In this blog, I will shed light on the similarities and differences of language cases in Peru and in Kazakhstan. There are several reasons for choosing Peru to compare with Kazakhstan. First, one of my close friends is Peruvian. Second, my age-old dream spot, Machu Picchu Inca site is located in Peru.
At first consideration, the two countries of
Kazakhstan and Peru have nothing in common. In reality, the opposite is
true. First, both share the status as
“developing countries”. Next, the word “multi” is key in identifying similarities
of the two countries because both are multiethnic, multicultural, and
multilingual. There are more than 130 ethnicities living in Kazakhstan. If
Kazakhstan measures ethnicities mostly in numbers, Peruvians refer to race
percentages: 45% Amerindian, 37% mestizo (of mixed Spanish and Amerindian
ancestry), 15% white, and 3% black, Asian, or other. Peruvians and Kazakhstani
people share the common feature of diversity.
Concerning languages, Spanish in Peru is akin to
Russian in Kazakhstan; Quechua and other indigenous languages of Peru are like Kazakh
in Kazakhstan. Unsurprisingly, English shares a similar state in both countries.
Although countries can be alike, a difference does occur as Peruvian Spanish
differs from other variations of Spanish worldwide.
Peru’s language policy slightly differs from
Kazakhstani one. Peru has many official languages; there is no state language
existence. The official languages are Spanish and Amerindian languages
(Quechua, and Aymara), and there are other indigenous languages. Kazakhstan has
Kazakh as a state language and Russian as an official language. Minority
languages of Kazakhstan include Uzbek, Uygur, Ukrainian, Tatar, Kyrgyz, Korean,
Armenian, German, Polish, etc. As for Peru, it used to have 84 indigenous
languages, of which 37 have been lost, and the other 47 are still alive today
in Peru (Ortiz, 2013). The second official language of Peru, Quechua, has less popularity
than the dominant language, Spanish. According to Coronel-Molina (1999) Quechua
speakers see no future for the Quechua language. As a consequence, they turn to
Spanish as a potentially dominant and more prestigious one. This case is
reminiscent of Soviet Kazakhstan when
living better was associated with the Russian
language rather than the indigenous Kazakh language.
Due to globalization, English spread into Kazakhstan
and Peru as well. English language in both countries has a similar situation;
usually, youth, educated people, and businessmen are thought to be competent in
English.
A unique language feature of Peru and Kazakhstan
concerns variation. Spanish language itself differs according to which nations
uses it. For instance, Spanish serves as an official language in more than
fifteen countries. People from Spain, Dominican Republic, and Peru understand
each other but some words would be unclear. Amerindian indigenous languages
played a significant role in Peruvian Spanish. The Kazakhstani case is completely
different. The Russian language is hundred percent the same in all
Russian-speaking countries. Although language has no variations, in Post-Soviet
countries indigenous ethnicities may mix Russian with their mother tongues (by
code-switching or new word formations). In Kazakhstan, Shala-Kazakh (mix of
Kazakh and Russian) is an example of these variations. These language mixes do
not go beyond its usage, as only indigenous people mix languages. Indeed, Russians who live in Post-Soviet
countries tend to not mix Russian with other languages.
Overall, Peru and Kazakhstan have more in common than
one can imagine. First, both are multiethnic and multilingual. Second,
languages can be equivalent by their usage and statuses. Third, English
language lies in similar state. However, Peruvian Spanish clearly differs from
Kazakhstani Russian language. The
provided comparison of countries is pivotal “to think out of the box”. When it
comes to language cases and language policies such mini-research broadens
horizons to reconsider how small the world around us is.
References
Ortiz, Diego O. (2013, June 6). Peru’s native
languages are fighting for survival. Retrieved from
http://www.peruthisweek.com/blogs-perus-native-languages-are-fighting-for-survival-100088
Hornberger, N. H. (1999). Language in education:
Regional report on Latin America (Doctoral dissertation, University of
Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 19104-6216 USA).
Kuoda Travel. Cusco, Peru. Spanish, Quechua, and
English: languages spoken in peru and how to be a savvy traveler. Retrieved
from
http://www.kuodatravel.com/blog/spanish-quechua-and-english-languages-spoken-in-peru-and-how-to-be-a-savvy-traveler/
Frommers.www.frommers.com. Language. Retrieved from
http://www.frommers.com/destinations/peru/686144#sthash.MAouPt7L.ogwsy66V.dpbs
Nice comparison of two seemingly very different countries. It is helpful to draw these parallels between countries in order to understand complex ideas like globalization and post-colonialism. Some specific proofreading points for you to fix:
ReplyDelete1) Comma splice: English language in both countries have similar cases, it is at some degree exists in the countries.
2) Word choice "perspective": Coronel-Molina (1999) states that Quechua speakers see no future with Quechua language, so they turn to Spanish as a potentially dominant and more perspective one.
3) Parallel structure: Peru’s language policy slightly differs from Kazakhstani.
Go back and read for clarity and accuracy, and consider adding a stronger conclusion that shows why this comparison matters, not just a summary of the points you made.
Great post! Thank you. It shows how, on the first sight, completely different countries can be similar in terms of language use and status. It is not only one example of a lot of similarities between countries of different regions and with different history and culture. I think most of post-colonial countries share the same language situation nowadays, where there is a language which was forced to speak for a centuries by invaders and one or several indigenous languages which were forgotten. Such countries can share their experience of language reforms implementation.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I like your style of writing! Very interesting to read!
Thank you a lot, Shynar. I enjoyed writing this blog the most. This blog was a challenge for me. It was as I was trying to connect something impossible to be connected. In a way, it's a puzlzle that make us "brothers and sisters of the Earth". In addition, the blog demonstrates a reality: how small the world around us is; how something very different can be so close. You absolutely right that many post-colonial countries akin experiences can be shared to further improvements of language policies. Peru’s language case attracts by its rich variety of languages in it. Kazakhstan’s multiethnicity and multiculturality is respected but in comparison with Peru do not hold official statuses. Nevertheless, the comparison of Peru and Kazakhstan made me wonder what other countries out there can have common features with Kazakhstan in language or educational fileds.
DeleteHi everybody. I remeber when I traveled to Cusco the last year, the experience was spectacular, Cusco has the best place to know about history. Also I remember the experience with my travel agency, was perfect, if you want know more the MachuPicchu and Peru, can search the web page and travel for all Peru. Hugs.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ericadventures.com/