The Role of Language Attitudes in Constructing Kazakhstani Youth Identity

This study aims to investigate the formation of language identity among Kazakhstani youth (aged 18-25) within the context of the country's trilingual education policy. It explores how language attitudes toward Kazakh, Russian, and English influence personal and civic identification. A mixed-methods research design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 200 university students via structured surveys measuring language proficiency and perceived importance. Qualitative insights were gathered through 20 semi-structured interviews, focusing on three reference groups: Russian-dominant ethnic Kazakhs, Kazakh-dominant non-Kazakhs, and Russian-dominant non-Kazakhs. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic coding based on Tajfel's Social Identity Theory and Baker's language attitude framework. The findings indicate a clear hierarchy in language perception: the Kazakh language (mean score 4.7/5.0) is the primary marker of ethnic and civic identity, while English (4.2/5.0) is viewed through instrumental motivation as a tool for global mobility. Russian (3.5/5.0) remains functionally important but is increasingly perceived as a “habitual” rather than a “symbolic” language. A significant finding is the emergence of “linguistic anxiety” among urban Kazakh youth and the role of digital media (bloggers) in shifting language preferences toward Kazakh. The study proposes a three-tiered structural model of language identity consisting of cognitive-communicative, emotional- evaluative, and socio-cultural dimensions. The results suggest that language identity in Kazakhstan is transitioning from a post-Soviet bilingual model toward a pragmatic Kazakh-English bilingualism rooted in a strong sense of national belonging

Empirical research · Ethnic group · Kazakh · Language assessment · Language policy · Neuroscience of multilingualism · Social identity theory · China's Ethnic Minorities and Relations · Linguistics, Language Diversity, and Identity · Multilingual Education and Policy