Al Hasakah – Majid Al Salem
The city of Qamishli in al-Hasakah, northeastern Syria, has a remarkable spread of language institutions, offering courses consistently throughout the year for different ages and levels.
Attendance numbers are rapidly increasing at these institutions. Inab BaladiAccording to his observations, while the main motivation for learning a language is to enhance a curriculum vitae (CV) in order to secure a job, some students also use it to develop themselves and pass school exams. That's what I'm aiming for.
said Hassan Al Khalif, 36, who holds a degree in economics. Inab Baladi Many job advertisements require proficiency in English, although you are working to learn English to obtain a position within an organization operating in the region.
He said that job announcements in Qamishli usually require applicants to be fluent in English, especially when there is competition to secure a job opportunity in an organization that offers an attractive salary in USD. Even more so, he added.
The young man associated the proliferation of language learning institutions with the existence of organizations and compared the salaries offered by the private, autonomous, and government sectors with the salaries offered by the organizations in dollar terms. Therefore, he wants to learn the language even if his proficiency level is very low.
In August 2023, the Autonomous Authority of North East Syria (AANES) increased the salaries of its employees by 100%, from the minimum salary of 520,000 Syrian pounds to 1.04 million Syrian pounds (approximately $70). On the other hand, the organization offers dollar salaries starting from $300. (4.5 million pounds).
Reasons for the rush to attend language schools include declining educational standards and parents' dissatisfaction with the educational level of schools. Therefore, some people insist on enrolling their children, who are students of basic and secondary education qualifications (baccalaureate), in language institutions.
Hassan Al Sheikh, a 39-year-old Qamishli resident and father of a Grade 9 student, said: Inab Baladi He enrolled his daughter in a public school, but suffered from severely overcrowded classes and teacher neglect, especially in English and French.
He said that his daughter's language level at her new school had declined, forcing him to enroll her in a language school in addition to courses in mathematics, physics and chemistry.
Family reunification process requires language skills
Germany is the main destination for people from this region who have sought refuge in European countries, which makes learning the German language increasingly important. This interest stems from the fact that German embassies require applicants to obtain a German language certificate as part of the required documentation for travel to Germany.
Hanaa, 26, from Qamishli, has a degree in French, but was forced to learn German because she is now engaged to someone who lives in Germany.
Hanaa said Inab Baladi Learning German is one of the requirements for fiancé and family reunion, for which educational institutions must be recognized, like Goethe's certification, and language proficiency exams will be held in Beirut or Erbil It is to be done. The educational institution is intended to facilitate language learning but does not provide internationally recognized certificates.
She explained that tuition fees at educational institutions are high, ranging from $250 up to $500 depending on the institution, teaching method and number of people in the course, and some institutions trade in euros.
Hanaa also pointed out that some of the people learning German at the institute are doctors and engineers who want to travel to Germany.
Payment in dollars and euros
Fadel Al Ali, a 39-year-old English teacher, said: Inab Baladi It can be assumed that there was a great demand for language learning in the preceding years. Educational institutions did not limit courses to 9th grade and baccalaureate as before. Nowadays, as people aspire to travel and find jobs in international and local organizations, there is demand from all ages and educational backgrounds, and the number of language schools in Qamishli alone is around 15. is increasing.
He added that opportunities to teach English and other languages are now well and widely available, whether within research institutions, within organizations or through the provision of private lessons.
Regarding the most commonly learned languages, Al Ali said English is followed by German, followed by French and Russian. As for fees, these institutions vary depending on the type of course, with English courses costing approximately $400 per level and German courses costing approximately 300 euros.