Arefiev A. L. The functioning of the Russian language in the world:problems and ways to solve them. In: Education and science in Russia: state and development potential: Yearbook. Issue 5 ...

Abstract

The article is based on the analysis and generalization of the results of acomprehensive study of the position of the Russian language abroad and the prospectsfor improving its status in foreign countries, carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation by the Center for Social Forecasting and Marketing in the period from October to December 2019 (the author of the article is the scientific leader of the project). On the basis of the collected statistics and a sociological survey of foreign specialists in Russian, it highlights the current state and trends in the spread of the Russian language in the world, including in comparison with other world languages. The main attention is paid to the situation with the Russian-language education and the study of Russian as a subject and a foreign language in the countries of the near and far abroad in all types of educational organizations, as well as outside the academic sector. Against the background of the continuing decline in the number of those who speak Russian in the world, the stabilization of the number of the contingent in Russian-language schools in a number of CIS countries has been noted. The positive experience is considered and shortcomings in the support of the Russian language abroad are indicated, a set of priority measures is proposed to increase the status (prestige) of the Russian language in the world.