Transformation of the linguistic environment in Kazakhstan's megacities in the era of digitalisation and changing educational paradigms

Abstract

This article examines the process of transformation of the linguistic environment in Kazakhstan's megacities (Astana, Almaty, Shymkent) in the context of digitalisation, the internationalisation of higher education, and a shift in educational paradigms. The relevance of this study is determined by the fact that the period 2024-2025 is characterised by a unique convergence of factors: the consistent implementation of the Concept for the Development of Language Policy, the scaling up of the Coursera platform localisation project, the increase in the number of international students at higher education institutions in Kazakhstan, the explosive growth in the impact of generative artificial intelligence on the educational process and, in connection with this, the emergence of a new configuration of the linguistic environment in megacities, which requires academic analysis. The aim of this study is to conduct a comprehensive analysis of these factors affecting the linguistic environment in Kazakhstan's megacities. The analysis is based on data from strategic documents on the implementation of language policy, taking into account their adjustment in response to sociolinguistic realities, the results of a survey of first-year students from non-language faculties, a survey of service infrastructure respondents, and a study of student comments in messenger chats (Telegram, WhatsApp), as well as on the implementation metrics of localisation projects (Coursera, Kaztest, national LLMs). Based on a comparison of the target indicators of the State Programme for 2020-2025 and the Concept for the Development of Language Policy for 2023-2029, it is noted that the quantitative targets of the latter are closer to the actual level of citizens' proficiency in the state language, as they are based on the 2021 population census, which included an assessment of language skills (reading/writing). Accordingly, the adjustment of the ambitious targets set out in the State Programme reflects a shift towards more realistic language planning. The authors examine the reasons for the transition from declarative trilingualism to the functional use of language capital, highlight the link between bilingualism and a high level of digital literacy, identify the uneven distribution of digital competencies along the urban gradient, and reveal the development of digital translingualism among students, which is characteristic of 48 % of those surveyed. The study examines the risks of data scarcity when using generative artificial intelligence technologies in relation to the Kazakh language. The need to develop national language models to overcome the data scarcity when using generative AI with the Kazakh language is substantiated. Based on the research conducted, we propose the local implementation of the Language Policy Concept through the integration of three languages into the content of academic disciplines, the use of elements of the CLIL approach in teaching, the use of authentic and digital resources to address the unevenness of digital access, the overcoming of language asymmetry in digital content, the development of intercultural and academic communication skills among the younger generation, and the training of teachers with a new set of competencies.