English in Russia: To Learn or Not To Learn – That Is the Question


  •  Tatiana Aleksandrovna Legasova    

Abstract

This article explores the issues of the English language position in Russia. In recent years English has emergedas the pre-eminent language for international communication all over the globe. It is spoken by more peoplearound the world than any other language, and is regularly described as a truly ‘global’ language. The authorclaims that the position of English in Russia is not that striking as in the whole world. It is mostly connected withthe geographical position of this huge country/ Russia is the largest country in the world, covering more thanone-eighth of the Earth's inhabited land area. Russia is also the world's ninth most populous nation with 143million people as of 2012. Extending across the entirety of northern Asia and much of Eastern Europe, Russiaspans nine time zones and incorporates a wide range of environments and landforms. The author comes to theconclusion that only the center of Russia (such cities as Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod,Yekaterinburg) exhibits the special role of English for most of the population due to the international companiesthat are mostly located there and offer jobs for people, the most outstanding Universities that invite studentsfrom abroad and international affairs that huge Russian companies accumulated in the above mentioned citieshave with their foreign partners.


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