Language contest in Almaty

Almaty, September 19, 2009, Khabar - We are united by language is the theme of a contest that took place in Almaty to launch the 11th festival of languages of the people of Kazakhstan. The event is to take place in Almaty and Astana to finish on October the 10th.

Nabi Magomedov, “Vainakh” Chechen cultural centre:
- The Kazakh language will be useful when you grow up. I know many people are planning to live and work here. The Kazakh language is rich and when I was studying it, it seemed like a fairy tale to me. This language is made up of beautiful words.

Anastasia Dobrynina, “Vendj” Polish Diaspora in Kazakhstan:
- I am happy that we can study both our mother tongue and the state language. Thanks to this, I feel like really polish. I am proud of studying both polish and Kazakh.

American professor and a specialist in Turkic education, political scientist and polyglot, William Fierman, who is fluent in Kazakh, says that everyone has to know his state language from childhood.

William Fierman, professor, University of Indiana, USA:
- I don’t think it is productive to make children learn a language by rote. When you have a stimulus and desire, you will learn it easily. Children can be stimulated by good books and TV programmes. It will become a natural process later on.

Nabi Magomedov won first place at the contest while Kibar Ishimov from the Turkish cultural centre gained the grand prize.