LANGUAGE IDEOLOGIES OF KAZAKHSTANI YOUTH: THE VALUE OF KAZAKH IN THE CONTEXT OF A CHANGING LINGUISTIC MARKETPLACE

Abstract

This paper focuses on language ideologies of contemporary Kazakhstani young people based on fieldwork conducted in the new capital city of Astana. The Kazakhstani younger generation has complex language ideologies regarding the value of Kazakh, Russian, and English which affect young people’s use of languages in different contexts. Russian is not likely to lose its value in the near future, while the current trends promise an increase in popular support for the use of Kazakh.