UNDERSTANDING INTERNATIONAL FACULTY MEMBERS’ MOTIVATION AND LANGUAGE LEARNING STRATEGIES FOR LEARNING KAZAKH AT AN EMI UNIVERSITY IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

With the increasing emphasis on multilingualism and globalization, the motivations, and strategies for learning languages other than English have garnered attention among language learning researchers in many countries regarding different contexts. However, there remains a gap in research concerning the motivations and strategies of international university faculty members learning Kazakh language in Kazakhstan, particularly within a university using English medium of instruction. Therefore, the study aims to identify international faculty members’ motivation and challenges in learning Kazakh. The study also aims to reveal their strategies for coping with their challenges in the language learning. Drawing on Dornyei’s theory of the second language motivational self-system and Gardner’s socio-educational model, this qualitative case study explores the experiences of eight international faculty members learning Kazakh. Data were collected using individual semi-structured interviews and analysed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis method. The findings shed light, first, on the motivations driving international faculty members to learn Kazakh, including practical needs (everyday life and professional purposes), respect for the state language, cultural curiosity, personal interest, and family relationships. Second, the findings uncover the challenges faced by participants in their language learning journey, including communication and exposure barriers, instructional hurdles, linguistic and script difficulties, as well as resource and time constraints. Third, findings reveal the strategies employed by participants to overcome these challenges, including coping mechanisms for exposure and communication, participation in Kazakh language courses, and approaches to address linguistic challenges. This study contributes valuable insights to the field of Kazakh language learning as a second language, offering practical implications for both learners and educators to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of language learning processes.

Keywords: Kazakh language, languages other than English (LOTe), international faculty members, second language, motivation, challenges, language learning strategies.