Georgian is the official language of Georgia and it is also spoken by some people in Turkey, Iran, Russia, and a handful of other pockets where Georgians have emigrated. Communicating in Georgia can sometimes be a bit of a struggle, especially in rural areas, but that's part of the fun of teaching abroad and immersing yourself in a new culture!  Even without a single word of Georgian you can survive very well. 

If you are interested in learning a bit more about the language, here are some helpful tips:

by Thomas van Dam, Director of Marketing

For most North American and European people, it is no more than natural that you use someone's surname when addressing them in a polite fashion. In English, in absence of personal pronouns that indicate poiteness or respect, we use 'sir' or 'madam', or 'Mr' and 'Mrs'  followed by their surname. Addressing somebody with their first name surely isn't a sign of respect, right? Well, not in Georgian.

If you've already picked up some Georgian, you might know that the words for sir/mister and madam/mrs are batono (ბატონო) and kalbatono (ქალბატონო). The latter literally translates as 'ladysir' which might seem odd to English speakers. Like most words in Georgian, their history is ancient. 'Batono' originally meant 'lord' or 'protector', used as a more general term for a master in feudal times.

Now the convention for politeness in Georgian is (kal)batono + first name, instead of surname as you might expect. Somebody called Giorgi Mtsvadishvili should be addressed as 'batono Giorgi' (ბატონო გიორგი). Surnames in Georgian are almost exclusively used in the 3rd person, ie when you're talking about somebody. After all, in a country where a quarter of the male population is called Giorgi it helps to specify which Gio you're exactly talking about.

So, when you talk to your school director, or somebody else who you'd want to address in a polite fashion - remember this and use (kal)batono + first name. It will be greatly appreciated by the Georigans, as it tells them that you've taken the effort of learning about their customs and culture - and nothing makes a Georgian happier than knowing that their guests are appreciative of and interested in their culture.

For those of you similar with French or German, you might know that in verbs and tenses the polite form is equal to the plural form. The same goes in Georgian. The polite form for 'you' is 'tkven' (თქვენ) which is also the word for the plural 'you'. Verbs behave the same way - so next  time you're making small talk with your school director upon coming to school in the morning, show him or her that you understand the finer subtleties of the language and tell Mr. Mtsvadishvili 'gamarjobat batono Giorgi, rogora xart?' (გამარჯობათ ბატონო გიორგი, როგორა  ხართ?). The easy way to remember how to be polite? Simply add a T at the end of your 2nd person verbs. A small effort that goes a long way.