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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.

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This paper examines the relationships that young bilingual and multilingual Qazaqs have with the Qazaq and Russian languages, especially how their outlooks have developed in the past four years. I have conducted a written survey with Qazaqs from all over the country. The survey covers each language the respondent speaks, asking about their background with the language (including when they learned it, with whom they use it, and what kind of media they might consume in it) and their attitudes towards the language (including whether they will pass the language down to their children, and what associations they might have with the language). Overall, I have found that Qazaqs are very proud of their knowledge of Qazaq, and plan to pass down the language to their children as much as they can. There is no broad trend on whether respondents have shifted more towards Russian or Qazaq in their daily lives, because this greatly depends on their social circle. However, many respondents expressed a desire to speak Qazaq more cleanly, or read more in Qazaq. Unlike Qazaq, attitudes towards Russian varied significantly between respondents. They did not express pride in speaking Russian, but many respondents emphasized how Russian allows communication between different ethnic groups and lets them access a broader variety of literature. Only a few respondents directly associated the Russian language with the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, however others expressed their negative feelings towards Russian by emphasizing its imperial history and their memories of its role in the oppression of Qazaq language. There is a very small body of sociolinguistic literature in English about Qazaqstan, and I hope to contribute up-to-date evidence showing that Qazaq is becoming a well-respected language in Qazaqstan, while public opinions on Russian are much more mixed.

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In multilingual societies, parents’ beliefs, attitudes, and everyday language practices have a significant impact on their children’s early language environments. In Kazakhstan, where many nations and languages coexist in a complex sociolinguistic landscape, multilingual and multiethnic parents must decide which language to prioritize for their children’s early development. These decisions are influenced by parental language ideologies - beliefs and assumptions about language value, use, and identity - which are embedded in broader sociopolitical and educational contexts (Spolsky, 2004; Curdt-Christiansen, 2009). While previous research in Kazakhstan has looked at parental attitudes toward trilingual education policies and language use among school-aged children, there has been less focus on parental perspectives during the early stages of language acquisition.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the language ideologies that multilingual ethnic Kazakh parents hold about their children’s first language, to identify the factors that shape these beliefs, and to examine how parents’ stated language intentions correspond to language practices in everyday home interactions. The study uses a qualitative multiple-case study design with multilingual and transnational families in Kazakhstan raising children aged 12 to 24 months. Data will be gathered through semi-structured interviews, observations of parent-child interactions at home, and artifact analysis of language-related materials.

The expected findings indicate that parental language ideologies are influenced by a combination of national language policies, sociocultural identity considerations, and perceived educational and socioeconomic opportunities associated with various languages. The study contributes to the field of family language policy by shedding light on how parental beliefs and practices interact in the early stages of language development in multilingual families. Understanding these processes has significant implications for multilingual education and language policy in Kazakhstan.

Keywords: family language policy, language ideologies, multilingualism, first language acquisition, translational families.

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This paper examines the role of Bata blessings in contemporary Kazakhstan (1991–2024), focusing on their function beyond traditional ritual. Bata blessings are a Turkic oral tradition based on the strong belief that words can remove dishonor and bring well-being. This study argues that, while mostly recognized for conveying positive wishes and respect, bata blessings also function as a subtle form of socio-political critique. Drawing on a corpus of 15 bata blessings directed at politicians, collected from social media platforms and televised events, the analysis uses discourse analysis to examine how speakers construct meaning within this spoken genre. It shows that, by using the cultural respect devoted to bata, speakers subtly assert influence and deliver critique, shifting the usual balance of authority in public interactions. I categorize these blessings into three functional roles: as a medium of exchange, a guideline, and a tool for critique. The main findings suggest that bata as an exchange tool tends to appear in informal, localized contexts, whereas critique-oriented bata is more likely to be uttered in the presence of larger audiences. The guideline function, though less frequent, stands out for its prescriptive tone, including the use of second-person imperative forms, which contrasts with the standard form of bata. By examining bata as a medium of indirect critique, this research contributes to broader discussions on the role of language in politics and the ways cultural traditions shape public communication. It shows how oral genres can serve both as a site of cultural preservation and as a tool for negotiating power in contemporary societies.