An Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Study of Bilingualism in Kazakhstan: Research Traditions and New Directions
Authors
-
Zhanar Ibrayeva
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty, 050000, Kazakhstan
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9094-3034
https://doi.org/10.59102/ammr/2026/iss1art05
Keywords:
bilingualism, multilingualism, interdisciplinarity, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, linguodidactics, neuroscienceAbstract
In the context of a new globalizing world, bilingualism and multilingualism are no longer the exception but are becoming the norm for most of the world’s population. In the context of modern global relationships, which are increasingly complex and fragile, languages have emerged as a significant means of enhancing these relationships. The advent of modern transportation networks has rendered geographical boundaries largely obsolete, thereby facilitating the mobility of individuals across national borders. This phenomenon has given rise to new opportunities in the domains of labor and education, thereby reinforcing the role of language as a tool for facilitating integration into a different socio-cultural context. These global processes pose new challenges for scholars in theoretically understanding bilingualism and multilingualism, as well as shifting the focus of research toward an applied approach. The present article offers a comprehensive overview of research domains in Kazakhstan that are centered on bilingualism. In consideration of the article’s structure, the current review is oriented towards an examination of the predominant trends in bilingualism within the context of Kazakhstani scholarship, without asserting an exhaustive nature of the subject. In the future, this topic requires more in-depth study.
The article employs a comprehensive descriptive approach, a continuous sample, keyword analysis, and definitional and comparative analysis. The research sources encompass scientific publications, regulatory and strategic documents, lexicographic sources, educational and methodological literature. The analysis revealed that further development of bilingualism and multilingualism research requires strengthening the experimental base, expanding corpus data, and incorporating methods from neuroscience and other natural sciences.
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