The Kazakh language is an enduring symbol of independence, the state language of our homeland, and the timeless soul of the nation, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said at the 10th Kurultai of the International Qazaq Tili Society. The Head of State emphasised that respect for the Kazakh language should be a civic duty of every citizen. He also highlighted key statistics. This year, 71% of schoolchildren were enrolled in classes taught in Kazakh. The number of students pursuing their education in Kazakh at colleges and universities is also on the rise.
«The use of the Kazakh language is expanding across all sectors, including the creative industries. There has been a significant increase in the share of Kazakh-language content in the publishing, music and film industries. For instance, 70% of the more than 6,000 books published last year were in Kazakh, as were 63 of the 71 films produced in Kazakhstan this year. All this demonstrates that the Kazakh language is in high demand in our society,» Tokayev said.
The Kazakh language is widely used in the field of advanced technologies. Numerous digital platforms across the country offer services in the state language. Leading global technology companies are also increasingly recognising its potential, the President emphasised.
«According to a study by OpenAI, Kazakh is among the languages whose use in artificial intelligence systems has been expanding rapidly over the past three years. According to Yandex, the number of users of one of its applications in Kazakh has increased by 30% compared to 2025. Last year, Google also added Kazakh to its Gemini language model,» Tokayev added.
The President also directed that a unified digital database for the Kazakh language be established, with the work to be completed by the end of next year. He called for stepping up the digitisation of books, periodicals, archival documents, audio and video recordings, as well as museum materials. The Head of State also emphasised the need to review and systematise spelling rules and conventions. These and other tasks have been assigned to a dedicated working group comprising scholars, experts, linguists, and representatives of the public.
«We must develop the Kazakh language and strengthen its position in the global linguistic community. It is essential to foster interaction between our native language and other languages. In this regard, we should continue the Oxford Qazaq Dictionary project undertaken by the Qazaq Tili Society. I have reviewed this dictionary and consider it very useful. The time has come to develop high-quality bilingual and multilingual dictionaries linking Kazakh with the main official languages of the United Nations,» Tokayev noted.
The President presented state awards to citizens who have made a significant contribution to the country’s socio-economic and societal development.
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