Kazakh

WHY STUDY KAZAKH?

Kazakh is a Turkic language, closely related to Turkish, Uzbek, Tatar, and others. It is spoken by about 11 million people in Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Iran. Kazakh is on the U.S. State Department list of critical languages. Knowledge of Kazakh may lead to special educational and professional opportunities. The economy of Kazakhstan is larger than that of all other Central Asian countries combined, largely due to plentiful natural resources. Kazakhstan‘s wilderness is one of the most beautiful and unique in the world. Knowledge of Kazakh allows you to discover a world of the rich traditions and customs. UW-Madison is a strategic partner to Nazarbayev University (NU) in Astana, Kazakhstan, and opportunities exist for UW students to work on the NU project and to study at NU.*

*Information taken from the Language Institute website. Please visit their Kazakh page for the original text and additional information on Kazakh studies at UW-Madison.

KAZAKH CLASSES AT UW-MADISON

Kazakh courses are offered irregularly at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. All four language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) are addressed and incorporated into the teaching process. See below for Kazakh/Kazakh-related classes:

GNS 331: First Semester Kazakh

GNS 332: Second Semester Kazakh

GNS 431: Third Semester Kazakh

GNS 432: Fourth Semester Kazakh

GNS 531: Fifth Semester Kazakh

GNS 532: Sixth Semester Kazakh

GNS 624: Proseminar in Central Asian History

 

STUDY ABROAD

Studying abroad is not only a great way to solidify your knowledge of the Kazakh language, but also a chance to experience the culture first hand. To hear more about this opportunity from students who have pursued it themselves, click on the profiles below.