Language Choice Among the Youth of Kazakhstan: English as a Self-Representation of Prestige

Abstract

Due to its popularity in the world, the scope of English functioning is changing nowadays. In Kazakhstan, English is the most taught foreign language in the educational system of Kazakhstan and the world. It is an education discipline as well as the medium of instruction both at secondary and tertiary schools which is supported at the state level. Being in the Expanding circle, English in Kazakhstan is perceived as a language of developed world and prestige. It is clearly observable among the young people. Based on sociolinguistic and discourse-analytic approach, the paper focuses on the analysis of students’ speech. By examining daily conversations and social networks of students, the present paper demonstrates that the use of English in Kazakhstan's linguistic landscape serves as a means of constructing identity and communality. The results demonstrate that English is perceived as a language of developed countries, developed economies, therefore, prestige.

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