Multilingual Education in Kazakhstan: Basis for Teaching Guide

Abstract

This study examined multilingual education in Kazakhstan as a basis for developing a teaching guide for multilingual international school settings. Using a quantitative descriptive-correlational design, the study involved 20 Grade 7 students and 5 foreign teachers from a selected private international school in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Data were gathered through researcher-developed, expert-validated questionnaires using a four-point Likert scale; the instrument was pilot-tested and demonstrated acceptable internal consistency. Frequency counts, percentages, weighted means, standard deviations, and Pearson product-moment correlation were used to analyze the data. Grade 7 students reported a high level of multilingual learning experience (M = 3.49, SD = 0.50) and strongly agreed that multilingual education positively influenced learning (M = 3.56, SD = 0.50). Foreign teachers likewise reported positive multilingual teaching experiences (M = 3.64, SD = 0.51), while also identifying substantial instructional and communication challenges (M = 3.64, SD = 0.51), particularly additional teaching time and limited multilingual materials. Multilingual learning experiences were strongly and positively associated with learning outcomes (r = .72, p = .001). The findings indicate that multilingualism can support comprehension, communication, participation, and English learning when supported by purposeful language use, differentiated instruction, appropriate materials, and teacher preparation. A multilingual teaching guide was therefore developed to organize these supports for classroom use.