Presentation Schedule
The Western Media’s Portrayal of the Alphabet Reform in Kazakhstan (102685)
Session Chair: Sally Kondos
Saturday, 18 April 2026 15:25
Session: Session 3
Room: Room 144B (1F)
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
In 2017, Kazakhstan announced the transition of the Kazakh writing system from Cyrillic to the Latin alphabet. This paper examines how the Latinization of the Kazakh language is portrayed in Western media. The findings are based on the thematic content analysis of 34 news articles. The analysis shows that the Latinization of the Kazakh alphabet has been primarily characterized in Western media as a geopolitical decision to move away from Russian influence and to increase cooperation with Türkiye. Much emphasis has also been put on its portrayal as an ethnocentric reform that creates more problems than it solves. In contrast, the agendas depicting Latinization as an attempt to integrate Kazakhstan into the global information space, as Kazakhstan’s reaction to societal changes, and as a linguistic reform aimed at solving phonological and orthographic problems of the Cyrillic-based Kazakh language have received considerably less coverage in the Western news media. The biggest implication of the prevalent rhetoric is that it does not fully reflect socio-demographic, linguistic, and cultural changes in contemporary Kazakhstan. When discussing the reasons for the Latinization reform, it is essential to consider the desire of the young generation of Kazakhstanis for a distinct national identity. The Latinization reform is, in large part, the Kazakhstani government’s recognition of this demand and its response to it.
Authors:
Anar Ibrayeva, Maqsut Narikbayev University, Kazakhstan
Dinara Mukhamejanova, Maqsut Narikbayev University, Kazakhstan
About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Anar Ibrayeva is the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts at Maqsut Narikbayev University, Kazakhstan.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Saturday Schedule
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