Language and Education in Estonia and Kazakhstan: Discourses of the Past and Visions of the Future in Policy

Session Submission Type: Panel

Brief Description

Introducing new language policies and implementing changes in educational systems has been a challenge for many post-Soviet countries, especially those heavily impacted by Russification such as Estonia and Kazakhstan. Even after more than three decades of (re)independence, both Estonia and Kazakhstan continue to navigate complex linguistic and educational transformations shaped by historical legacies and evolving national identities. This panel explores both shifting language policies across primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels of schooling in Estonia and Kazakhstan and the public discourse concerning these changes. Papers interrogate the ways historical narratives and experiences influence contemporary language and education policies in these two countries. In particular, panelists consider how the historical experiences of Russification and the growing prestige of English shape current language policy debates and reforms in schools and universities. Uniting the four papers is joint attention to the broader social, political, and economic implications of linguistic shifts and global influences on education and language policy. Panelists are also attentive to the ways visions of the future inform present-day reforms, language policies, and educational strategies in these two countries.

Sub Unit

• Sociology, Public Health, Education

Chair

• Pavel Kononenko, Independent Scholar

Papers

• 'Estonian Schools are the Homesite of the Estonian Language?': Language Ideologies and Discussions around Teaching Non-Native Speakers - Natalia Tšuikina, Tallinn U (Estonia); Kapitolina Fedorova, Tallinn U (Estonia); Ekaterina Batrakova, Tallinn U (Estonia)

• Short-Term Effects of Monolingual Education Reform: Observations from Estonia One Year Later - Laura Howells, Princeton U

• Language Policy Pluralities: Comparative Insights from Two Estonian State Upper-Secondary Schools on the Estonian-Russian Border - Kadri Koreinik, U of Tartu (Estonia); Kara D Brown, U of South Carolina

• Peeling Back the Layers: Uncovering Stakeholders' Interpretations of EMI from National Policy to Personal Perspectives in Two Kazakhstani Universities - Akmaral Karabay, Nazarbayev U (Kazakhstan)

Discussant

• Bridget Goodman, Nazarbayev U (Kazakhstan)