Abstract

The issue of language remains sensitive in Kazakhstan; it is also evident in public controversies, where businesses that fail to provide services in the Kazakh language are subject to boycotts. According to the 2021 census, 80% of Kazakhstan’s population knows the Kazakh language, but only 49% of Kazakhstan’s population uses it in daily life. However, the number of Kazakh language learners has increased significantly recently. This includes a significant increase in the number of participants in Kazakh-speaking clubs (Batyl bol, Mamile, and others) as well as the growing popularity of Kazakh language-related social media accounts (Qazaq grammar, Qazaq bubble, and others). In these cases, there was no government support or intervention; it was bottom-up mobilization. By employing the content-analysis technique, this research analyzes the major reasons behind social mobilization around the Kazakh language and its learners. With Kazakhstan’s growing global visibility through cultural figures such as singer Dimash Kudaibergen and Q-pop (Ninety One, etc.), people outside Kazakhstan have begun to show interest in the Kazakh language. In addition to that, the Russian-Ukrainian war and the inflow of Russian migrants have surprisingly increased the number of Kazakh language learners. This study looks at the different ways people mobilize around Kazakh language learning. This paper argues that recent mobilization around Kazakh language learning is driven not primarily by state policy but by bottom-up civic initiatives. Kazakh-speaking clubs and online platforms such as Batyl Bol, Mamile, and Qazaq Grammar function as informal networks of activism that mobilize participants through community engagement and digital communication.