ASTANA – Weekend courses on the Kazakh language have begun in a primary school in Maryland with the support of the Kazakh-American Association and the Kazakh diaspora in the U.S.
Photo credit: Khabar.kz
Kazakh classes for children and adults are offered on Saturdays and pay close attention to the correct use of grammar and style, reported 24.kz. Most students come from the Washington, D.C., area or Richmond, Virginia.
According to President of the Kazakh-American Association Darkhan Nurmagambetov, such schools contribute to the preservation of Kazakh culture, language, traditions and customs among Kazakhs living outside the country. The Kazakh diaspora in the larger Washington, D.C., metro area can maintain ties with Kazakhstan, celebrate national holidays and practice their native language, thanks to these enthusiasts.
“We have students with different levels of preparation, but all of them are eager to learn the Kazakh language. There are some people who speak Kazakh and want to raise their level of language to start reading books in Kazakh. The classes are organised at the Westbrook Elementary School. It is a prevailing tradition: on weekends, people from different cultures try to deepen their knowledge and maintain links with their culture,” said Kazakh language expert Edige Magovin.
Many American institutions offer their premises during weekends to cultural centres.
“We are very pleased that the Kazakh-American Association in Washington opened this unique Kazakh language course. This gives us the opportunity to be associated with our country and to not forget our culture and traditions,” said Natalia Caryl, who has enrolled in the new language classes.
