Learning Russian
Why you should learn it: With over 250 million speakers worldwide, Russian is the 9th most spoken language in the world. It is one of the six official languages of the UN, the official language of the Russian Federation, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and a co-official language of many more. Russia’s history as a global superpower stretches from the Russian Empire and Peter the Great to the rise and fall of the Soviet Union and today’s Vladimir Putin-led Russian Federation. The nation’s economy, unshackled from communism just over 20 years ago, and spurred on by its vast natural resources, is growing quickly. Since 2011, Russia’s GDP has been growing at the third fastest rate among the world’s leading economies. It is the world’s 8th largest exporting nation, the third largest exporter of coal, and the world’s largest exporter of both oil and natural gas. What people don’t know? Russia’s IT exports have been growing by 30-40% a year since 2000, making Russia the world’s third largest exporter of software. In 20 short years, Russia has gone from the bread line to the high line, and speaking Russian could be your ticket there as well.
Spend one week in February in Moscow and you’ll know it’s going to take more than Russian Standard to make it through the winter. The Russian economy is heating up, but if you want to be a part of its thriving IT industry or take advantage of its opportunities in natural resources, you need to speak the language. Moscow, former home to the Czars, Soviet Premiers, and now the all-powerful Putin will be home to the BRIC language guides. Starting in 2014, BRIC will bring you today’s modern Russian. Stay tuned for more on BRIC’s Revolutionary Russian program.
Learning Hindi
Why you should learn it: With 490 million speakers worldwide, Hindi is the fourth most spoken language in the world and the official language of India, one of the dynamic BRIC economies. In 1991, after 40 years of Soviet-style managed economics, endemic corruption and inefficiency, the Indian free market economy was unleashed on the world. This economic rocket ship has produced growth rates of 7-9% for the better part of the last decade. India is already the worlds 9th largest economy, 2nd largest exporter of software, and largest provider of business process outsourcing in the world. In 20 short years, India has become the democratic rival to communist China for the top spot among fastest growing major economies.
It’s not always pretty and can be completely chaotic, but the excitement is intoxicating and that cannot be denied. Spend a day in Mumbai, or an hour in Delhi, and you’ll realize that your hopes of India being easy to navigate because of its history as a British colony were farfetched at best. Navigating the Indian business world is even more difficult. In order to make it in the chaotic, frustrating, but exciting world of Indian business you need to speak Hindi. BRIC’s language guides will be based in India’s financial capital, Mumbai. We will bring you today’s modern Hindi so you can join the fast-paced world of Indian business. Stay tuned for more information on when BRIC will be opening offices in Mumbai!
Learning Arabic
Why you should learn it: Arabic is spoken by 290 million people, making it the 5th most widely spoken language in the world. It is an official language of the UN and 26 countries worldwide. Among those countries are the economic juggernauts of the United Arab Emirates (Dubai), Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. It’s not just oil and natural gas that are fueling these vibrant economies; all are becoming less dependent on natural resources by the minute. Thriving financial sectors, high-end tourism, and ever expanding manufacturing have fed an explosive construction boom in the Middle East. The entire region is being transformed from an economic desert into an oasis.
Dubai is a tourist destination, financial center, and a place where money is made and dreams come true. It will also be home to the BRIC Arabic language guides. This Emirate however, is no place to “get rich quick.” It requires hard work, intelligence, and a thorough knowledge of not only the language but the culture. This is obvious when you step off the plane. We’ll be making an ancient language as modern as Dubai’s impressive skyline so stay tuned for more information on BRIC’s Arabic program.