Abstract
Abstract Minority language rights have been a sensitive matter in Kazakhstan for some time. While much research has been conducted on the situation of Slavic ethnic groups, scholars have overlooked the experiences of ethnic Uzbeks in accessing education and employment in the Kazakhstani labour market. This study seeks to fill that gap by conducting 20 interviews with ethnic Uzbeks and using descriptive statistics within the 4Rs framework to gain insights into ethnic Uzbek experiences in the Kazakhstani system. Churchill’s typology is employed to analyse policy responses to the linguistic and educational needs of ethnic Uzbeks. The study’s findings demonstrate that, despite some level of discrimination, ethnic Uzbeks in Kazakhstan face no insurmountable barriers to accessing education and professional development. However, the use of the Uzbek language appears to be declining among this population, indicating a substantial language shift, whereby a community uses less of their traditional language in favour of a dominant or majority language. It is possible that the government’s language policies, which prioritise the use of Kazakh and Russian, are contributing to this assimilation trend.