Kazakhstan approved the final version of the alphabet in Latin. What are the real reasons for the transition of Kazakhstan to the Latin alphabet

A meeting of the National Coalition of Democratic Forces "Kazakhstan-2050" dedicated to the transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet was held. Politicians and representatives of ethno-cultural associations of Kazakhstan spoke at it. Each of them expressed his opinion about the upcoming language reform.

Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed / Photo site

The first deputy chairman of the Nur Otan party noted that the decision of the President to switch the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet was taken very timely - exactly when Kazakhstan has already established itself as one of the most respected states in the world, when stability, harmony and unity of the people reign in the country. The transition to the Latin alphabet should be the basis of spiritual modernization, which solves several problems at once. important tasks, he believes.

"The transition to the Latin alphabet based on English alphabet solves a trinity problem. First, it creates favorable conditions for mass English language acquisition, integrating us into the global English-speaking world. Secondly, it opens up new opportunities for access to the most modern achievements science and technology. Thirdly, it unites all Kazakhs living in more than forty countries of the world. By switching to the Latin alphabet, we are modernizing the modern Kazakh language, improving its grammar," said Mukhtar Kul-Mukhammed.

The rich heritage of Kazakh literature, he said, will be transferred to an electronic format and converted into Latin, from which the national culture and literature will only expand its horizons. As for the Russian language, the country is not going to abandon it, preserving bilingualism.

Julia Kuchinskaya / Photo site

The director of the Center for Political Analysis and Strategic Studies of the Nur Otan party called the transition to the Latin alphabet truly historical event in the life of our state.

"The translation of the Kazakh language into Latin script is our sovereign choice. According to sociological surveys conducted by the Center for Political Analysis and Sociological Research, the vast majority of citizens support this choice," the specialist said.

The lexical part of the language, according to her, is considered the most flexible and mobile, subject to change. In the conditions of modernization, accelerated technological and scientific development, new terms and phrases appear in speech every day, and, as a rule, these are words borrowed from English and other languages ​​in Latin.

"Language modern science- it's Latin. According to various estimates, annually from 55 to 75% of scientific literature in the world is published in languages ​​using the Latin alphabet. Among the 12.5 million articles published in 2005-2015 in the top 15 advanced countries in the Webof Sceince database, 75.2% were published in Latin, while only 2.4% were in Cyrillic. It is significant that the difference between the growth of scientific knowledge in Latin and Cyrillic is significant. For example, among 1.4 million patents issued in the top ten scientifically advanced countries, 61% of patents are issued in countries using the Latin alphabet, and only 2.7% are issued in countries using the Cyrillic alphabet," Yulia Kuchinskaya cited research data.

"In this context, it is important that neologisms are fixed in the Kazakh language according to the rules of word formation of the Kazakh language. As a result, our state language will be enriched, modernized, the process of the immune mechanism of the language will resume," she added.

Zhambyl Akhmetbekov / Photo site

A member of the Mazhilis of the Parliament from the CPPK said that the Communists welcome the return of the Latin script to the Kazakh language. In the age of globalization and explosive development of information technologies, the issue of language modernization, according to him, is directly related to the country's competitiveness and strategic development issues - the level of innovation, the country's attractiveness and openness for investment, and the development of human capital.

"We believe that with the transition to the Latin script, our country will become more open and close to most of the peoples of the planet, because in modern world more than 75% of countries use the Latin alphabet. There are currently 6 Turkic states in the world. Kazakhstan will become the fifth state using the Latin alphabet. Further rapprochement and strengthening of Kazakhstan's relations with the fraternal countries of Central Asia and the states of the Caspian region - Azerbaijan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan - is a very significant factor for integration and strengthening of good neighborly relations," the Secretary of the Communist Party said.

“I believe that there are all the necessary conditions for switching to the Latin alphabet. We have 100 percent literacy, almost every Kazakhstani de facto writes and reads in the Latin alphabet, using it every day cell phones browsing the internet," he added.

After the publication of the presidential program "Rukhani Zhangyru", according to the deputy, many meetings were held with the population in all regions of the country. During these meetings, the communists personally made sure that the people of Kazakhstan show great interest in the program of spiritual modernization and support it, primarily on the issue of switching the state language to the Latin alphabet.

Yuri Timoshchenko / Photo site

The deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament in his speech reminded those present of how in the most important moments for the country the people unanimously supported the President. The decision to translate the Kazakh language into Latin, according to him, is another important process in the history of Kazakhstan, when citizens should once again show solidarity.

"This is a historical necessity. The return to the Latin script will give a powerful impetus to the popularization of the Kazakh language within the country. The Latin script is a basic element of the cultural openness of Kazakhstan to the whole world. As a student of the Kazakh language, having tried many methods and dozens of manuals, I got acquainted with the alphabet with special attention presented at the Parliamentary hearings, and I can say with confidence that the new graphics are closer to the phonetic structure of the Kazakh language, which is why it should contribute to the study and dissemination of the state language.I fully support the proposed version of the Latin alphabet and call on all citizens of Kazakhstan to support this historic step for our nation ", the parliamentarian said.

"While the world is being shaken by political, economic and religious cataclysms, Kazakhstan remains a symbol of stability and prosperity, this is certainly the merit of our Elbasy and all Kazakhstanis. I urge everyone to once again show their unity in the name of the future of our common Motherland - the Republic of Kazakhstan!" he added.

Bakhytzhan Ertaev / Photo site

The deputy of the Mazhilis of the Parliament called the transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet a grandiose reform. He spoke for the veterans' organization he heads. According to him, the Armed Forces of the country, participants in the hostilities in Afghanistan, "Chernobyl victims" always, without hesitation, support the decisions of Elbasy.

"As a military man, I know that victory has 3 components. This is a clear strategy, faith in victory and, of course, a loyal army. Thanks to the strategic course of Elbasy, Kazakhstan has achieved triumphant victories. A magnificent capital has been built, the pride of all Kazakhstanis - Astana. Successfully carried out international specialized exhibition EXPO-2017 "Future Energy", which has become the center of attraction for innovations, as well as millions of tourists from all over the world. Astana this year has become the capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which unites more than half of humanity. And we are well aware that each Of these achievements, it became possible thanks to the strategic gift and will of our Elbasy. Therefore, I, like all servicemen and veterans of the Armed Forces, believe in my Commander-in-Chief," Bakhytzhan Yertayev said.

The transition to the Latin alphabet, he said, will take some time, so it is important that today's initiative be continued by the younger generation of Kazakhstanis. It is important that our youth actively participate in the life and further construction of the country. Not only their future, the future of their families, but also the prosperity of our country as a whole depends on their contribution, he concluded his speech.

Chairman of the Board of the Public Association "National Cultural Center "Belarus" Leonid Pitalenko noted that annually in the world about 40 languages ​​disappear. The reasons for the disappearance of languages ​​are different, but they are united by the inability of the language to adapt to new changing conditions. More than 70 languages ​​disappeared in Europe and Asia Minor, more than 100 languages ​​in the USA. As of today, nearly 200 languages ​​are endangered in India. The modernization of the Kazakh language and the transition to the Latin alphabet are necessary conditions for the survival and development of the language.

"Languages ​​that do not develop are doomed to oblivion. Therefore, the importance of the transition to the Latin alphabet for the development and strengthening of the Kazakh language can not be overestimated. The Latin alphabet is a tool of modern communication. The transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet will enrich the state language, which will preserve its originality and originality of the sound system ", - considers the chairman of the board of the Public Association "National Cultural Center "Belarus".

Modernization, he says, is taking place in many Slavic languages, including in Russian and Belarusian.

"It should be noted that it is the Latin alphabet that is currently the leader in the global information space. Even in countries such as India, China and Japan, where traditional writing is used, English is used as much as possible in the field of business and technology development. Today, all conditions have been created for the transition Kazakh language into Latin alphabet Society, state, all social groups, youth, representatives of business and science de facto use the Latin script," he noted.

Vadim Salakhov / Photo from inform.kz

President of the "Union of Azerbaijani cultural centers Kazakhstan", Doctor of Historical Sciences Vidadi Salakhov said that the initiative of Nursultan Nazarbayev regarding the transition of the Kazakh alphabet to the Latin script aroused great interest among representatives of the Turkic states.

"My friends and relatives living in other Turkic-speaking countries received this news with great enthusiasm. Because it will further bring together Turkic-speaking countries, most of which use the Latin script. Information in the Kazakh language, including poetry, literature, history, science will become more accessible for our brothers living abroad, for foreigners studying the Kazakh language. The legacy of the great Abai, Magzhan Zhumabaev can be read without translation by any schoolchild in Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan," he said.

The reform of the alphabet, he said, is of great practical importance. It is much easier for a first-grader to learn 25 Latin letters than 42 Cyrillic letters.

"In French 35 phonemes, in English - 45. These numerous phonemes are transmitted in only 26 Latin letters. And in the Kazakh language, 28 primordial sounds-phonemes are transmitted by 42 letters. Therefore, it is much more difficult for our schoolchild to learn Kazakh than for a small European to learn his English or French. The proposed alphabet based on the Latin alphabet consists of 25 sounds," Vidadi Salakhov said.

He recalled that the need to reduce letters in the Kazakh alphabet was written by the first professor of Kazakh philology Kudaibergen Zhubanov. In 1935, he prepared a project to change the spelling and alphabet of the Kazakh language based on the Latin alphabet, which proposed to reduce the number of letters. The ideas expressed by scientists more than half a century ago have not lost their relevance and are reflected in the new proposed alphabet.

"I carefully studied this version of the alphabet, compared its capabilities with the capabilities of other alphabets Turkic languages, has repeatedly discussed this issue with specialists, colleagues, including those living in other countries, and I believe that this project the Latin alphabet is the best option to fully reflect the specifics of the Kazakh language. The Kazakh Latin alphabet turned out to be more perfect due to the fact that when preparing the alphabet, problematic issues that other countries faced when switching to the Latin alphabet were taken into account," the doctor of historical sciences concluded.

Ikram Khashimzhanov / Photo from inform.kz

The chairman of the Uzbek ethno-cultural association of the South Kazakhstan region believes that further technical modernization cannot be carried out without spiritual modernization, which is why the President put forward the idea of ​​modernization public consciousness. The return of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet, according to him, is a historic step not only for Kazakhstan, but for the entire Turkic world, as it is the basis for strengthening friendship and ties with the fraternal peoples of Central Asia - Azerbaijan and Turkey.

"I consider the main advantage of the new alphabet to be the wide possibilities of using the entire phonetic diversity of not only Kazakh, but also all Turkic languages. It can be used for any of them, as well as their dialects, without any obstacles. The developers managed to avoid the mistakes of their neighbors. I am sure that taking into account the experience of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan will make the introduction of the Latin alphabet in Kazakhstan successful," he said.

April 12, 2017 Nursultan Nazarbayev: scientists and members of the public must accept a single standard for the new Kazakh alphabet and graphics. At the end of this year, the standards should already be ready, and business documentation, periodicals, textbooks should be translated into Latin by 2025. At the same time, he explained that the transition to the Latin alphabet entails the rejection of the Russian language.

The transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet - part major program President on the modernization of consciousness, presented by him in the strategic article "Bolashakka bagdar: ruhani zhangyru".

The reform is fraught with many pitfalls, which, according to observers, can turn into many social problems - up to a split in society. According to linguists, the rejection of the Cyrillic alphabet does not mean the displacement of the Russian language, although it will most likely lead to this in the long term. About the intricacies of language policy in the post-Soviet space - in the material RT.

Kazakhstan must switch from Cyrillic to Latin by 2025. The president of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev addressed the government of the republic with such a proposal. To this end, he instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to develop an appropriate plan by the end of 2018. The head of Kazakhstan announced this in an article published on the portal of the country's government.

Kazakhstan switched to Cyrillic in 1940. According to Nazarbayev, at that time such a move was political in nature. Now, the President of Kazakhstan continues, in accordance with modern technologies, environment and communications, the country needs the Latin alphabet.

From the late 1920s until 1940, the Latin alphabet was used in Kazakhstan - this script is known as Yanalif or the New Turkic alphabet. However, in the forties, Soviet philologists developed the new kind alphabet, which is used in Kazakhstan until now.

The Latin version of the Kazakh alphabet is still used today - however, by a few groups. For example, it is used among the Kazakh diasporas in Turkey and a number of Western countries.

Now Kazakh philologists will have to develop a single standard for the new Kazakh alphabet and graphics in a short time.

In addition, next year the President of Kazakhstan proposed to start training specialists in the Latin alphabet and start developing school textbooks.

“Cyrillic is our intellectual heritage and, of course, we will use it. But we will still have to switch to the Latin alphabet by the 2030-2040s, this is a requirement of the time and the development of technologies,” Deputy Imanaliev said.

Political overtones

The transition to the Latin alphabet in Kazakhstan does not mean oppression of the Russian-speaking population, says political scientist Leonid Krutakov.

“This is not a persecution of Russians, the Kazakhs are defending themselves as a state. But Russians in Kazakhstan will not be infringed. And Russia will never be a threat to Kazakhstan. It's just an attempt to draw a watershed and eliminate the threat state structure Kazakhstan, the scenario of collapse or the possible arrival of the "Russian spring", - the expert explained.

Nazarbaev's proposal is not only an attempt to strengthen linguistic self-identification. According to the political scientist, Astana makes it clear that it would like rapprochement with Ankara.

“Therefore, for Nazarbayev, this transition is, on the one hand, a way of rapprochement with Turkey, with the Turkic people, the direction of movement towards that civilizational branch, and on the other hand, building a certain cultural barrier or distance between Russian culture and Kazakh,” continues Krutakov.

Absolutely, this step should not be taken as an act of aggression against Russia and its culture, since this is not beneficial for Astana at all. She would like to keep these contacts, Krutakov is sure.

“Kazakhstan is not going to arrange a conflict with Russia. After all, it is a transit country. The only way for Kazakh oil to Europe is the CPC of Russia (Caspian Pipeline Consortium. - RT ) and the second way to Asia through Turkmenistan, Tajikistan. To go against Russia, one must have a common border either with Turkey or with Europe, but they don’t have one,” the political scientist concluded.

"Linguistically unjustified"

According to Andrei Kibrik, a leading researcher at the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Astana's decision does not make any practical sense, since the language functions quite effectively within the framework of the Cyrillic alphabet.

In addition, according to the expert, one should not draw direct parallels between the rejection of the Cyrillic alphabet for the graphic execution of the national Kazakh language and the rejection of the Russian language in general.

“You have to understand that a language and the writing that serves it are two different things. If people are accustomed to using oral Russian in everyday life, then the transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet does not directly affect the use of Russian, but there may be a delayed impact in the future, when a generation grows up that is unfamiliar with the Cyrillic alphabet. For them, ignorance of the Cyrillic alphabet blocks access to a written Russian text, even if they speak oral Russian, ”explained a representative of the Institute of Linguistics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Moreover, according to Andrei Kibrik, the ordinary population of Kazakhstan will be placed in very uncomfortable conditions, many will only lose from such a transition.

“As for the ordinary use of the language, such a transition at the same time makes the population illiterate. People cannot read stop signs in their native language. Such experiments can be afforded by countries that have little to lose, but I do not think that Kazakhstan is among them. Many graphics such as French, Chinese have a large number of shortcomings, but so many texts are written on them that no one encroaches on these systems,” the expert said.

Experience of post-Soviet countries

“Azerbaijan or Uzbekistan have already gone through this transition, you can look at their experience. Azerbaijan somehow adapted gradually, at the beginning people looked at the new inscriptions in a daze and did not understand anything, but gradually they got used to it. They just came quite radically. But in Uzbekistan the situation is different: nominally the transition has been made, but the Cyrillic alphabet retains its position. Many documents still exist in the Cyrillic version,” Kibrik explained.

It should be noted that in Azerbaijan the process of transition to a new alphabet was quite successful, as it was supported by large financial investments and a well-thought-out gradual strategy. Simultaneously with office work, textbooks were translated in kindergartens, then in schools and universities, and later all the media switched to the Latin alphabet. At the same time, according to statistics, in Azerbaijan a little less than 30% of the population speak Russian, but it is almost never used in everyday and everyday communication.

Experts do not consider the experience of Uzbekistan successful. The new graphics divided two generations: it was difficult for older people to adapt to the new reading rules, they found themselves in information isolation, and the books and all those publications published over the past 60 years in Cyrillic became inaccessible to the younger generation.

Change of mentality

Political analyst Alexander Asafov points out that if the government of Kazakhstan plans to get some political bonuses from the transition to the Latin script, then ordinary people such changes do not bode well, only difficulties await them.

"All countries former USSR apply various aspects of distancing: both culturally and linguistically. They experiment with their ancient history. Of course, the transition to the Latin alphabet has primarily political overtones, because such a transition is usually associated with enormous difficulties for native speakers in current form. It's not just about changing signage. This is a change in the mentality of society,” he explained.

Such reforms contain many hidden problems overcoming which requires the careful work of many specialists: from teachers to philologists.

“The main problem is the translation of the workflow into a new script. In addition, there will be colossal problems in education. This will mean the reformatting of education and the loss of Kazakh specialists from the general Russian-speaking field of specialists. In fact, they lose the ability to integrate with Russian education", - the analyst emphasized.

He also recalled the experience of Poland, where the actual transition of the population to the Latin alphabet took place "over a couple of centuries", while philologists had to invent new letters in order to adapt the new graphics to the peculiarities of the phonetics of the language.

Russian language in the former USSR

One way or another, the change in the displacement of the Cyrillic alphabet from everyday life leads to a decrease in the role of Russian culture and language in people's lives, and this in the post-Soviet space actually means cutting off the country from intercultural communication with many countries. Political scientist Alexander Asafov points to this.

“In other post-Soviet countries, the Russian language is a way of intercultural communication. It's cementing language Soviet culture. It is the language of culture. He will remain so. Even English cannot replace it. That is, when an Estonian and a Kazakh meet, they speak Russian,” he explained.

In fact, with the displacement of the Cyrillic alphabet, the cultural and historical basis of unity will be undermined a large number of people.

Interestingly, in the post-Soviet space, only Belarus gave the Russian language the status of a state language. In Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and South Ossetia it is the official language, and in Moldova, Tajikistan and Ukraine it is international communication. In Georgia and Armenia, the status of the Russian language is not formally defined, but in fact it has the status of a foreign language.

In the modern world, Latin is associated with new technologies and progress. Everything is written in Latin domain names and addresses Email. One of the main advantages of the innovation is that, by studying the state language in Latin, it will be easier to learn English, which is now spoken and written by the world community.

The transition to the Latin alphabet is important. It will help keep up with the times and successfully integrate into the global space, while maintaining its own face. Domestic linguists have already determined the criteria that the future Kazakh alphabet based on the Latin script must meet. This is a modernized Latin without redundant elements, a fast-writing and easy-to-read alphabet with recognizable words, and so on.

The new alphabet will be as convenient as possible in terms of using modern technologies. It will use 25 standard letters, and 8 specific sounds will be transmitted by a combination of several letters - digraphs. Therefore, for the set Kazakh text in Latin, the standard English keyboard will be used.

Director of the Institute of Linguistics named after Baitursynov Erden Kazhybek emphasized that the development of a new alphabet was carried out with the active and broad participation of the intelligentsia, both Kazakhstani and foreign.

According to Nurlan Nigmatulin, Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, the transition to the Latin alphabet is aimed primarily at reforming the Kazakh alphabet and spelling rules, which will make it possible to establish a correspondence between the phonetics of the language and its graphics.

According to Kazakh political scientist Eduard Poletaev, in such a matter as changing the alphabet, one should take into account not only financial expenses but also the moral and psychological component.

The transition to the Latin alphabet should not cause discomfort to Kazakhstanis. This requires a lot of work, as well as a clear understanding of the goal, - said Poletaev during the parliamentary hearings.

The political scientist noted that in those countries of the post-Soviet space, in which there has already been a transition from Cyrillic to Latin, at one time there was no such a multilateral and long-term discussion of this problem, as is happening in Kazakhstan.

According to Poletaev, the issue of the transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin script should be carried out as tactfully as possible, using a variety of proposals.

Most importantly, both computers and the market for devices like smartphones are booming. Until recently, we looked at the iPhone as a curiosity. Now even children have such devices. It is much easier to introduce new graphics, because the computer literacy of the population has increased significantly, - said Eduard Poletaev.

Lecturer at the Faculty of International Relations KazNU. al-Farabi, China specialist Kairat Bekov believes that "the new alphabet is just 10 out of 10."

Very handy for typing. Most importantly, the alphabet is simple, without sophistication with dots and other squiggles a la the Turkish alphabet. It is very important! The letters are familiar to everyone, and the rules for their use are easy to remember, fortunately, there are not many of them, - Bekov emphasized.

Analyst Timur Chigirov, regarding the proposed version of the Kazakh alphabet in the Latin alphabet, noted that he was "competent and has practical benefits."

The Internet, the World Wide Web, databases, scientific catalogs and journals, and many other information sources exist primarily in the Latin alphabet. And this is not only English, but also Spanish and many other languages, which are becoming more and more important and popular day by day. There is also a political background, and an awareness of the importance of the moment when the Turkic world, for the most part, has already switched or is switching to the Latin alphabet. This is a tighter integration in world economy, as well as, symbolically, the course towards the West, towards the Western model of development. Don't be afraid to be unique, - says Chigirov.

Political scientist Talgat Kaliev is also glad that "the process has begun."

At parliamentary hearings working group a draft of a new alphabet was submitted for consideration by the public, scientific circles and deputies. Only 25 letters. Specific sounds will be displayed through various combinations of letter combinations. For the younger generation studying foreign languages, this option will certainly be comfortable. As for the senior, over the next eight years, I think, anyone can master it. In general, practice shows that the fewer letters, the easier it is to master the language. Any specific letters create psychological barriers. And no language stands still, it undergoes adaptation and improvement continuously. Even the dominant European languages ​​are being modernized, the parallel circulation of the Latin alphabet is planned in Chinese and Japanese. And we are simply joining this civilizational stream,” Kaliyev summed up.

By the end of 2017, a single standard version of the Kazakh alphabet of the new graphics should be adopted. From 2018, it is necessary to start training personnel for teaching the new alphabet and textbooks for high school, as well as to develop a clear timetable for the transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet. From 2025, it is planned to conduct office work, publish periodicals in the Latin alphabet.

Svetlana SHESTERNEVA, Almaty

To this topic:

Shahbaz DZHAMALOV, Chairman of the branch of the Republican Association of Azerbaijanis in Aktobe:

The transition to the Latin alphabet is a historical necessity for Kazakhstan, it is another opportunity to integrate into the world's scientific and technological processes.

It is in this that the members of our Azerbaijani diaspora who live in Aktobe are unanimous.

By decision of the Parliament in our historical homeland in the Republic of Azerbaijan, the transition to the Latin alphabet began in 1991. The country switched completely to the Latin script for ten years.

We, Azerbaijanis living in the Aktobe region, believe that this issue will find a proper solution in Kazakhstan. We just think: taking into account the phonetic features of the Turkic languages, we need to try to correctly unify the Latin script. For example, there is a designation of the sound "sh" by the combination of sh in Latin. Better, of course, to use simple signs. Kazakhstan is a country with great intellectual potential, and we do not see any particular difficulties in this matter for the country and its citizens. In 2008, a Sunday school was opened with our Azerbaijani diaspora, where we teach children the Latin alphabet.

In the modern world, without knowledge of the English language, it is difficult to develop in any direction, including economically. The transition to the Latin script will bring the country closer to the advanced achievements in the world, will contribute to further more efficient development different areas life.

Elena RYBINA, press secretary of the Kyzylorda Nazarbayev Intellectual School:

In Kazakhstan, the romanization of the alphabet has been discussed for a long time. Back in 2006, the President of the country, speaking to members of the ANC, called for thinking about switching to the Latin alphabet. Specific instructions on the transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet were made in the article of the Head of State “Looking into the future: modernization of public consciousness”. The transition of the state language to the Latin alphabet is a natural requirement in the world of modern technologies. This has already been tested by other post-Soviet countries. For example, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan have long since switched to the Latin alphabet. The prospect of development of our state is connected with trilingualism. The reform of Kazakh writing does not mean a complete rejection of the Cyrillic alphabet.

The transition to a new alphabet will expand entry into the global information space. Now the whole world is moving towards simplifying languages. It will be possible to write in the Kazakh language on any gadget, being anywhere in the world. This will contribute to an easier mastering of Western languages ​​due to the common Latin script, which will give us the opportunity to consolidate, without which it is very difficult in the modern world.

Every language needs to change over time. For example, such changes took place in Chinese and Japanese. Therefore, we perceive the transition to a single Latin script as an objective and inevitable process of development. I am convinced that Kazakhstan has advantages in this regard. Based on the experience of the former Soviet republics, certain problems can be avoided.

Kabylbek TORETAYULY, member of the Union of Writers and Journalists of the Republic of Kazakhstan:

This issue has been discussed in society for a long time, the Latin alphabet is definitely needed, since this is the language of the Internet. I believe that this is being done in a timely manner. Scientists, poets, writers, all the intelligentsia have gathered today, and we will come to some kind of general consensus. There are some nuances in this matter: the Latin alphabet has several options. We settled on the Latin alphabet of 25 letters. I consider the option of 25 letters to be more optimal for us, but there is another option of 28 letters and even of 33. We need to consider this issue slowly, as they say, so that tomorrow they don’t say: “Oh, we missed it, we didn’t finish it.” No need to hurry. There is talk that for the time being, the Russian-speaking population will write in Cyrillic, perhaps this is also necessary so that everyone is comfortable, and over time, life will show.

Kairat BATTALOV, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Director of the Institute of History and Culture of Kazakhstan, PSU named after S. Toraigyrova:

The transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin script is necessary condition further integration of Kazakhstan into the world community in the context of globalization. This issue was relevant already at the dawn of independence. However, the need for a balanced policy in the socio-cultural sphere on long years postponed this move. Today, Kazakhstan has a unique chance to take into account the experience of post-Soviet countries that carried out similar reforms.

The transition to the Latin script opens up the country the possibility of cultural integration with Western civilization, but this does not mean a rejection of achievements in the conditions of using the Cyrillic script. It should be noted the very important role of its long-term use in the Kazakh language. Thanks to the Cyrillic alphabet, our people had the opportunity to be involved in the achievements of world civilization. However, the trends and scale of globalization and the formation of a new information society dictate the conditions for the transition to the Latin alphabet.

80 percent of information in the world is published using the Latin alphabet. The transition to it will allow our youth to more mobile learn new languages, including English.

The use of Latin graphics is not an absolute innovation for our society. In Kazakhstan, as in other Turkic-speaking Soviet republics, it was used from 1929 to 1940. It should be noted that this graphics turned out to be more convenient for use than the Arabic one, which was used by the Kazakhs for more than one century.

The transition to the new graphics creates an opportunity for Kazakhstan to return to the socio-cultural environment of the Turkic-speaking peoples, brings our peoples closer and strengthens mutual understanding between countries. When developing Cyrillic graphics in Soviet period a number of mistakes were made, the phonetic features of the Kazakh language were not taken into account, many words and terms were integrated into the Kazakh language from Russian. These errors must be taken into account and, as far as possible, corrected when forming a new script for the Kazakh language.

Gulnara ILYUBAEVA, director of the Vagulin secondary school, deputy of the district maslikhat, Kyzylzhar district of the North Kazakhstan region:

The state language is awaiting a grandiose reform - the transition to the Latin alphabet, this has been known to many since 2012. The head of state determined: scientists and members of the public should adopt a single standard for the new Kazakh alphabet and graphics. The President even announced specific deadlines: at the end of this year, the standards should already be ready, and business documentation, periodicals, textbooks - all this will have to completely switch to the Latin alphabet by 2025.

I think that writing in Latin in Kazakh is much more convenient. This is quite understandable: in the current version, the Kazakh alphabet has 42 letters, and the Latin alphabet has 25. The whole world is moving towards simplifying languages. I think you need to choose the most simple and convenient option. Of course, there will be certain difficulties associated with the preparation of the population, the conduct of explanatory work, the necessary scientific developments in this direction. In my opinion, there are three factors that necessitate the transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet.

First of all, when switching to the Latin alphabet, the question of new terms in the Kazakh language arises. The second reason is the possibility of upgrading the language when switching to another graphics. And the third is convenience. We will be able to write in Kazakh on any gadget from anywhere in the world.

Speaking about the transition to the Latin alphabet, it should be noted that in the Kazakh language, you need to pay attention to nine specific sounds. These sounds play a very important role within the word, at the junction of words. This can lead to difficulty in pronunciation. That is, a person who speech apparatus never worked on reproducing Kazakh sounds, an accent may occur. And the accent, as you know, causes a clamp, uncertainty, a complex, and as a result, a person refuses to speak, to learn the language. And if we switch to the Latin alphabet, then specific sounds will be easier to master.

I believe that the transition to the Latin alphabet will allow our state to take a step into the future.

May ZHOMART, Head of the Kyzylorda House of Mercy "Zhomart":

The head of state in his program article noted that by the end of this year it is necessary to adopt a single standard for the Latin script of the Kazakh language. And from next year we need to start preparing specialists in the new alphabet and textbooks for secondary schools. The reform of the Kazakh alphabet is conditioned by historical preconditions and is aimed at increasing the global competitiveness of Kazakhstan, aimed at accelerated integration into the world scientific, educational, technological and communication space.

The transition to the Latin alphabet should be simple and should not cause difficulties, since students learn English, use gadgets and computers, respectively, this will not lead to any problems and additional burdens. The whole problem is to create a good, comfortable alphabet. And then we will reach the world level, our language will become easier to learn and understand. The number of letters will also be reduced, which will also simplify the study of Kazakh.

We ourselves do not pay attention to this, but meanwhile the transition has practically begun. Any person daily encounters such words, brands, names, and everyone understands him. At first, it may be unusual, but over time everything will work out.

We already need to take care of the future generation of Kazakhstanis. This is the call of the times - the transition to the Latin alphabet. It must be remembered that the Latin alphabet is the most common in the world.

Abylaikhan KAIROLLAYEV, Chairman of the SCCF MK "Zhas Otan":

The development of science in the modern world is the key to a successful state. The time has passed when one talented scientist could move humanity forward. Now, to achieve progress, the systematic work of the entire scientific community is needed.

The vast majority of specialized literature teaching aids published in English, or using Latin script. Thus, there are a number of objective reasons that prevent Kazakh scientists from integrating into the international scientific community.

The solution to this problem was proposed by the Head of State in the last decade - it is necessary to implement gradual transition state language into the Latin alphabet. Consequently, the barrier that hinders the successful study of the English language will be erased, and, as mentioned earlier, this will give a tangible impetus to domestic science.

When cardinal changes take place in the life of society, this cannot but cause a wide resonance. But, as practice shows, any positive changes are also accompanied by difficulties that must be overcome in order to achieve the goal.

There is another not obvious, but no less significant plus - the consolidation of the Turkic-speaking countries, many of which have long made a similar transition.

Summarizing the above, one can be sure of the success and timeliness of this initiative of Elbasy.

Artur MOLDAGULOV, First Deputy Chairman of the North-Kazakhstan regional branch of the Nur Otan party:

Recently, the President of the country, the leader of the Nur Otan party, Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, spoke on television with an explanation on the issue of the transition of the Kazakh language to the Latin alphabet. Now Kazakhstan is facing an important cultural restructuring. According to the Head of State and a number of experts, the Latin script will give us a chance to join the world community.

First of all, I want to note that the transition to the Latin alphabet is the call of the times, and this is not the introduction of the Latin alphabet, but its return. After all, as you know, on the territory of modern Kazakhstan, the Latin alphabet was used from 1929 to 1940. Of course, the transition will be made gradually. And this has two significant advantages. Firstly, it will give impetus to the reunification or unification of the country with other Turkic states. Among them are Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, which have been using the Latin alphabet for a long time. Secondly, it will allow Kazakhstan to integrate into the world space, facilitate Kazakhstan's access to the achievements of countries using the Latin alphabet. In addition, it will provide an opportunity to learn about our country for many people on the planet, at least in terms of using the Internet. Now the most important thing is to approach this issue correctly.

In the coming years, all of us will have to do a large-scale work to explain the transition to the Latin alphabet. Therefore, I appeal to the people of the country to take an active part in this. Important Aspects the transition to the Latin alphabet is, first of all, strengthening the status of the Kazakh language without prejudice to others official languages: Russian and English. Experts have repeatedly noted that it is easier to write Turkic words in Latin, it is easier to use. Moreover, there is no need to use new terms in the Kazakh language. At the parliamentary hearings that took place two days earlier, the public was presented with several variants of digraphs in classical Latin without the use of superscripts and subscripts. The draft of the new alphabet is 25 characters of the Latin alphabet. As it was noted, the creation of this project of the alphabet, first of all, took into account the sound system of the Kazakh language. In my opinion, this is the most optimal type of writing Kazakh sounds, since most Kazakhstanis are used to such a classic version. The modernization of the alphabet is a completely normal practice in a number of countries. However, in order not to repeat the mistakes of other states, where adaptation to the Latin alphabet has dragged on for many years, we need to take a balanced approach to this issue. And the opinion of citizens in this matter plays an important role.

Gulnar TALAPOVA, Acting Head of the Regional Center for Language Teaching (“Tildarin”) of the Regional Department for the Development of Languages:

The question of the need to switch to the Latin alphabet in Kazakhstan was first raised back in 1991, when we gained independence. Even then, Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev said that much attention should be paid to the development of the Kazakh language. In 2006, at a session of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, he noted that the country needs to gradually translate the Kazakh language into the Latin alphabet. He outlined the same idea in the Strategy "Kazakhstan-2050" and instructed to begin the transition to the Latin alphabet. Therefore, since 2012, a republican commission and scientists from the Institute of Linguistics named after A. A. Baitursynova. Already this year, in his program article “Looking into the Future: Modernization of Public Consciousness”, the President outlined further movement in this direction. In addition, at the parliamentary hearings, deputies, philologists, and public figures discussed the proposed transition option, which provides for 25 letters and 8 digraphs in the alphabet. It is important that when developing a new alphabet, scientists have retained the old sound of the Kazakh alphabet. I believe that the transition to the Latin alphabet will proceed systematically and gradually. Once the final version is approved, the Government will develop a phased transition schedule. It is planned that in 2018-2019 retraining of personnel will begin, including philologists, teachers of educational institutions. I believe that by 2025 we will have mastered the transition to the Latin alphabet. Today, about 80% of the world's population uses the Latin alphabet. We, as philologists, understand that 25 letters in the alphabet instead of 43 available today will allow us to quickly master official language. Kazakhs living in various countries, communicate in the same language, but use different graphics when writing. After the transition to the Latin alphabet, we will be able to communicate more actively in the global space. I think that our country should only move forward and keep up with the world community, so we need to take this step, especially since society is already ready for it. Moreover, explanatory work is being carried out in the state and in our region.

After the announcement by the President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, of the transition of the Kazakh script to the Latin alphabet, heated discussions of this topic began in Kaznet, reports.

What Kazakh writing looked like in the 20s of the last century. Photo: Wikipedia

There were both supporters of this reform and its opponents.

We decided to show readers how and when such reforms were introduced in neighboring states.

UZBEKISTAN

First of all, the Uzbek experience of the transition of writing to the Latin alphabet comes to mind. If you go deep into history, then the Uzbeks in the past used various scripts - the Old Uighur script, the ancient Khorezmian script and Turkic runes. Then, after the invasion of the Arabs, the Uzbeks switched to the Arabic alphabet (Afghan Uzbeks still use it).

Until the socialist revolution and the civil war, the Arabic script was used on the territory of Uzbekistan, but already in the 1920s, philologists and other specialists began to actively advocate for the transition to the Latin alphabet. And in 1926 at the I Turkological Congress in Baku Turkic peoples adopted the Latin alphabet - yanalif.

How similar the Turkic languages ​​​​became after the transition to the Latin alphabet. Photo: Wikipedia

However, with the strengthening of Soviet power in 1939, an order from above created a commission to develop the Uzbek alphabet based on the Cyrillic alphabet. But already after the collapse of the USSR, President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov in 1993 signed the law "On the introduction of the Uzbek alphabet based on the Latin script."

Initially, the transition to the new alphabet was planned to be completed by 2000, then the deadline was moved to 2005, and then to 2010. But by 2015, the transition to the Latin alphabet in Uzbekistan was far from complete: the education sector and partly office work were transferred to the Latin alphabet, but newspapers and magazines continue to be published in Cyrillic, about 70% of literature is printed in it. In advertising, on television and on the Internet, both Cyrillic and Latin are used.

So the transition from Cyrillic to Latin in Uzbekistan has not yet been completed, but only in the process.

Billboard in Uzbekistan. Photo: UzReport.uz

TURKMENISTAN

In Turkmen, as well as Uzbek, the Arabic alphabet was used for writing. The Turkmens of Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran still use Arabic-based writing.

After the revolution, specialists also began to introduce a letter in the Latin alphabet, but at the end of the 30s, the process of Cyrillic writing began throughout the USSR. In January 1939, the newspaper "Sovet Tyrkmenistan" published a letter from the teachers of Ashgabat and the Ashgabat region with the initiative to transfer the Turkmen letter to the Cyrillic basis. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Turkmen SSR instructed the Research Institute of Language and Literature to draft a new alphabet. The teachers of the Ashgabat Pedagogical Institute and press workers also took part in the development of the new script. In April 1940, the draft alphabet was published.

After the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s, the issue of switching to Latin script. A new alphabet based on the Latin alphabet was introduced, but in the 90s the alphabet was changed twice, which affected the quality of education.

Due to the fact that the transition from Cyrillic to Latin in Turkmenistan was rather harsh and radical, such a sharp jump had a negative impact on the quality of education. For example, first-graders learned a new Latinized alphabet, but already on next year were forced to learn Cyrillic as well, since no new textbooks for the 2nd grade were published. This situation has been observed for 5-6 years since the beginning of the reform.

AZERBAIJAN

There are three official alphabetic systems in the Azerbaijani language: in Azerbaijan - in Latin, in Iran - in Arabic, in Russia (Dagestan) - in Cyrillic. Until 1922, Azerbaijanis used the Arabic script with additional signs characteristic of the Turkic languages.

Billboard in Azerbaijan. Photo: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Azerbaijanis raised the issue of switching from Arabic writing to Latin in the middle of the 19th century. However, in reality this happened only in 1922, and in 1925 the Latin alphabet was introduced into official use in parallel with the Arabic one.

But in May 1939, discussions began on the transition to the Cyrillic alphabet, and at the end of the same move, the transition process itself began.

After gaining Independence, in 1992, a gradual transition to the Latin alphabet began, which ended in 2001.

As for the Baltic republics, since 1904 they began to use the Latin alphabet and attempts to introduce the Cyrillic alphabet were unsuccessful. Even in Soviet time in the Baltics, the letter was in Latin.

Billboard in Lithuania. Photo: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

But the most striking example of the transition to the Latin alphabet was Turkey. Officially, the Turks switched to the Latin alphabet in 1928. The transition process of a complete transition took about 30 years. Indeed, until 1928, the Turks, like all Turkic peoples, used the Arabic alphabet. The reforms were carried out under the leadership of Atatürk.

Billboard in Turkey. Photo: Institute for War and Peace Reporting

The departure from Arabic writing was opposed by conservative and religious opponents. They argued that the adoption of the Latin alphabet would lead to Turkey's separation from the large Islamic world and would replace traditional values ​​with "alien" ones (including European ones).

how Alternative option the same Arabic alphabet was proposed with the introduction of additional letters to convey the specific sounds of the Turkish language.

However, Turkey successfully coped with the transition and today is the most positive example for the Turkic-speaking republics.

The transition to the Latin script for the Kazakh language is one of the measures to increase the competitiveness of Kazakhstanis in the new global reality.

At the same time, the writing reform has no political and, even more so, geopolitical background. This opinion was expressed by well-known political scientist Yerlan Karin in his article on ia-centr.ru.

Yerlan Karin. Source - Facebook

Change of writing as part of the strategy

As expected, the forthcoming reform of the Kazakh script caused an active discussion. And in some cases, it takes completely unexpected turns, leading the discussion towards big politics and even geopolitics. Therefore, it is important to re-emphasize.

First of all, I would like to emphasize that

the transition to the Latin script is a long-stated goal

The state went to it purposefully and step by step. For those who, as they say, are not in the subject, let me remind you that the president first spoke about the need to switch to the Latin script back in 2006. And I note that this was done at a session of the Assembly of National Unity - the main body and institution of interethnic harmony in Kazakhstan.

Then in 2012, in his message, Nursultan Nazarbayev developed the theme of romanization, pointing to 2025 as the finish line. Then, in the Message-2012, the head of state formulated the Strategy "Kazakhstan-2050" - this is a document that outlines the long-term strategic goals of the country's development.

Start practical implementation reforms, that is, what the president said in his program article, is a completely natural and expected step. It fits into the general logic of this long-adopted strategy. As they say,

everything goes according to plan. And for experts, nothing unexpected happened

Opting for Globality

The reform of language graphics should be considered exclusively with the modernization of the Kazakh language itself. I emphasize that this only applies to graphics. We are not switching to some other language, but only modernizing graphics, which was first introduced, by the way, back in Soviet times.

The fact that almost all Turkic-speaking countries (Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) have long since switched to the Latin alphabet indicates that the Latin script more accurately reflects the phonetic structure of the Turkic languages, which include Kazakh. And besides, did the transition to the Latin script affect the foreign policy of these countries?

That is, if you thoughtfully and without emotion approach the issue of switching to the Latin script, then it is obvious that this is a matter of the functionality and practicality of the language itself.

There is no politics, let alone geopolitics, here

Kazakhstan is actually the last of the Turkic-speaking states to decide to change the schedule. Yes,

the transition to the Latin alphabet is a civilizational choice

The choice in favor of open and global peace so that the Kazakh language receives a new dynamic in its development.

Today, all languages ​​are under pressure from new, accelerating global processes. Therefore, in Kazakhstan, the transition to the Latin alphabet is interconnected and interdependent with other reforms in the field of education. I.e

it is part of a large national educational project aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the nation

in a new global reality.

The cult of knowledge is a new ideology

The transition to the Latin alphabet is not an end in itself

The main thing is the transformation of the national (public) consciousness. The head of state presented a systematic vision of the Kazakh modernization program, which should be based on a balance between tradition and modernity. He calls, on the contrary, not to cling only to the past and in the same way not to run headlong after everything new. And by the way, in this approach

Kazakh and Russian concept somewhat similar,

in the sense that one cannot ignore historical roots and one should not blindly follow foreign models.

Today, President Nazarbayev, as a universally recognized national leader, is laying down a number of new public ideologies, the main of which is the cult of Education and Knowledge. This is the main essence of his article and in general his strategy. By and large, for Kazakhstan, this should become a kind of national idea.

In addition to the writing reform, Nursultan Nazarbayev outlined a number of other steps to adapt society to the changing historical realities. And the transition (or rather, return) to the Latin alphabet is just one of the tools. Nothing more.