MULTILINGUAL IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION AMONG HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

The growing significance of English as a global lingua franca has enabled individuals to engage with different cultures and perspectives, developing flexible, multilingual identities (Benzehaf, 2021). Although Uzbekistan is a multilingual country where Uzbek, Russian, and English are integral to daily life, research on how this multilingual nature and linguistic experiences shape identity is limited. This qualitative phenomenological study explores how multilingual English learners perceive and engage with their linguistic repertoires within a globalized and multilingual environment. Using the multi-theoretical framework proposed by Fisher et al. (2018), this study examines students’ multilingual identity construction through sociocultural, psychosocial, and poststructuralist perspectives. Based on semi-structured interviews with 12 students—eight from Presidential Schools and four from a Kazakh-medium mainstream school in Uzbekistan—the findings showed that English dominates STEAM instruction and is considered an essential tool for academic and career growth. In contrast, Uzbek, Kazakh or Tajik, the native languages of the interviewed participants, remain fundamental in familial and emotional aspects. Therefore, students reported engaging in pragmatic multilingualism, strategically using English to develop personally and professionally while attempting to preserve their heritage languages. The study also has three key findings: translanguaging, maintaining heritage languages, and using English as a psychological space for self-reflection. Informed by the findings, the following implications and recommendations are given: (1) developing and promoting high-quality educational content in students’ native languages, (2) implementing translanguaging practices, and (3) integrating critical language awareness into curricula. This study contributes to the growing literature on identity, language practices among youth, and the role of English in social and professional advancement.