CHOOSING BETWEEN KAZAKH AND RUSSIAN: A STUDY OF YOUNG ETHNIC KAZAKHS’ LANGUAGE CHOICES THROUGH THE LENS OF HABITUS

Abstract

The russification policy of the USSR has significantly influenced the Kazakh language which was considered as a minority language in its own territory for a long period (Smagulova, 2008). Consequently, previous studies showed that Russian is still a dominant language in Kazakhstani society, especially among the younger generation....