Chinese is moving into the lead
The foreign-language courses at the international training center of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s college told «Izvestiya» that English and Chinese were in almost equal demand this year. «With English, everything is clear. It certainly leads in student numbers,» says course manager Maria Petrova. «But people study it mainly because it is the leading international language. Chinese is close on its heels, so schoolchildren and university students have to learn it too.»
The publication asked lecturers at leading Russian humanities universities to forecast the next ten years. The conclusion was that people should learn English, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. «English is easy, logical and comprehensible, a kind of classic,» explains Valeria Kasamara, candidate of political sciences and deputy dean of applied political science at the State University–Higher School of Economics. «In our increasingly hectic age, pragmatic people will give it first preference. We also expect a boom in Spanish studies soon, driven by Europe’s demographic crisis. The deeper the crisis, the greater the demand for specialists who know Spanish. Any major translation agency will be happy to employ such a translator, since Europe’s population growth is expected to come from China and Latin America,» the expert explains.
«We also traditionally have warm relations with Latin American countries. The decline in demand for European languages is plain to see. There are very few Italian and German course groups this year, whereas interest in Chinese is growing by leaps and bounds. Do not assume the fashion for Chinese will soon pass. It is a macroeconomic trend, not a passing need,» Valeria Kasamara concludes, according to "Novy Region".
Anna Kravchenko, deputy dean of the translation faculty at Moscow State Linguistic University, said that applicants this year—mainly graduates of specialist schools—had already taken Chinese as their foreign language in entrance exams.
«The language’s rarity does not affect admission results, however, since all applicants compete together: whatever the language, they must know it well. Students are also showing strong interest in Arabic, spoken in over 30 countries. This trend will continue,» she explained.
Gennady Gladkov, head of language training and the Bologna Process at MGIMO, is convinced that in 50 years Chinese will certainly be the most sought-after language.
«Chinese is expected to become one of the key languages, or almost the sole key language, in 50 years. I am inclined to believe this: China’s population is growing, as is its economy rapidly. China may come to dominate economically, leaving the United States and other countries behind,» the specialist continues.
«Private universities have responded very keenly to this demand,» says Vladimir Kurdyumov, dean of Oriental studies at Moscow City University’s Institute of Foreign Languages. «Many institutes have now begun training Chinese translators and teachers. There is a critical shortage everywhere, and employers are willing to pay good specialists a substantial premium. This is not unique to our country: Chinese teachers enjoy priority entry rights to Canada, Australia and the United States.