Abstract

This study examines the linguistic landscapes of Taraz and Karagandy, two regional cities in Kazakhstan, in order to explore how historical background, language policy, and globalization shape visible language practices in post-Soviet urban spaces. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Linguistic Landscape studies the research analyzes the visibility, salience, and placement of languages on commercial and public signage. The study applies Elana Shohamy and Bernard Spolsky’s language policy and sign-making theory, which conceptualizes signage as the outcome of interactions between sign owners, sign-makers, readers, and language management authorities. In addition, Pavlenko’s post-Soviet de-russification framework is employed to interpret processes of language erasure, replacement, upgrading, downgrading, regulation, and transgression.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of commercial signage, supplemented by informal interviews with residents, reveals significant regional differences. Taraz demonstrates strong Kazakh-dominant practices, frequent monolingual Kazakh signage, and instances of Kazakh-English bilingualism that reflect both de-russification and globalization. Karagandy, by contrast, shows a higher prevalence of Russian monolingual and Kazakh-Russian bilingual signage, including transgressive signs that violate official language placement norms.

The findings suggest that smaller cities respond differently to external influences such as migration from the Russian Federation and global economic integration. Taraz appears to be at a more advanced stage of symbolic de-russification and language loyalty, while Karagandy reflects a more persistent Russian linguistic presence linked to demographic composition and Soviet industrial heritage. The study contributes to post-Soviet sociolinguistics by demonstrating that linguistic landscapes in regional cities provide nuanced insight into language ideology, identity construction, and the ongoing negotiation between national language policy and everyday linguistic practice.