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In the heart of Central Asia, young Kazakhs are embarking on a journey to learn their native language, driven by a growing sense of cultural pride and political engagement. This movement is fostering a stronger national identity and democratic participation within the country.
Valeria Gerdt, a resident of the West Kazakhstan region, is one such individual. Two years ago, she began her Kazakh language learning journey to better understand the local culture. Like Valeria, many young Kazakhs are inspired by the rich history and traditions that the language represents.
Maria Amanbaeva, another language learner, started her journey at the age of 15 when she moved to Western Kazakhstan. She advises not to be afraid to speak Kazakh, even if one makes mistakes. Danil, another learner, shares a similar sentiment, encouraging those just starting to learn not to give up, as learning a language takes effort and consistency.
Danil, who lives in an area where native speakers aren't abundant, finds it challenging to practice what he's learned, making his language more literary than conversational. However, he appreciates the structure of sentences in the Kazakh language and finds auxiliary verbs particularly fascinating. He shares an example of how knowing Kazakh saved him from being deceived at work.
Maria notes that in the villages, people speak Kazakh even when they see someone of a different nationality. She recommends several tools for learning Kazakh, including books, apps, movies, music, magazines, and listening to folk music. She also mentions the large size of sentences in Kazakh as a difficulty and notes that the language can sound different in each region.
Regional dialect differences, such as "shisch" for "please", "bana" for "baghana", "kespe" for "koje", "nan" for "deau", and "uaq" for small change, are examples Maria shares to illustrate these regional differences.
Journalist Anastasia Ulchenko, from the Almaty region in Kazakhstan, is a testament to this cultural resurgence. Anastasia, who speaks Russian, Ukrainian, Turkish, English, and Korean, and is learning Uzbek and Kyrgyz, uses Kazakh in interviews and runs a TikTok account where she teaches others about Kazakh language specifics. She finds Turkic languages easy but finds Kazakh particularly beautiful and rich.
The emphasis on Kazakh language education is supported by inspiring teachers and institutional encouragement. Universities such as Ablai Khan Kazakh University of International Relations and World Languages promote language learning by combining academic, professional, and patriotic activities, involving students in military oaths and offering youth placement programs that build real-world skills alongside language proficiency.
Language learning apps like uTalk, offering Kazakh phrases and practice through engaging games and speaking exercises, provide accessible tools for young learners to build language skills at their own pace. However, these apps tend to focus on phrases rather than deep language development.
Innovations in professional development programs, such as open lessons where teachers share pedagogical techniques, are improving the quality of Kazakh language instruction, indirectly benefiting young learners by making lessons more engaging and effective.
Research shows that Kazakh youth’s political culture influences their engagement, with stronger national values encouraging participation in political life. Learning Kazakh is part of embracing this culture, which supports working within institutional frameworks and promotes a pragmatic approach to democracy in Kazakhstan.
For Danil, learning Kazakh has been a valuable gift, helping him make new friends and like-minded people. He believes that speech is a valuable gift from the Creator, and learning Kazakh has been a rewarding experience.
In summary, young Kazakhs are choosing to learn Kazakh due to a mix of cultural pride, political engagement, inspiring teaching, university programs, and modern technological tools that make learning more accessible and meaningful. These resources and methods collectively support their motivation and ability to master the language.
- Valeria Gerdt, inspired by the rich history and traditions that Kazakh language represents, embarked on a journey to learn her native language two years ago, fostering her connection to her cultural heritage.
- Daniel, finding the structure of sentences in Kazakh fascinating, appreciates the language's literary aspect, despite facing challenges in practicing it due to a lack of native speakers in his area.
- Anastasia Ulchenko, a polyglot who teaches others about Kazakh language specifics on TikTok, finds Turkic languages easy but finds Kazakh particularly beautiful and rich, reflecting the growing sense of cultural pride among Kazakh youth.
