Kazakh nationalism is on the rise in Kazakhstan. As the country's political leaders gain confidence with the rapidly growing economy, they are pushing for an increased use of the Kazakh language (as opposed to the more widely spoken Russian language), in part to distance themselves politically and culturally from Moscow.
Companies like CheveronTexaco are under scrutiny by government officials who claim the company does not conduct enough of its business in Kazakh and lacks adequate Kazakh language training programs for its employees.
The large British bank HSBC says it is designing Kazakh language courses for its employees and expects other multinational corporations to follow suit. It seems that demand for English-Kazakh speakers will continue to rise along with the importance of Kazakhstan as a supplier of oil and natural gas.
Kazakh nationalism is on the rise in Kazakhstan. As the country's political leaders gain confidence with the rapidly growing economy, they are pushing for an increased use of the Kazakh language (as opposed to the more widely spoken Russian language), in part to distance themselves politically and culturally from Moscow.
Companies like CheveronTexaco are under scrutiny by government officials who claim the company does not conduct enough of its business in Kazakh and lacks adequate Kazakh language training programs for its employees.
The large British bank HSBC says it is designing Kazakh language courses for its employees and expects other multinational corporations to follow suit. It seems that demand for English-Kazakh speakers will continue to rise along with the importance of Kazakhstan as a supplier of oil and natural gas.