PARENTS’ PERCEPTIONS OF EARLY L3 ACQUISITION AND TEYL POLICIES IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) is a global phenomenon that emerged in response to the belief that earlier and longer exposure to English enhances individuals’ social and economic opportunities in a globalized world. In Kazakhstan, TEYL is embedded within the trilingual education policy, which promotes the integration of Kazakh, Russian, and English both as subjects and mediums of instruction. Introduced in Grade 1 in 2012, the TEYL policy was designed to help young learners obtain necessary language skills for gradual trilingual education in higher grades. However, throughout the decade, TEYL policy has undergone multiple revisions due to implementation challenges and concerns about age appropriateness and its impact on Kazakh language revitalization. In 2023, the starting age was officially raised to Grade 3, accompanied by reforms in curriculum, textbooks, and assessment systems. Despite these changes, the highly centralized governance of Kazakhstan’s education system has limited the inclusion of key stakeholders—particularly parents—in policymaking processes. As such, this qualitative phenomenological study explores parents’ perceptions of early L3 acquisition and TEYL policy in primary schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven parents from four cities in northern and southern Kazakhstan, whose children began learning English in primary schools. Findings reveal that while most parents support early L3 acquisition and view children as cognitively capable, several expressed concerns regarding children’s varied learning abilities, cognitive overload, and English influence over Kazakh language revitalization. Furthermore, TEYL in primary schools was perceived as moderately effective: functional but inadequate in developing strong communicative competence. Parents criticized limited instructional hours, a lack of phonics-based instruction, disconnected curricula, and insufficient real-world language application. By centering parental perspectives, this study contributes to the growing literature on stakeholder involvement in language policy and underscores the need for more inclusive, context-sensitive approaches to TEYL.