. I can vouch personally for the difficulty of this language, so you need to get started soon if you're planning to learn any! The alphabet, however, is easy to learn, and it will probably be useful for you to be able at least to read it. Most people have some knowledge of Russian, and most middle-aged and elderly people speak it fluently. There doesn't seem to be the same resistance to speaking Russian as you find in Eastern Europe, so your Russian will help you a lot. Colloquial Georgian is also filled with Russian borrowings. Younger people may be able to speak some English, but English is not in widespread use and not widely understood, especially outside Tbilisi. If you can wait just over a month, I'll let you know what I actually see and hear in Georgia. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Wilco Triglot Senior Member Canada Joined 6330 days ago 160 posts - 247 votes Speaks: French*, English, Russian | Message 3 of 12 12 April 2011 at 6:16am | IP Logged | ||
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I can confirm what TixhiiDon said: if you don't have time to learn Georgian, Russian
would be the most useful choice, followed by English (in the capital). Anyway, make sure to learn the script and basic greetings and phrases in the local language, as most Georgian are quite proud of their cultural heritage. It appeared to me that Russian language proficiency seems quite limited among some young people, especially in the countryside (outside Tbilisi). Economic relations with Turkey have increased a lot in the last few years, so I would not be surprised if Turkish has become a popular second or third language in the south. The country has also a relatively important Armenian community.
Interesting to see that some of us have enough courage to take on Georgian! How long have you been studying it? How would you evaluate the difficulty of the language (in terms of time to speak or read it "fluently")? And out of curiosity: are you going in Georgia to study? 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| TixhiiDon Tetraglot Senior Member Japan Joined 5464 days ago 772 posts - 1474 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese, German, Russian Studies: Georgian | Message 4 of 12 12 April 2011 at 6:26am | IP Logged | ||
Just briefly, so as not to derail the thread, I've been studying Georgian for about a year and a half, and out of the languages I've ever learned I would probably rate it second in difficulty to Japanese. The verbs in particular cause all kinds of problems, and seem to become more and more difficult the more one studies. I'm going to Georgia just for a week to do a bit of sightseeing and try out my Georgian. When were you there? Edited by TixhiiDon on 12 April 2011 at 6:27am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| shawns Diglot Newbie United States Joined 5294 days ago 20 posts - 24 votes Speaks: English*, Japanese Studies: Georgian | Message 5 of 12 12 April 2011 at 6:37am | IP Logged | ||
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I was in Georgia last summer. I'll echo the answers for the most part. Most everyone speaks Georgian. Most people
that grew up during the Soviet period speak Russian to some degree. In Tbilisi, some younger people, those under 25, might know some English. In the western part of the country, particularly around Batumi, some people know Turkish in addition to Georgian. In the southern part of the country there are areas with large Armenian populations, so Armenian is spoken. I'd say that if you learn some basic Georgian phrases, you can get by with those and your knowledge of Russian and Georgian. It goes a long way if you can say some basic things in Georgian. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| mrpootys Groupie United States Joined 5611 days ago 62 posts - 69 votes Speaks: English* | Message 6 of 12 12 April 2011 at 8:50pm | IP Logged | ||
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Thank you for your responses. I am actually going there to study Georgian.
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| Марк Senior Member Russian Federation Joined 5056 days ago 2096 posts - 2972 votes Speaks: Russian* | Message 7 of 12 13 April 2011 at 8:50am | IP Logged | ||
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Tixhidon, where did you see resistance to speaking Russian language? &nb sp;
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| ruskivyetr Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 5481 days ago 769 posts - 962 votes Speaks: English*, German Studies: Spanish, Russian, Polish, Modern Hebrew | Message 8 of 12 14 April 2011 at 12:08am | IP Logged | ||
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The best foreign language (foreign to the Georgians) to use with Georgians is Russian. Many people know it
(I'm not going to say everybody, because that would be an overstatement), but you will find that most people will switch to Russian nonchalantly as if it's no big deal. Georgians know that their language is hard, and they don't expect you to know any, but if you let out a "Gamarjobat" or a "Madlobt" once in a while, they'll appreciate it. Saying that only people who lived in the Soviet era can speak Russian is incorrect. My Georgian friend is 16, and she says that almost everybody she knows, young or old, can speak Russian to a fairly good level. She says that there are some people who can speak English really well, but you'd be much better off with Russian. Edited by ruskivyetr on 14 April 2011 at 12:10am 1 person has voted this message useful |
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