In this section, I sent out seven interview questions regarding English in Uzbekistan to three individuals who have been associated in the topic in different ways.
My questions included:
1. How important is it for Uzbek citizens to learn English?
2. What is the general opinion of Uzbek people towards English language programs in Uzbekistan?
3. Are there any difficulties in teaching English as a second language to native speakers of Uzbek? How so?
4. How is English incorporated into everyday life in Uzbekistan?
5. In what situations is English most useful in Uzbekistan?
6. Is there any resistance to the spread of English as a second language in Uzbekistan? How so?
7. In what ways has the rise in popularity of English changed the popular culture of Uzbekistan?
The answers varied between interviewees, and certain responses were omitted by certain individuals. Interviews are edited for clarity.
My questions included:
1. How important is it for Uzbek citizens to learn English?
2. What is the general opinion of Uzbek people towards English language programs in Uzbekistan?
3. Are there any difficulties in teaching English as a second language to native speakers of Uzbek? How so?
4. How is English incorporated into everyday life in Uzbekistan?
5. In what situations is English most useful in Uzbekistan?
6. Is there any resistance to the spread of English as a second language in Uzbekistan? How so?
7. In what ways has the rise in popularity of English changed the popular culture of Uzbekistan?
The answers varied between interviewees, and certain responses were omitted by certain individuals. Interviews are edited for clarity.
How important is it for Uzbek citizens to learn English?
The importance of learning English in Uzbekistan isn’t highly emphasized. I think it highly depends on the region of the country. For example, I was born and lived (until I was 8) in Tashkent, where things were a bit more urban, so my k-12 school offered English starting from 4th grade. But realistically, in other parts of the country, English probably won’t be prioritized.
What is the general opinion of Uzbek people towards English language programs in Uzbekistan?
As far as I know, they’re fairly indifferent towards them (I asked my parents as well and they said the same).
Are there any difficulties in teaching English as a second language to native speakers of Uzbek? How so?
Not sure about the difficulties, but I assume it would be the same as with learning any other language. Last time I remember, the Latin alphabet was still used to write the Uzbek dialogue in school (as opposed the previously used Arabic script and Cyrillic alphabet), so I guess that’s a step ahead since English uses the same letters.
How is English incorporated into everyday life in Uzbekistan?
I asked my mom about this one because she has better experience with this topic when she worked for Nestle in Tashkent. She said that English is primarily only used for the purpose of incorporating tourism into the society OR when some king of joint venture with another country is involved. As I said before, Tashkent is pretty urban when compared to other parts of Uzbekistan, so we may be biased. Most likely the same emphasis towards English isn’t used in other regions of the country.
Is there any resistance to the spread of English as a second language in Uzbekistan? How so?
There doesn’t seem to be any resistance towards the spread of English as a second language. Right now, the second primary language is Russian, and I believe that its status won’t change anytime soon. However there isn’t any opposition towards English as far as I know , especially since knowing English is a status indicator.
In what ways has the rise in popularity of English changed the popular culture of Uzbekistan?
This question I really wasn’t sure about since I didn’t really catch the presence of pop culture (consciously) while I lived in Uzbekistan. There is definitely some efforts to make Uzbekistan seem less like a developing country, so in that aspect, the pop culture plays a role in making English seem more acceptable.
The importance of learning English in Uzbekistan isn’t highly emphasized. I think it highly depends on the region of the country. For example, I was born and lived (until I was 8) in Tashkent, where things were a bit more urban, so my k-12 school offered English starting from 4th grade. But realistically, in other parts of the country, English probably won’t be prioritized.
What is the general opinion of Uzbek people towards English language programs in Uzbekistan?
As far as I know, they’re fairly indifferent towards them (I asked my parents as well and they said the same).
Are there any difficulties in teaching English as a second language to native speakers of Uzbek? How so?
Not sure about the difficulties, but I assume it would be the same as with learning any other language. Last time I remember, the Latin alphabet was still used to write the Uzbek dialogue in school (as opposed the previously used Arabic script and Cyrillic alphabet), so I guess that’s a step ahead since English uses the same letters.
How is English incorporated into everyday life in Uzbekistan?
I asked my mom about this one because she has better experience with this topic when she worked for Nestle in Tashkent. She said that English is primarily only used for the purpose of incorporating tourism into the society OR when some king of joint venture with another country is involved. As I said before, Tashkent is pretty urban when compared to other parts of Uzbekistan, so we may be biased. Most likely the same emphasis towards English isn’t used in other regions of the country.
Is there any resistance to the spread of English as a second language in Uzbekistan? How so?
There doesn’t seem to be any resistance towards the spread of English as a second language. Right now, the second primary language is Russian, and I believe that its status won’t change anytime soon. However there isn’t any opposition towards English as far as I know , especially since knowing English is a status indicator.
In what ways has the rise in popularity of English changed the popular culture of Uzbekistan?
This question I really wasn’t sure about since I didn’t really catch the presence of pop culture (consciously) while I lived in Uzbekistan. There is definitely some efforts to make Uzbekistan seem less like a developing country, so in that aspect, the pop culture plays a role in making English seem more acceptable.
Interview 2:
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Erkin Mukhammedov is the Head of the Global English Department at Westminster International University in Tashkent.
Mukhammedov holds a BA in Roman-German Philology and an MA in Linguistics (English Language) from the Uzbek State World Languages University and an MA in English Language Teaching (with Specialism in Testing and Assessment) from the University of Warwick. |
How important is it for Uzbek citizens to learn English?
Frstly [sic], if you want to stay informed or do research, then you will need to know English as most information is in English. Also Uzbekistan has a lot of tourist destinations, therefore knowledge of English helps to serve tourists well.
What is the general opinion of Uzbek people towards English language programs in Uzbekistan?
Positive. Children from school read about the UK or US and wish to visit these countries. Also, there are many students who would like to study in English medium universities. This can be another example that can show that the attitude is positive.
Are there any difficulties in teaching English as a second language to native speakers of Uzbek? How so?
There are always difficulties to teach any language. English is not an exception. Finding authentic sources can be difficult.
How is English incorporated into everyday life in Uzbekistan?
English is a part of school curriculum from year 1 at primary school and other levels of education. As stated earlier, Uzbekistan hosts a lot of tourists, there are a lot international organisations and universities that use English as medium of instructions.
In what situations is English most useful in Uzbekistan?
At any levels of education, tourism industry, hotel and hospitality.
Is there any resistance to the spread of English as a second language in Uzbekistan? How so?
There wasn't any resistance. As mentioned earlier, most children learn English with pleasure from year 1 at school and the government pays a lot of attention to the delivery of this language. in 2012 the government gave a decree on improving teaching and learning foreign languages in Uzbekistan. The most widespread taught language in Uzbekistan is English.
Frstly [sic], if you want to stay informed or do research, then you will need to know English as most information is in English. Also Uzbekistan has a lot of tourist destinations, therefore knowledge of English helps to serve tourists well.
What is the general opinion of Uzbek people towards English language programs in Uzbekistan?
Positive. Children from school read about the UK or US and wish to visit these countries. Also, there are many students who would like to study in English medium universities. This can be another example that can show that the attitude is positive.
Are there any difficulties in teaching English as a second language to native speakers of Uzbek? How so?
There are always difficulties to teach any language. English is not an exception. Finding authentic sources can be difficult.
How is English incorporated into everyday life in Uzbekistan?
English is a part of school curriculum from year 1 at primary school and other levels of education. As stated earlier, Uzbekistan hosts a lot of tourists, there are a lot international organisations and universities that use English as medium of instructions.
In what situations is English most useful in Uzbekistan?
At any levels of education, tourism industry, hotel and hospitality.
Is there any resistance to the spread of English as a second language in Uzbekistan? How so?
There wasn't any resistance. As mentioned earlier, most children learn English with pleasure from year 1 at school and the government pays a lot of attention to the delivery of this language. in 2012 the government gave a decree on improving teaching and learning foreign languages in Uzbekistan. The most widespread taught language in Uzbekistan is English.
Interview 3:
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David Chiesa is the English Language Specialist at the US Embassy in Tashkent and a PhD candidate at the Department of Applied Linguistics at Georgia State University. I was directed to him for an interview through the US Embassy in Tashkent.
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How important is it for Uzbek citizens to learn English?
The learning of English is (not, fully, and very) important for people in Uzbekistan for different reasons. In other words, different stakeholders will need to know (and be able to use) English for various reasons. One example of a group of stakeholders who need to learn English (and thus, important) are students:
A student, who is in primary, secondary, and higher education, will need to obtain a certain level of English proficiency by the time they graduate. Thus, learning English to a certain standard will be important for them to graduate. I believe, the English proficiency measurements will vary according to the education level, and Uzbek students are measured according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Are there any difficulties in teaching English as a second language to native speakers of Uzbek? How so?
According to my knowledge, English is not perceived, nor addressed in political documents, as a second language of Uzbekistan. Most, if not all major/political documents are in Russian. Thus, the status of English is considered a foreign language (EFL). To my current knowledge, Uzbek and Russian are the two official languages of the country. I find the status, however, of English similar with that of Spanish in California.
Most Uzbeks speak Uzbek, Russian, and sometimes another third language that could be an amalgamation of Uzbek and Russian.
Difficulties of teaching language (English) in Uzbekistan cross beyond the pedagogical and linguistic boundaries, into contextual - social, political, economic, and cultural ideologies and how these facets have an influence on the perceptions students and teachers have of English.
Is there any resistance to the spread of English as a second language in Uzbekistan? How so?
The English language has been a popular topic or area of study for quite some time, but similar with other "foreign" languages -- such as Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, Spanish, French, and German. I think this answer would be different if the government declared English an official language of the country, then, resistance might be a huge issue.
The learning of English is (not, fully, and very) important for people in Uzbekistan for different reasons. In other words, different stakeholders will need to know (and be able to use) English for various reasons. One example of a group of stakeholders who need to learn English (and thus, important) are students:
A student, who is in primary, secondary, and higher education, will need to obtain a certain level of English proficiency by the time they graduate. Thus, learning English to a certain standard will be important for them to graduate. I believe, the English proficiency measurements will vary according to the education level, and Uzbek students are measured according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR).
Are there any difficulties in teaching English as a second language to native speakers of Uzbek? How so?
According to my knowledge, English is not perceived, nor addressed in political documents, as a second language of Uzbekistan. Most, if not all major/political documents are in Russian. Thus, the status of English is considered a foreign language (EFL). To my current knowledge, Uzbek and Russian are the two official languages of the country. I find the status, however, of English similar with that of Spanish in California.
Most Uzbeks speak Uzbek, Russian, and sometimes another third language that could be an amalgamation of Uzbek and Russian.
Difficulties of teaching language (English) in Uzbekistan cross beyond the pedagogical and linguistic boundaries, into contextual - social, political, economic, and cultural ideologies and how these facets have an influence on the perceptions students and teachers have of English.
Is there any resistance to the spread of English as a second language in Uzbekistan? How so?
The English language has been a popular topic or area of study for quite some time, but similar with other "foreign" languages -- such as Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, Spanish, French, and German. I think this answer would be different if the government declared English an official language of the country, then, resistance might be a huge issue.