Language Research

In the late Soviet period, fewer than 5% of Russians could speak Kazakh, although the majority of Kazakhs could speak Russian. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russian speakers started to feel the threat of Kazakh becoming the sole language. On the other hand, according to some estimates, as much as 40% of the Kazakh population was not fluent in Kazakh.

The standard language of business was and continues to be Russian. Even for those who are fluent in Kazakh, Russian continues to be the "world language". They consider Kazakh to be a difficult language in science and business because it has never developed a modern technical vocabulary.

The schools reflect the practical superiority of the Russian language as well. Despite efforts to increase the number of schools where Kazakh is the primary language of instruction, Russian appeared to continue its domination in the mid-1990s. In 1990 children in about twice as many schools were taught in the Russian than in Kazakh language. Although institutions of higher education now show a strong selection bias in favor of Kazakh students, Russian is used as a language of instructions for the majority of subjects. Nevertheless, lecturers who teach in Kazakh are paid 15-20% more than those who instruct in Russian.

The 1995 Constitution did not provide for dual citizenship, but it alleviated Russian concerns by declaring Russian as an official language. That status means that Russian would continue as the primary language of communication for many ethnic Kazakhs, and it will remain acceptable for use in schools (a major concern of Russian citizens) and official documents. However, since 1995 there is a requirement that in no less than 15 years all state employees must know Kazakh.