Speak Kazakh: Language Ideologies in Kazakhstan's Social media in Times of Russian–Ukrainian War

Abstract

This article examines the construction of language ideologies on social media in the context of the use of Kazakh and Russian languages in Kazakhstan following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Through the analysis of Instagram and YouTube posts and comments from popular Kazakhstani bloggers and opinion-makers, which were selected for the heated online debates they generated, this study explores how the choice of speaking Russian or ‘shala-Kazakh’ (a mixed form of Russian and Kazakh) is perceived in relation to the national identity of individuals in Kazakhstan. The analysis of social media content reveals the dominance of ideologies centred around notions of linguistic purity, national authenticity and decolonizing anti-Russianness. Utilizing Agha's theory of enregisterment and drawing on Irvine and Gal's concept of language ideologies, this research investigates the impact of social changes on language ideologies. It also explores how language regulation and mocking practices on social media serve as significant mechanisms for the circulation and maintenance of these ideologies and broader linguistic and social hierarchies.