Volume 2025, Issue 294 - Special Issue: The globalization of English and the Turkic-speaking countries of the Former Soviet Union: attitudes, policy and implementation; Issue Editors: Michael Byram, Anthony J. Liddicoat, Azad Mammadov and Tamilla Mammadova

This study examines the evolving role of English in Uzbekistan’s educational institutions within the context of recent educational reforms initiated by President Mirziyoyev to modernize the education system and create a “competitive state” where multilingualism, including English proficiency, is prioritized. The research explores the instrumental functions of English in the aftermath of these reforms and employs theories of language ideologies (LI) to analyze Uzbek EFL teachers’ perceptions of English. Additionally, it investigates how these ideologies influence teaching methodologies and classroom practices. To address the research questions, the study draws on multiple primary data sources, including interviews and observational notes. The findings highlight that the presidential reforms, alongside initiatives by the US Embassy and the British Council, are key drivers promoting the spread of English within Uzbekistan’s educational landscape. Data analysis reveals that these reforms have significantly influenced and reshaped EFL teachers’ language ideologies. Teachers reported adopting pedagogical methods and strategies aimed at preparing students to thrive in a globalized world.

Today, education in Kazakhstan is carried out in three languages due to economic and socio-political necessity. The development of a high level of trilingualism requires extensive support regarding the availability of qualified teaching staff, teaching materials, and technological tools for training. Although the Russian language plays the role of an intercultural communication language in Kazakhstan under the current conditions, it is observed that this tendency is gradually weakening. English provides access to the world economy and society, and the highest goal of the state is to unite the Kazakh society around English. The purpose of this study is to investigate the problems that have arisen in the teaching of English in the Republic of Kazakhstan during the post-Soviet independence years and today. The article analyses the language situation and policy in general in Kazakhstan and includes comparison with the current language policy models in other post-Soviet republics. It then addresses the particular problems in the teaching of English and indicates possible solutions.

Since gaining independence in 1991, the Republic of Kazakhstan has pursued a language policy promoting Kazakh as the “state language”, while at the same time strengthening Russian as the “language of interethnic communication”. With the presentation of the cultural project “Trinity of Languages” by the then President Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2007, English also acquired a special status as an “international business language” to be learnt by the citizens of the state. Since then, the government pursued its language policy via three language programmes, outlined in policy documents that have also been subject of public debate. This paper examines these three documents as well as public reactions from the perspective of linguistic ideologies using qualitative linguistic discourse analysis that focuses on keywords, actors and intertextual references in the analysed documents. The aim is to trace which roles exactly are attributed to English and what constants and changes can be observed over the years. The analysis shows that the topic “business” is particularly active, and while English was still clearly defined as a foreign language in the first of these three language programmes, these references diminish in the following programmes. The findings indicate that the role of English as an important international language and language of business is widely recognised, but its roles and functions are defined differently from Kazakh and Russian.

This study examines the growing presence of English-written neon signs in Almaty’s upscale coffee shops, analysing their role as both markers of global Englishness and carriers of neoliberal ideology. In post-Soviet Kazakhstan, where national identity is being reasserted through Kazakh language revival and a distancing from Russian legacies, the prominence of English signage reflects the country’s integration into global cultural and economic networks. Drawing on linguistic landscape research, semiotics, and sociolinguistics, the paper argues that these neon signs function not merely as aesthetic elements but as symbols of elite identity, consumer cosmopolitanism, and entrepreneurial subjectivity. Drawing on a qualitative, multimodal discourse analysis of 43 neon signs and 45 related Instagram posts collected between 2020 and 2023 and exploring neon signs as “language objects” in semiotic landscapes, the research highlights how English is resemiotised in both physical and digital spaces. The deliberate use of English over Kazakh or Russian in decor and branding indexes modernity, entrepreneurial selfhood, and aesthetic elitism. In the context of Kazakhstan’s trilingual policy, the dominance of English signage suggests a shift in linguistic hierarchies that may undermine the symbolic and practical roles of Kazakh and Russian. Ultimately, by conceptualising neon signs as ideologically charged and semantically indeterminate resources, the study contributes to broader debates on language commodification, linguistic hierarchies, and the socio-political consequences of globalisation in post-Soviet spaces.

Kyrgyzstan’s language ecology is shaped by its Turkic roots, with Kyrgyz as the state language and Uzbek as a key minority language. Russian, historically dominant, remains the most widespread foreign language and continues to play a central role in the country’s linguistic hierarchy. Since independence in 1991, English is the most widely taught foreign language, often in English-medium instruction (EMI). Increasing English use reflects broader global trends linked to World Englishes and raises questions about evolving language ideologies in the region. This article traces the development of English in Kyrgyzstan, analyzing its position within a linguistically hybrid and hierarchical setting. It presents new research on university language majors, focusing on their language beliefs, attitudes, and practices regarding English in relation to Kyrgyz and Russian. The study highlights emerging patterns of Kyrgyz-Russian-English trilingualism and explores how English functions – whether competitively, subtractively, or complementarily – within this multilingual environment, calling for further research and reflection on language and education policy.

The collapse of the Soviet Union triggered profound political, economic, social, and educational changes across its former republics, with Azerbaijan at the center of this study. Among these shifts, education, particularly English language teaching (ELT), has seen the most significant transformation. Over the past two-three decades, ELT in Azerbaijan has evolved dramatically, mirroring broader trends of internationalization in higher education (HE). This paper identifies three key stages in the development of English language education, discussed in the theoretical framework. The methodological section focuses on the current role of English in Azerbaijani HE, analyzing language policy trends and decision-making aimed at enhancing ELT. Specifically, the study conducts a contextual analysis of the National Higher Education Action Plan (NHEAP) and incorporates semi-structured interviews with sixteen policymakers and state officials. Through a qualitative lens, the research explores how English is positioned among other foreign languages and examines its growing role in EMI (English Medium of Instruction) within universities. The findings offer insights into the strategic value of English in national education policy, highlighting its importance for advancing academic goals and increasing global engagement. Ultimately, the study sheds light on how English serves both local development priorities and the demands of an interconnected world.