Why is Russian one of the main languages taught in schools?

[notevenat20]

I have always wondered this. Secondary schools always teach French but if they do more languages it will be German , Spanish or Russian.

Why Russian? It has little importance for business and people don't tend to go there for holidays. There are not many Russian people in the UK either relatively speaking. Where has this idea come from?

I don’t know a single school that teaches Russian. If you are looking at results then it is quite common for children to sit an “extra” exam in their native language. This is particularly prevalent in London schools and at boarding schools as there can be several Russian students there. Same with Mandarin. It’s not always being taught directly at schools.

No schools round here teach Russian. It's not in the curriculum. Whereabouts are you OP?

No Russian here! 🤨

I think your claim
" It has little importance for business"
is a bit naive. Have you seen how vast the country is or noticed what's going on with their economy? Pretty sure Russia, along with China, is already and going to be a major player in the global economy.

Only place I know where the teach Russian at secondary is grammar.

French Spanish Italian Gaelic and Mandarin round here

Never heard of Russian

I have never heard of a school that teaches Russian

Russia's economy is smaller than Spain's and declining.

I know of no schools that teach Russian

I don't know any that teach Russian. Russian is awesome though, I did it at uni.

Дипне ргщквч фкжбюти аптгня.

We had the option of Russian at my comprehensive school in the 1980s. I think it was a throwback from the cold war. About two students a year took it.

My secondary offered Russian back in early 2000s. Not an area with much immigration. They never really explained why tbh, but it had a high uptake as it was a bit different to the usual French and Spanish.

Some schools in Barnsley taught Russian in the 1980s (not sure if they do now) as part of a sort of socialist twinning thing.

It is one of the UN's 6 official languages and is still used and understood in much of Eastern Europe and beyond...

Having said that there are no doubt other useful languages to learn but I suppose schools can't offer them all.

Having Russian is probably quite an asset for many international careers.

Because then you could talk to the Russian trolls in their mother tongue?

Just checked with DS. His (grammar) school does French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin and Latin - the last two are extra curricular ones.

Not here, it’s Mandarin. Though Russian, Japanese, Greek, Korean, Arabic and Italian are all available extra curricular (they are a mfl centre specialist though), with an mfl choir too).

I've never heard of a school teaching Russian. I think it would be very interesting to learn, because it would go hand in hand with fascinating history and literature. But maybe not necessarily all that useful for the majority of pupils in terms of practicality.

Russia's economy, measured by GDP based on purchasing power parity, is 5th in the world behind China, India, the US and Japan.

No Russian here. Spanish is the default, French and German are offered as extras.

I've never seen Russian as an option. Its French, Spanish or Italian that's offered in ours

1. this isn’t true

2. if it was true, Russia is a massive, interesting place and I’d like to know the language.

3. if it was true, spying purposes obviously

I went to a private schools where the choices were French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Ancient(?) Greek

My kids go to a comp and the choices are French, German, Spanish

Neighbour goes to a private school and the choices are French, German, Spanish, Latin, Mandarin

I've not heard of Russian being a choice

The local Girls High school teaches Russian and Japanese along with the usual. But they are the only ones I aware of. Not heard of any others

I don't think Russian is taught very often. Not really as much as Spanish and German is anyway