Exploring university teachers' and students' beliefs and practices about translanguages in Kazakh language learning classes. Since the growth of multilingualism, more and more research has been conducted on translanguaging and its use by teachers as a pedagogical tool that improves student performance (Canagarajah, 2011; Cummins & Early, 2011; García & Wei, 2014;). However, little research has examined students' perceptions and practices of translanguage use in postcolonial multilingual contexts. Qualitative research has examined the beliefs and practices of translanguage use of university teachers and Russian-speaking students in classrooms where Kazakh is taught as a subject and has the following research questions:.
This study is also based on Macaro's (2014) framework that defines three positions (virtual, maximal and optimal) of teachers' beliefs towards language mixing in language classrooms. However, the results also indicated students' challenges with using only the target language and the need for more fluent and flexible language practices to facilitate the development of Kazakh language proficiency.
Introduction
The continued dominance of the Russian language together with the suppression of the Kazakh language resulted in the spread of monolingual ideologies among the country's citizens. In the context of study, the search site has Kazakh language classes that are essential for all Bachelor students. The study can further the understanding of the fluency of language use and the disadvantages of a rigid monolingual learning environment.
This work can also raise awareness and possibly inform policy makers about multilingual practices in the "language as a subject" curriculum as it will present the voices of. Furthermore, the chapter explores the concept of translanguage, its presence in the Kazakhstan context and flexibility as a pedagogical tool.
Literature Review
Nevertheless, the last years of the Soviet Union's existence were notable for the policy documents that granted Kazakhs a higher status, especially in the field of education. To elaborate on this, the leader of the USSR, Mikhail Gorbachev, began making changes to the language policy of the Kazakh SSR in the mid-1980s (Fierman, 2006; Smagulova, 2008). The new government began to improve the use of the Kazakh language in education, mass media and government services.
As noted by Cenoz and Gorter (2011), the monolingual bias can be represented as a "default for human communication" attitude. The idea of translation in the context of Kazakhstan and the Kazakh language has a more negative perspective, which may be largely due to the Kazakh language's past.
Methodology
For the recruitment of the participants, the researcher first requested the list of teachers who offer these courses from the gatekeepers. The participants were informed of the voluntary nature of the participation in the research and of the fact that they could withdraw from the study at any time. In the case of this study, the interview questions were designed in such a way that it helps the researcher to reveal the language mixing beliefs and practices of the participants from the conversation.
In order to gain access, the researcher had to obtain permission from the Chair of the Department of Kazakh Language and Turkish Studies, as it organizes the Kazakh language courses for all the bachelor students at the research site. Before the interview, the researcher briefly explained the general information about the study, mentioned the voluntary basis of the participation and reminded each participant of the freedom to withdraw from the study at any time. At the end of each interview, the researcher assured the participants of the confidentiality and anonymity of the research and the safe and secure data storage that can only be accessed by the researcher.
Here, after the initial familiarization with the data, the researcher began to code all interesting segments of the transcripts. With the help of the mind mapping technique that was used to distribute the codes to the larger features of the data, the researcher identified nine possible themes. In the final step, the researcher produced an analysis report by selecting meaningful live extracts, critically analyzing them and linking them to the research.
As Creswell (2014) says, it is crucial to engage in ethical practices at every stage of the research. Since the study was designed in accordance with the ethical considerations, the researcher had to ensure that ethical issues were clearly addressed to ensure the safety, anonymity and confidentiality of the research. Considering this, each interview began with the researcher explaining the purpose, risks and benefits of the study without "engaging in deception about the nature of the study" (Creswell, 2014, p. 253) .
Findings
One of the main themes that emerged from the data was based on the presence of monolingual practices and assumptions within Kazakh language learning classes. Therefore, five participants in the study believed that the monolingual environment in the language classroom can promote effective language acquisition. Some students viewed any form of language mixing in the classroom as a tool for creating inclusion and flexibility, as well as a tool for giving meaning to the content.
Sometimes it is indeed more efficient to use other languages to explain meanings and understand the structure and logic of the language (Adiya, 23 Dec 2020). In other words, the reduction in the rate of use of other languages as the level increases (Iskander, December 22, 2020). Kazakh, one of the main objectives of the study was to show the presence or absence of translation practices in the Kazakh language classroom.
In other words, Kazakh was considered the only standard language in the classroom. Although monolingual practice remains the main framework for the classes where Kazakh is taught as a subject, language mixing takes place there as well. The majority of students indicated that the content and rules of the Kazakh courses were too challenging.
To continue the discussion of this theme, it is important to remember the background information of the Kazakh courses. Thus, students reported that the Kazakh classes they took were initially designed for students who had a good intermediate command of the language. He said that he remained silent because of the "only Kazakh rule", as explanations in Russian were also undesirable.
Discussion
This finding illustrates that both teachers and students had mostly virtual confidence in using the target language. In other words, beliefs can be formed under the influence of an individual's initial ideologies. As seen in the previous finding, virtual trust was expressed by 75% of the study participants.
One of the crucial themes that emerged from the interviews was that the monolingual beliefs were related to the classroom practices. To summarize, the main practices of the Kazakh language classes were based on the view that Kazakh should be the only language of instruction in the classroom. To be more precise, students reported that they felt the need to use the languages from their repertoire.
This was partially true for Nurgul and Zhaniya and completely true for student participants in the study. This was the most difficult task for most of the interviewees, especially for the non-ethnic Kazakhs who participated in the research. Nevertheless, the students were aware of the important speaking tasks they had during the exam period.
For the study participants, the translation comprehension feature was equally important because they lacked it in their Kazakh language classes. Thus, they believed that insufficient understanding of the subject content had left a bad impact on their progress, and. Ideologies of the Kazakh language that may result from the history of the Kazakh language and the assumption of the worldwide dominance of "lonely languages".
Conclusion
In accordance with the above beliefs, the influence of monoglossic beliefs was reflected in the content and design of Kazakh language lessons. Cummins, 2007), reported that hybrid language-mixing practices did occur in the classroom, albeit sporadically. First, given the findings that expressed students' challenges in learning Kazakh, educational policy makers need to consider the need to implement sustainable translation practices in the language-as-a-subject curriculum because the current Kazakh teaching curriculum does not fully consider multilingualism. peculiarities of the linguistic context of the country.
Language ideologies of Kazakhstani youth: The value of Kazakh in the context of a changing linguistic marketplace [Master's thesis, Nazarbayev University]. Professors' and students' conflicting beliefs about translanguaging in the EFL classroom: Dismantling the monolingual bias. Nieto (Eds.), The best for our children: Critical perspectives on literacy for Latino students (pp. 122–141).
Translanguage use in English-only schools: From pedagogy to attitude in disrupting monolingual policies and practices. The state program for the development and functioning of languages in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2011-2020. Did your teachers allow only one or more than one language in the classroom during your school days?
Is your teacher strict or tolerant of using more than just language in the classroom? Is it one that uses only one language, such as Kazakh, or one that flexibly allows the use of languages other than Kazakh in classes where Kazakh is taught as a subject. DESCRIPTION: You are invited to participate in a research study exploring the beliefs and practices of university teachers and students about the use of their first language(s) in Kazakh language learning classes.
Indirect benefits that can reasonably be expected to result from this study are disseminating personal narratives, which can help raise policy makers' awareness of multilingual practices in the language as a subject curriculum, as it will feature student voices. and teachers. - the "protagonists" of the learning process; The benefits that can reasonably be expected to result from this study are sharing personal narratives, which can help raise policy makers' awareness of multilingual practices in "language as a subject".
