Vyacheslav Kirillin ,, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Armenia is shifting tongues and relations
29 September 2024
As Yerevan continues to realign itself with the EU and attempts to break away from Moscow's zone of influence, the status of the Russian language in Armenia's education system is undergoing a subtle yet important transformation. In July, the Armenian government directed schools to allow students in most grades to choose at least two foreign languages to study. For the first time since Armenia's independence, Russian is no longer a mandatory foreign language. For around a century – since Armenia's Sovietisation in the early 1920s and even after the country gained independence from the Soviet Union – Russian was a mandatory foreign language in all schools and was also taught at the university level. As a second foreign language, depending on the school, students usually make a choice between English, French, or German.
English has always been the most popular preferred choice, and the accessibility of French has been on the rise for a while: since 2008, Armenia has been a member of the International Organisation of Francophonie (OIF). Given the excellent French-Armenian relations and Paris's unwavering diplomatic and military support for Yerevan, the two countries have recently signed agreements to promote the French language in Armenia. The French embassy in Armenia has allocated €600,000 to support institutions, teachers, and students who choose to study French throughout the country.
Despite these changes in Armenia's education system, the role of Russian is unlikely to diminish in the near future. Russian has long been a staple of Armenian society and is still widely spoken, especially by the older generations.
 | Nerses Hovsepyan During Soviet times, Russian schools were considered prestigious and believed to offer a better education than Armenian schools, prompting many parents to enrol their children in Russian-language institutions. My mother, uncle, and paternal grandfather all attended Russian schools despite being ethnic Armenians living in Armenia. Even as part of Armenia's 'generation of independence,' I was still taught Russian in almost all grades of secondary and high school. Although my school, like many others, prioritised English over Russian, it could not circumvent government-mandated Russian classes, which I still had to attend once or twice a week. Armenia's tricky relationship with the Russian language and its geopolitical implications are not unique to the country. While Russian remains widely spoken and understood in all post-Soviet states, attitudes towards it have changed significantly over time and geography. These attitudes traditionally reflect each country's relations with Russia and the West. In Belarus, for instance, Russian – rather than Belarusian – remains the most widely used language in media, education, business, and daily life. Conversely, countries like Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine have long since begun the process of de-russification, which has also meant the promotion of English and other European languages in education. |
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