“I ended up in this profession by chance. Previously, I obtained categories C and D to drive trucks in Europe, as many were then eager to leave. However, due to a lack of experience, I was not hired, and I came here,” shares Urmat.
Some believe that knowing many languages means a person must earn a lot. People ask what I am doing here. But everyone’s life is different, and circumstances force us to work in various places.
Urmаt is convinced that regardless of the field of activity, it is important to constantly develop and acquire new skills. “I studied Arabic and Turkish at the university. I learned Russian because there were no Kyrgyz materials in the study resources, and I translated words and texts into Russian. Then I learned English to go to Dubai. In 2017-2018, I planned a trip to South Korea, where knowledge of the language was required, so I started learning Korean. Now I am mastering German because I find it interesting,” he explains.
Urmаt Kalmаtov - bus driver number 103. He speaks six languages fluently and is learning a seventh.
According to Urmat, the most challenging language for him was Arabic due to its phonetic and grammatical features. He noted that at the time he was learning Arabic, he had no experience with other languages. “If we talk about grammar, Arabic belongs to the Semitic languages, its structure is completely different from Russian and Kyrgyz. The grammar of Turkish and Korean, on the other hand, is similar to Kyrgyz, which is why I mastered Korean in two and a half months,” Urmat clarifies.
Urmаt Kalmаtov - bus driver number 103. He speaks six languages fluently and is learning a seventh.
He studied languages both in courses and independently.
“My mom allocated money for me to take Turkish language courses. I studied for eight months, completed the full course, and received a certificate. When it was time to learn English, there was enough money for only two months, after which I continued to study independently,” says Urmat.
Urmаt Kalmаtov - bus driver number 103. He speaks six languages fluently and is learning a seventh.
He also emphasizes that knowledge of languages is useful in his work, as there are increasingly more foreigners among the passengers.
“Once, a girl who looked like a Korean got on the bus. She closed the mirror, and I first told her in Kyrgyz to move. Then in Russian, and then I tried in Korean. She seemed to understand but replied 'no', and we switched to English. It turned out she was from China, studying at a university in Bishkek, and her parents work here. We had a good conversation,” he recalls.
Knowledge of languages also helps Urmat communicate with students from Pakistan and India, as well as with migrants from Bangladesh.
Urmаt Kalmаtov - bus driver number 103. He speaks six languages fluently and is learning a seventh.
For Urmat, working as a driver is not an obstacle to personal growth. He believes that it is important not only how you earn but also what you do for yourself. Learning languages, developing new skills, and being able to communicate with people—this is what he believes is useful in any profession.
“It doesn’t matter where you work; the main thing is to keep learning and enjoy what you do,” emphasizes Urmat.
