How to learn the Georgian language "from scratch" for beginners

The desire to learn the Georgian language may appear in different circumstances. For example, you are planning to come to Georgia for just a couple of weeks, but you want to show the locals that you know individual words and phrases. Or are you thinking about staying in this beautiful sunny country for a long time: just live surrounded by picturesque landscapes or start a business, start a family, buy a house.

In this article I will tell you in which situations it is really necessary to learn the Georgian language, whether it is possible to do it for free and independently "from scratch". I will also share links to courses, schools, teachers of the Georgian language for beginners.

Will knowledge of Russian and English help in Georgia?

I will immediately dispel the most popular fear: even if you absolutely do not speak Georgian, you can easily communicate with the local population if you speak Russian. Thanks to the "Soviet" past, most middle-aged and older Georgians speak Russian well. Young people either know English or also learn Russian, as tourists and expats from Russian–speaking countries are one of the main categories of visitors.

I see only two potential exceptions:

Small villages and remote settlements. Tourists do not always come to such places, and locals do not spend much time in Russian-speaking society. Russian Russian, therefore, even those who once studied Russian in a Russian school, now, perhaps, this language has forgotten. The situation occurs infrequently. And even if you get into it, be sure: the locals are responsive and hospitable people, so with the help of maps, signs, gestures, you will understand each other.

Nationalistic "habits". The phenomenon is rare, but it has a place to be. I confess – I have never been in a situation where I was reproached for not knowing the Georgian language. Yes, they asked why I didn't teach, but they definitely weren't dismissive. Even when I was in the local hospital, and the nurses there didn't speak Russian and English at all – they tried their best to understand and help me. Moreover, taxi drivers have repeatedly been very willing to talk in Russian, as they admitted that they rarely do it, and they would not like to forget the language. But there was a negative experience among friends and acquaintances. I think it's not worth focusing on such situations – in any country with a well-developed tourism, you can find something like this. The main thing is not to touch on political topics, behave as friendly as possible, and I'm sure there will be a minimum of negative impressions.

When is it really necessary to learn Georgian?

The desire to fully "integrate" into society. For example, you marry a Georgian and decide to move to this fabulously beautiful country. Or decide to start a business focused not only on expats. Or you want to find a job in the local market. Or your business is focused on constant communication with different people.

The desire to obtain citizenship. If you want to get a Georgian passport, remember that you will have to take a test for knowledge of history, culture and the Georgian language. Recall that you can apply for citizenship only after 10 years of permanent life in the country.

Just love and interest in Georgia. The Georgian language has really beautiful writing, interesting pronunciation, and given its dissimilarity to other languages, even studying it online yourself, you get a good tool for training your brain. At the same time, the locals respect those who at least try to speak Georgian, even if the level is quite beginner. That is, knowledge of Georgian is an additional way to win people over.

Courses and schools of the Georgian language for beginners: a useful selection

There are more than enough offers to learn the Georgian language "from scratch" online or in a real school. I will highlight only some:

Georgian language in 3 months. There is a choice of courses: both short and long and voluminous. The Georgian language training takes place online independently, according to the videos that the organizers send by e-mail.

Bigwa. The school offers several courses to choose from at different prices, as well as free lessons. Georgian language classes are held online individually. A lot of useful information is in the school's Instagram profile: @bigvaschool.

Georgian language with Sofa. Individual teacher Sofo Goguadze, who conducts both group and personal classes, as well as arranges various marathons, leads a conversation club and, in general, posts a lot of useful information on his Instagram account – @tbilisi_withsofo.

Azri. One of the most famous schools of the Georgian language, which involves a rather serious step-by-step learning for beginners "from scratch" and up to an advanced level. Learning the Georgian language takes place online, there is a free trial marathon for self-development.

Georgia School. Individual classes from any level are possible, as well as group classes for the initial level of training.

To learn the Georgian language online on your own, you can use various profile groups in social networks. For example, on FaceBook:

Georgia. Georgian language

Georgian language

Learning Georgian

Georgian Language Lessons

I recommend adding to everything – administrators constantly offer various training options, a lot of materials on the Georgian language are laid out for free. In addition, there you can also meet like-minded people with whom you can unite for study and conversational practice.

From personal experience: I learned the Georgian language on my own at the most basic level – that is, only the necessary words and expressions. There was no motivation for a deeper study. But if I decided to stay in Georgia, I would definitely have mastered this interesting and rather difficult language. Moreover, in addition to the above–mentioned sources, for example, in groups about Georgia on FaceBook, you can easily find a lot of good tutors offering lessons at more than adequate prices - within $ 5-10 per lesson.

About the history of the Georgian language

It is known that there are about 5,000 languages in the world, but there are only 14 unique fonts, and Georgian is one of them.

Throughout its existence, the Georgian alphabet has undergone three transformations: Asomtavruli, Nushuri and Mkhedruli. Each version of the alphabet has its own graphic style. The oldest alphabet is Asomtavruli. Manuscripts dating back to the I century BC are found on it. Samples of Nushuri have been found since the IX century. Mkhedruli is the one that is used now. The first samples of this letter have been available since the 11th century. Below is a picture of the historical transformation: