How Perceptions of the English Language Have Changed in Kazakhstan: A Narrative Analysis

What is it about?

This study offers an overview of how perceptions of the English language in_x000D_ Kazakhstan have altered over time, due to political, economic, social and technological changes. Three generational shifts were identified, each reflective of sociocultural changes that have taken place in Kazakhstan as it has transitioned from a Soviet republic to a modern Indigenous nation, with the Kazakh government, specifically the Ministry of Education, stating that English proficiency is a key requirement for their modernization process. Data indicated that non-ethnic Kazakhs who gained high-level proficiency in English and are between 25 and 48 years of age, often learned English in hopes of emigrating. Additionally, Kazakh youth between 16 and 21 years of age, with high-level proficiency in English, self-identify as cosmopolitan. The ongoing popularity of English may eventually threaten the Kazakh language._x000D_

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