Language Choice and Language Attitude in a Multilingual Kazakhstani University: A Sociolinguistic Study

Abstract

The topic of multilingualism in Kazakhstan has a complex and intricate nature, which affects the lives and the education process of the Kazakhstani students. The purpose of this research lies in exploring the language attitudes students have towards the languages they use, and the reasoning behind language choices they make. The research questions generated for this research are: 1. What are the language choices and language attitudes of Kazakhstani university students? 2. What factors affect the language choices and attitudes of Kazakhstani university students? The paper strives to fill the information gap on the topic of preferred languages and language attitude in the chosen sample. This field of research was chosen for a diploma project because the topic resonates with many of the students, considering that many of us experience usage of different languages for different purposes due to the multilingual nature of universities. The data collected on this subject needs to be constantly updated in order to be relevant due to the fact that the linguistic tendencies often shift. For this research, a quantitative approach was chosen, and the primary method of data collection is employing a survey. A total of 123 responses were gathered. The research outcomes show that Kazakhstani students have varying opinions on the three main languages used by them, and the major findings indicate that Russian is one of the most favored languages, English the more prestigious language, and Kazakh is the language used most often in domestic environments. The reasons behind such attitudes include personal identity, social class, cultural heritage, and the pursuit of valuable education, among some other reasons