FEATURES OF THE LANGUAGE SITUATION IN THE WESTERN REGION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Abstract. The article is devoted to the study of the language situation in the western region of the Republic of Kazakhstan, where the interaction of Kazakh, Russian, and English reflects modern sociolinguistic trends and processes of globalization. The aim of the research is to analyze the multilingual experience of students and the linguistic landscape of cities in order to identify the factors influencing the dynamics of the language situation and the status of languages in the region. The empirical basis consists of audio recordings of trilingual conversations of students from four regional centers, 40 semi-structured interviews, as well as 4,628 written signs of the urban space. The methods applied include content analysis, semantic and pragmatic analysis, quantitative calculation, and ethnographic interviews. The analysis revealed that Russian–Kazakh hybrid forms predominate in students’ speech, English is more often used in a status-prestigious function, while Kazakh remains the main marker of cultural identity. In the linguistic landscape of the region, 69% of information is presented in Russian, 24% in English, and only 7% in Kazakh, which indicates the asymmetry of language policy in the urban space. The obtained results make it possible to objectively assess the language situation and to formulate recommendations for improving language policy aimed at strengthening the role of the Kazakh language while preserving interethnic harmony and cultural diversity.