Thoughts inspired by the President’s Message
The future belongs to the youth. And every country that thinks about its future primarily develops education especially in century of scientific and technological achievements. Therefore, our young people must learn and master new knowledge and skill to effectively use the latest knowledge and technology in everyday life. The President tirelessly calls to create all possible for this and provide the most favorable conditions.
Prioritizing works in education, the President in his address to the people of Kazakhstan «Strategy» Kazakhstan-2050»: a new policy established state» noted that, as in the world, Kazakhstan will need to adopt new methods of preschool education. And in the course of an interactive lecture in the walls of the Nazarbayev University, he ordered the government to implement trilingualism in pre-school: «First, based on international best practices to introduce modern teaching methods in preschool educational institutions, they must be innovative, with the formation of technology and creativity. Second, elaborate system offer for preschool enrollment of children. Third, widespread of the trilingualism at pre-school education. So we can construct a logical system of language acquisition. Foundations will learn at kindergarten, school basic level, university or college — professional language according the specialty».
The idea of N. Nazarbayev about trilingual was dictated by integration of our country into the world community and the desire to overcome the language barrier, remaining from the Soviet era.
Not by chance, our President said in his address to the nation to become a developed and competitive state, we need to become highly educated nation. In today’s world a simple universal literacy is obviously not enough. Our citizens must be prepared to continuously acquire the necessary skills to work at the most advanced equipment and the most modern production. There is a need to pay great attention to the functional literacy of our children, as whole, just the younger generation. It is important that our children have been adapted to modern life.
Once the great Abay dreamed about lifting the Kazakh culture and literature to the Russian and European level. Achieving this has played a huge role in the development of the nation, has helped to broaden the scope of progress. But the leader of the nation, given the realities of the modern world, set new and more challenging task trilingualism. To Russian language that played a positive role was added English language, which will help to broaden the scope of current knowledge, successfully acquire new technologies and push the boundaries of business.
And this does not limit the application of the traditional Russian language, as the President clearly said at a public meeting of the Karaganda region December 2, 2012:
«Gradually, the Kazakh national language will be the main language of the country. And this language will all unite and make everyone equal. Russian language we all need to know. And children must remember that through Russian language Kazakhs came to world culture. Moreover, we have centuries-old life together here».
In addition, the President of Kazakhstan, highlighted several advantages of the Russian language: In what language I spoke to at the UN, if not Russian? You cannot lose the wealth that you have. And the more a person knows the language, so it becomes more cultured. In addition, the Russian language — it’s a great language, the language of the great writers».
Speaking about the benefits trilingualism, Nazarbayev said: «This is not an idle question. We and our children should know English. Now, when I visit any school, all children speak three languages. This is the right approach».
English is demanded in technical universities. If for many decades we could use only the Russian language, by the way, quite effectively, today modern technologies, and the best non-fiction literature in English. Therefore, without knowing this language is an obstacle to mastering advanced knowledge, and our specialists tomorrow may be outstanding on the labor market.
Thus, trilingualism is very demanded in order to raise the qualification level of Kazakhstani specialists. Indeed, without the knowledge of technical terminology in English and Russian languages is impossible to work in the modern workplace.
At the same time, trilingualism should be brought on the basis of existing subjects. For example, history, literature and other humanities better to teach in all educational groups in the Kazakh language.
Besides that, it was planned to create world-class colleges, where training will be provided in three languages. Meanwhile, higher and postgraduate education and training will be implemented in stages in Kazakh, Russian and foreign languages.
The President personally devoted much effort to provide the younger generation a great opportunity to obtain a better education: the program «Balapan» work Smart Schools, Nazarbayev University, «Bolashak» program. Total currently operates six secondary educations «Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools» in 4000 with an enrollment of pupils.
Besides, there are 33 special schools with instruction in three languages «Murager» contingent of nearly five thousand students.
Launched in 2004 experiment, in 32 schools on studying the English language since the second grade in the amount of two hours per week, is already expanded from the second grade in 115 schools in 2011. This is a school for gifted children and school gymnasium. Over 51 thousand people, 114 of them in urban schools and 11 rural are studying there. Over 15,000 children enrolled in Kazakh-Turkish high schools, there are taught in four languages.
Offering leave to our descendants a modern language, which by the experience of our ancestors would have been created and harmoniously modern trail. The President announced in his message the task, since 2025 to start translating our alphabet from Cyrillic to Latin, which will create the conditions for our integration into the world, the best children to learn English and the language of the Internet, and most importantly — it will give impetus to the modernization of the Kazakh language.
January 9, the President Nursultan Nazarbayev at the annual award ceremony of the Presidential and State scholarship in literature and art pointed out a huge impact on the development of national culture of the upcoming transfer of the Kazakh language to Latin.
The President said that a huge impact on the development of national culture will translate upcoming Kazakh language to Latin. However, he warned that this process should be well prepared and measured. It is important to remember that in the twentieth century, based on the Cyrillic graphics gained a huge reservoir of literary and scientific heritage of the Kazakh language. It is important that this national treasure was not lost for future generations of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan President stressed that this transformation has already caused resonance among our foreign partners. «Some people absolutely groundless saw this kind of „evidence“ changed geopolitical preferences of Kazakhstan. Nothing like that. On this account I say unequivocally. The transition to the Latin alphabet — it is an internal need for the development and modernization of the Kazakh language. Do not look for a black cat in a dark room, especially if it was never there. I recall that in the 20-40s of the Kazakh language has used the Latin alphabet».
The distinct advantages of the Kazakh language translation to Latin, we see that it will expand the boundaries of its use and help maintain relationships with all Turkic countries, exchange of scientific and cultural achievements, and literature. Translation into Latin alphabet expand the information the audience will help to attract young people to new projects in the Kazakh Diaspora in China, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and several European countries.
Certainly, this work many years and for the reform of the Kazakh language will need to attract a wide range of scientists-linguists and experts to compile an updated Kazakh alphabet on a modern basis. Along with this will have to start preparing the necessary educational and methodical literature for transition training in Latin. So we today think of those titles that will be carried out in the first place. Of course it will be samples epic heritage of the people, the best works of the classics, textbook stories for children and youth.
It is gratifying that such luminaries Kazakh literature as Murat Auezov and Olzhas Suleimenov, which clearly emerged as the Russian-speaking writers who sided with the development of the Kazakh language. So Olzhas in a recent interview in the newspaper «Aikyn» said the future of the Kazakh people — in the Kazakh language. And the fact that the number of Kazakhs in the republic for the first time reached 65 percent, he connects with the victory of independence and believes that in the coming decade, inhabiting Kazakhstan nations will unite around the Kazakh people and the Kazakh language.
Murat Auezov saw some positive aspects in the translation of the Kazakh language to Latin. According to him, «we are all studying English, German, no difficulty, to master Latin script — this thing one week… And then — a computer, an Internet…».
We know from the very first days of independence, our first President of Kazakhstan constantly concerned about the preservation of the national heritage and further development of the Kazakh language, culture and traditions. As mentioned above, at a public meeting of the Karaganda region, he noted that gradually Kazakh national language is the main language of the country. And this language will all unite and make everyone equal.
Therefore, the process of introducing trilingualism in any case should not impoverish and restrict the use of state of the Kazakh language. On the contrary, with the support of the President of the State program successfully «Cultural Heritage», which covers a number of important and wide-ranging measures to preserve, study and promotion of the best examples of the artistic culture of the Kazakh people. The deepest essence of the concept of a unique project based on the thesis that approves the role of literature as an important form for the approval of the nation’s spiritual identity.
Independence period opened new horizons, has created the most favorable conditions for the development of the literary process and enhancing its role in the formation of modern national consciousness. By historical standards, this term is small, but in the history of independent Kazakhstan occupies an exceptional place. During this historical period in Kazakh literature and literary criticism was returned to the creative legacy of repression during the terror of totalitarianism prominent poets and writers, Alash.
Leaders of the national liberation movement had such vivid personalities as Alikhan Bukeikhanov, Akhmet Baitursynov, Mirzhakip Dulatov, Mustafa Chokai, Mukhametzhan Tynyshpaev, Bakytzshan Karataev, Halel and Dzansha Dosmukhamedov and other — mostly educated people, as stressed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan N. Nazarbayev — graduates of higher educational institutions and schools of St. Petersburg, Moscow, Warsaw, Kazan, Omsk and Orenburg».
There is one though with trilingualism. How many new personalities can replenish the future elite of the nation of those who enrolled in the program «Bolashak» the most prestigious universities of the new and old world.
Perhaps, move apart and linguistic boundaries in the work of the new wave of Kazakh writers, but unchanged from them must remain faithful and devotion to the people, correct guidelines in today’s global world, which shows leader of the nation, dreaming about the future took the baton to a worthy generation. May move apart and linguistic boundaries in the work of the new wave of Kazakh writers, but unchanged from them must remain faithful and devotion to the people, correct guidelines in today’s global world, which shows leader of the nation, dreaming about the future took the baton to a worthy generation.
As the President said: «Responsible language policy is one of the main factors consolidating the Kazakh nation. Kazakh language — this is our spiritual core.
Our task is to develop it, using actively in all spheres. We must leave our descendants a modern language in which to experience the many generations of our ancestors would have been harmoniously and our added an imprint. This is a task which must decide for themselves every self-respecting people. The State, for its part, is doing much to strengthen the position of the state language. We need to continue the implementation of measures to promote the Kazakh language».
Key role in implementing this multifaceted problem belongs to the national intelligentsia. Not accidentally President stressed that we are entering a period of our state, when spiritual issues will be of no less importance than the economic, material order. A major role in the spiritual development always plays intelligentsia.
We have something based on which we can raise national spirit and historical consciousness. Our nation is rich for holy steppe foundations of morality, which entered the golden heritage of national traditions, rich with stories and examples of selfless service to the nation. After anciently ideal for Kazakhs were heroic warriors of wise storytellers and judges dedicated khans, which was above all selfless love for the Motherland, sung by generations of steppe bards.
Therefore, a huge audience demand enjoy historical books in prose A.Nurpeisova, A.Kekilbayev, Sh. Murtazy, M.Magauina, T.Abdikova, O.Bokeeva, D.Doszhana and others. In addition, novelists bring to court the modern reader a new reading of history, his discovery of modernity and reflections on time. Thereby fulfilling the mandate of the President to create new heroes of our time, which should be guided our youth.
Nursultan Nazarbayev himself, referring to our young people, gave a good parting words: «You — the embodiment of all our hopes for the future. All that is done by us today — is done for you. Most of you the same age as our independent Kazakhstan. And by 2050, you are mature citizens who participated in the execution of this program. You determine the future path of the country. You brought up in conditions of independence — what was not with us. Your new independent thinking is a factor that will lead the country to new targets, apparent to us today, and far out of reach».
Kazakhstan’s future outlook is already visible today. And we have every reason to share the confidence of our President that Kazakhstan in 2050 will be educated society, free people who speak three languages. And above all, it will be the world’s citizens and patriots of their country with a strong economy, high spiritual culture. And then dreams turn into reality.
Ualihan Kalizhanov,
Director of the Institute of Literature and Art named after M. Auezov
