Untitled

saxelmwifo enis swavlebis sakiTxebi:
problemebi da gamowvevebi
Issues of State Language Teaching;
Problems and Challenges
� We have got the photo-material made in the schools, also the audiorecords of the interviews that ensures
the reliability of the research.
Analysis of qualitative research:
Ligita Grigole: Latvian University, (OSCE/HCHM), multilingual education expert:
� There are total 149 schools in Georgia (though from 2011 the number of Russian schools is decreasing)
where the teaching language is Russian (Tabatadze, 2010). As Ms. Grigule states, the majority of students
of those schools are not ethnic Russians (Armenians, Azeris, Ossetians, Kurds, Georgians…) that creates a
great problem in process of teaching of official language because for the students the learning of the official
language is relegated to the background in the conditions of the teaching language (Russian) and study of one
mandatory foreign language.
� The significant preventive factor is non-existence of the Georgian surrounding in the compactly inhabited
areas;
� Low involvement of parents in the process or often negative attitude to the bilingual education, a reason
of which may be the lack of awareness.
Davit Zatiashvili, multilingual education expert (since 2010 the representative of the National Curriculum
and Assessment center):
The goal of bilingual education for the ethnic minorities residing in Georgia is not only to provide the adequate
teaching of the official language but to ensure the learning of their native language at the academic level
because the success in the second language to some extent is conditioned by the level of mastering of the
native language.
According to the data of January 2011 only 17 application forms were considered and approved out of
the application forms of 40 pilot schools.
The work for ensuring the training of teachers of academic subjects in the Georgian language is also in
process. The following is planned: creation of guidebooks (in cooperation with foreign experts), conduct of
intensive monitoring and research in some schools for elaboration of the appropriate teaching technologies;
introduction of multilingual education in all non-Georgian-speaking schools financed by the government since
the academic year 2011-2012. For the nearest future it is planned to make amendments in the General Education
Law of Georgia, according to which the bilingual education (the official language + the native language)
will be mandatory for all non-Georgian speaking schools in Georgia.
Based on the current analysis data there has been noted the significance of the social factors that implies
the readiness of both majority and minorities to and public awareness of the bilingual education; what positive
outcomes may its right implementation bring; what threats may occur in case of its wrong implementation;
and in general, what is the significance of knowledge of the official language for minorities and so on.
Quantitative research analysis
As a result of elaboration of the questionnaire was revealed the positive attitude to the bilingual education
from the side of respondents as well as the increased interest in and demand for the learning of the official
language. The majority of schools before the piloting had had no experience in line of the bilingual teaching,
though in some schools a few subjects were taught in the Georgian language only due to the of absence of the
desirable teacher. However, such teaching did not take into account the peculiarities of method of teaching in
the second language, the communication between the teachers and students speaking different languages was
a problem.
� 74% of the respondents have agreed that the need in the teaching of the official language in their regions
really exists;
� Learning the official language through the bilingual education is considered as the significant ground
for integration by 100% of the respondents. They explained that this was the reason of involvement of their
schools in the process of piloting of the multilingual education;
� 34.8% of the polled school principals have had no experience in the bilingual teaching; only 26.1 %
have participated in various projects. 47.7% have noted that in their schools they have teachers who have taken
part in various trainings and who have got certain experience in the bilingual teaching which they are sharing
with other teachers.
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