<div dir="ltr"><h1>How Kazakh Language Conquered Heart of South Korean Girl</h1>
<p class="gmail-byline">By Zhanna Shayakhmetova <em>in</em> <a href="http://astanatimes.com/category/people/" rel="category tag">People</a> <em>on</em> 6 October 2016</p>
<div class="gmail-post">
<p>ASTANA – The study of Kazakh inspired brainy and inquisitive
South Korean student Eun-Joo Koo to learn more about the country, its
language and importance to society. The Cambridge University PhD student
recently submitted her thesis, “Continuities and discontinuities of the
language paradigms in Kazakhstan: the Kazakh language from cultural
repository to added value,” focusing on the changing value of language.</p>
<p><a href="http://astanatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/579595_3238467459967_1896281853_n.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-18883"><img class="gmail-alignleft gmail-wp-image-18883" src="http://astanatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/579595_3238467459967_1896281853_n.jpg" alt="579595_3238467459967_1896281853_n" width="417" height="556"></a></p>
<p>Eun-Joo Koo, whose last name ironically sounds like the Kazakh name
“Inzhu,” became acquainted with the country through a documentary film
about Korean diaspora.</p>
<p>“Kazakhstan was such a mysterious country to me and that was
something I was looking for… I was thinking that in order to understand a
particular region, I have to know the people. In order to know the
people, I have to understand them through their language, because
language is not just a communication tool, but it entails people’s
thoughts, wisdoms, values, life and history,” she said in an interview
with The Astana Times.</p>
<p>Her initial steps in learning Kazakh came in 2004 as a student in the
Central Asian Studies Department at Hankuk University of Foreign
Studies. She had the opportunity to discover its full linguistic
diversity during an internship at Kazakh Ablai Khan University of
International Relations and World Languages.</p>
<p>Driven by intellectual curiosity, she came to Almaty at age 18 and lived in the southern capital for two years.</p>
<p>“Kazakhstan was more interesting than I thought,” she said. “Since I
am from a monolingual and monoethnic society, looking at the various
ethnicities who speak multiple languages was already fascinating to me.
The majority of people I encountered here were so kind to me. Some even
refused to charge me money in taxis and bazaars only because I spoke in
Kazakh. They told me ‘Sen konaksyn’ (‘You are a guest’). I feel very
close to Kazakh people as they are open and warm. Thankfully, I met so
many good people who helped me from A to Z, from doing grocery shopping
to learning Kazakh.”</p>
<p>“When I finally began speaking Kazakh fluently, I could afford taking
some breaks and exploring the country. My favourite places are
Shymbulak, Turgen Gorge and Issyk Lake. I first visited Astana in 2006.
Later, I came to Astana a few more times during fieldwork for my PhD,”
said the researcher.</p>
<p>Soon after she arrived in Almaty, she began dreaming about visiting Shymkent.</p>
<div id="gmail-attachment_18884" style="width:528px" class="gmail-wp-caption gmail-alignleft"><a href="http://astanatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/EunJoo-Koo-during-her-visit-to-Syrdarya-University-in-Zhetisay.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-18884"><img class="gmail-wp-image-18884" src="http://astanatimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/EunJoo-Koo-during-her-visit-to-Syrdarya-University-in-Zhetisay-1024x683.jpg" alt="EunJoo Koo during her visit to Syrdarya University in Zhetisay." width="518" height="346"></a><p class="gmail-wp-caption-text">EunJoo Koo during her visit to Syrdarya University.</p></div>
<p>“I was so curious about this city, because many people told me that
Shymkent is such an interesting place! In 2014, I finally visited
Shymkent and Zhetisai. I particularly enjoyed the time I spent in
Zhetisai. First, because I had a friend who invited me and organised my
visit and second, since the linguistic feature of the village was so
different from Almaty city. It was interesting for me to see that
everyone speaks Kazakh and studies in Kazakh regardless of their
ethnicity. I also met some Korean agailar (‘older brothers’) who are
living in Zhetisai. It was such a meaningful experience for me to see
life in the southern part of the country. So, I would say Zhetisai was
the best place for me and I really want to go back one day,” she said.</p>
<p>As a former vice-president of the American university’s Kazakh
society, Eun-Joo Koo was involved in different cultural activities and
built good relationships with Kazakh students.</p>
<p>“We have the Central Asian Forum and an official student society
entitled Cambridge University Kazakh Society. Whenever I talk to my
Kazakh friends, I can feel strong connections with them. I guess it’s
because we (Kazakhs and Koreans) share similar values and culture;
therefore, we can easily get along and understand each other. They also
gave me inspiration for my research,” she added.</p>
<p>The experience of living in the southern capital was very important
for Eun-Joo Koo’s doctoral project, as it gave her time to think about
how Kazakh language is valued in the market and society and why people
speak more Russian than Kazakh in a place like Almaty.</p>
<p>“These questions have preoccupied me since and later became a
cornerstone of my PhD dissertation. In my research, I have tried to
explore the value of the Kazakh language from an economic angle. I did
in-depth interviews with people in particular companies and asked how
they deal with the language policy which tries to encourage greater use
of Kazakh in work and official communications. I also conducted around
600 surveys in Almaty and Shymkent to assess the changing perceptions of
the younger generation on Kazakh language in the economy. Compared to
2005 and 2006, I feel that Kazakh is more widely spoken and I think that
it is really exciting for me to observe this change,” she said.</p>
<p>“My research means a lot to me as it is not only an academic paper,
but also an abridged edition of my eleven years’ experience in exploring
Kazakhstan,” she added. “The time I spent in Kazakhstan during my
twenties has broadened my perspective on academic life and shaped my
personal values. I am extremely thankful to the Kazakh people for their
hospitality, wisdom and generosity.”</p>
<p>When Eun-Joo Koo feels nostalgic, she listens to the songs of Makpal
Issabekova and Son Pascal which remind her of the time she lived in
Almaty.</p>
<p>“I am planning to read Dulat Issabekov and Gerold Belger’s novels.
They are my favourite contemporary writers. My future goal is to be a
useful person for Kazakh people, who can contribute to the development
of Kazakhstan and also to the relations between Kazakhstan and South
Korea. I cannot wait to visit my second hometown Almaty and have a giant
beshbarmak (Kazakh national meal) soon,” she said.</p>
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