Switch to Latinized Kazakh script to encourage people to learn language - expert

TYUMEN. KAZINFORM - Switchover to the Latin-based script may encourage Kazakhstanis to learn the Kazakh language, believes Yessengali Ibrayev, head of the national cultural autonomy of the Kazakhs of the Tyumen Region, Kazinform reports.

"Many people are making the mistake thinking that Kazakhstan will abandon the Cyrillic alphabet altogether. That is why we are trying to explain that Kazakhstan is introducing the system of trilingual education (Kazakh, Russian and English) that will still use the Russian language and the Latinized Kazakh script that will be introduced in the future. Kazakhstani schoolchildren will keep using the Cyrillic alphabet," Ibrayev told Kazinform correspondent.

He is convinced that Kazakhstan is introducing the Latin script not only to simplify the alphabet (25 letters instead of 42), but also to encourage people to learn the state language.

"Perhaps, the switchover to another script will encourage more people to learn the state language," Ibrayev said in conclusion.