Anastasia Gross bridges culture and career through the Kazakh language
ArticlesThe Kazakh Language
For Anastasia Gross, Kazakh is more than just a means of communication.
Anastasia was born in Ayagoz. Like her ancestors—Volga Germans—the land of Kazakhstan became her true home.
The Kazakh language has been with her since childhood. She studied it diligently first in school, then in college, graduating with honors from the M.O. Auezov Pedagogical College in Semey. During her studies, she took part in language Olympiads and competitions, often winning prizes. Anastasia enjoyed feeling at home in the world around her. Her interest in Kazakh grew alongside her sense of belonging—to its people, its culture, and everything unfolding in her life.
This experience became the foundation of her professional career. For eight years, she has worked as a senior public relations specialist at Kazakhstan's National Nuclear Center. The NNC prioritizes the development and use of the state language, systematically promoting Kazakh language studies with a focus on professional and scientific-technical vocabulary—including terminology specific to the center's work. Employees can study Kazakh without interrupting their work through courses at the Kurchatov Language Center, allowing them to balance learning with their duties. Additionally, the center organizes advanced training for translators to improve their skills in rendering specialized scientific and technical materials.
After college, Anastasia continued her education abroad. She graduated with honors from Altai State Pedagogical University with a degree in psychology, then earned a master's in advertising and public relations from the Novosibirsk State University of Economics and Management. Every time she crossed the border, she would hear the simple, warm words at passport control: "Qosh keldiñiz" ("Welcome"). Kazakhstan, with its culture, traditions, and way of life, always remained her true home—the place she returned to after completing her studies.
"From the very beginning, the language revealed itself to me through its phonetic nuances," Anastasia shares. "It has sounds and articulations unfamiliar to Russian speakers, demanding attention and a keen ear."
Anastasia's approach to learning Kazakh relies first and foremost on immersion in a Kazakh-speaking environment. She engages in conversations with colleagues, works with media content, reads news, watches videos, and uses online dictionaries and translation tools. Modern digital resources help her gradually expand her vocabulary. She makes a conscious effort to use Kazakh not only in professional settings but also in everyday life, noting that the language is increasingly becoming a natural part of her daily communication.
"My experience with learning Kazakh has always been tied to immersion," she shares. "Growing up in a family where my grandmother and mother speak Kazakh fluently gave me a strong foundation, especially during my college years. My professional work is also closely connected to the state language. It's encouraging to see Kazakh gaining more presence in contemporary culture and entertainment—through film, media projects, and popular formats. This fosters a genuine interest in the language and makes it an organic part of daily life."
She values the reactions she gets when she speaks or responds in Kazakh—the openness, smiles, and willingness to engage in dialogue. Even when she makes mistakes, she often encounters support and patient corrections. This positive attitude creates a healthy linguistic environment and strengthens her confidence. Over time, Anastasia has become more convinced that language is a key to deeper cultural understanding. Through Kazakh, she discovers nuanced meanings in traditions, values, and the nature of human interaction.
One of her favorite songs is Közimnıñ qarası by Abai Kunanbayev. She first encountered this soulful piece in elementary school during music class, where the whole class sang along as the teacher played the piano. She still vividly remembers the sound of the music and the special atmosphere it created. Similar emotions arise when she listens to other traditional Kazakh songs, where language reveals its depth through melody, intonation, and inner rhythm.
For those just starting to learn Kazakh, Anastasia advises not to be afraid to speak and to embrace the learning process wholeheartedly. To native speakers, she urges patience—giving beginners the chance to practice, offering support, and valuing the effort itself. In her view, language is not a barrier or a divisive tool but a means of connection, a way to hear and understand one another. Dialogue and mutual respect, she believes, will always be the foundation of a healthy society.
Every day, our heroine strives for fluent, confident command of the Kazakh language—reaching the level where speech flows effortlessly and naturally. For her, this is an organic and inevitable state: knowing the language of the country you live in and feeling truly at home in it.
#communication #KazakhLanguage #languagelearning #statelanguage
