The fact is, Russian is useful. In this part of the world, it's the language of business and science" said one Ukrainian ("Ukraine's language," PRI, 2009). Ukrainian is sometimes used in popular music, but that is because it is often used as slang rather than as the dominant language of conversation or commerce.

So the dissenting question arises, if Russian is already so dominant, and understood much of the population that is not solely Russian-speaking: Why not teach Ukrainian in school, and leave bilingual speakers to their own devices? However, if the Ukraine school system must neglect Russian, due to the nation's official policy, than the next generation of children will speak inferior Russian to their Russian and other Slavic counterparts. Russian will persist, but more sophisticated use of the language will ebb away. Another problem is class divisions: Russian is weakest in the poorest sections of the Ukraine. Denying...
[ View Full Essay]