Cultural Facts Language Preview Hear from our students Program Info
The Critical Languages Institute is a national training institute for less commonly taught languages, offering summer intensive courses and study-abroad programs around the world.
Every summer, CLI brings students from across the U.S. together to develop their linguistic and cultural competency rapidly and effectively through intensive immersion programs. Explore the tabs above to learn more about the Kazakh course offerings at CLI.
Dive into the Language
Population:
Spoken by over 10,000,000 people
Vibrant Celebrations:
Nauryz (Nauryz Meyrami): Nauryz is the Kazakh New Year and one of the most important holidays in Kazakhstan. It marks the spring equinox and symbolizes renewal and rebirth.
Independence Day: Commemorates Kazakhstan’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
The Kazakh alphabet has:
42 letters
A a Ә ә Б б В в Г г Ғ ғ Д д
Е е ¨ Ж ж З з И и Й й К к
Қ қ Л л М м Н н Ң ң О о Ө ө
П п Р р С с Т т У у Ұ ұ Ү ү
Ф ф Х х Һ һ Ц ц Ч ч Ш ш Щ щ
Ъъ Ы ы I і Ь ь Э э Ю ю Я я
The Heart of Music
The dombra, a two-stringed instrument, is central to Kazakh folk music and serves as a symbol of the nation's cultural heritage. Its melodies, often used in Küy performances, tell stories and preserve the traditions of the Kazakh people.
Nomadic Heritage of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's rich cultural identity is deeply rooted in its nomadic past, where Kazakhs traditionally lived in portable yurts and migrated with their herds. This legacy of mobility and self-reliance still influences Kazakh customs, from traditional housing to cuisine and celebrations.
Traditional Kazakh Cuisine
Kazakh cuisine reflects the country's nomadic roots, featuring hearty, meat-based dishes like beshbarmak and kazy, often made from lamb, beef, or horsemeat. Fermented mare's milk, kumis, is a distinctive and revered drink in Kazakhstan's culinary tradition.
Language Preview
"Goodbye"
Saw bolıñız
Сау болыңыз
"How are you?"
Kalaisiz
Қалайсыз
"Hello"
Sälemetsiz be
Сәлеметсіз бе
Hear from our students
Location of Language
Kazakh is the official language of Kazakhstan, a vast country located in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. Kazakhstan shares borders with Russia to the north, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan to the south, and has a coastline along the Caspian Sea to the west.
Program Information
Course Options
First-year Kazakh provides beginners a solid introduction to Kazakh grammar and conversation. Students who complete the course successfully will reach a proficiency of Novice High or Intermediate Low.
Online dates: May 27 - July 11, 2025 (Holidays: May 26 & July 4)
Times: 8:30am to 12:30pm MST
Students will be able to communicate in day-to-day situations in Kazakh, will be able to read and write effectively on familiar topics, and will have a solid foundation for further study or travel.
The program introduces Kazakh culture through authentic materials and media, as well as activities in Kazakh and structured interactions with Kazakh speakers.
First-year Kazakh combines 4 hours a day of online classroom instruction (140 contact hours) as well as daily informal activities in Kazakh led by facilitators representing Kazakh-speaking communities from around the world.
Credits: 8
Fee: $2,000
Apply Now
Program Handbook
CLI Online Programs Handbook 2025
Funding Options
The Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships program provides allocations of academic year and summer fellowships to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of higher education to assist meritorious undergraduate students and graduate students undergoing training in modern foreign languages and related area or international studies. Eligible students apply for fellowships directly to an institution that has received an allocation of fellowships from the U.S. Department of Education.
The Melikian Center offers both academic year and summer-length FLAS Fellowships. The application for both Academic year and Summer 2025 FLAS Fellowships will close on January 31st, 2025.
The Summer 2025 Foreign Language & Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS) provides eligible students with a $3,500 stipend and $5,000 in tuition during the Summer 2025 semester for funding intermediate and/or intensive study of Albanian, Armenian, Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian (BCS), Kazakh, Macedonian, Persian, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Tatar, Turkish, Ukrainian, or Uzbek domestically or abroad.
Supported by the Melikian Center's endowment and by private donations, the Melikian Center Awards Program provides scholarships of up to $2,000 for superior applicants to study critical languages at CLI's domestic programs and up to $6,000 towards CLI's study abroad offerings.
This funding opportunity is open to all CLI applicants. High school, community college, and non-students are especially encouraged to apply.
An application for this funding is included in every CLI Language Program application.
The Melikian Center offers up to a $1,000 reduction of the published CLI program fee for qualified Pell Grant eligible students and non-students with an annual family income of $50,000 or less. This $1,000 reduction applies to online, online plus study-abroad, or study-abroad programs. Please note that a limited number of fee reductions are available; not all students who apply will receive a need-based fee reduction.
To qualify for this funding opportunity, please indicate your Pell Grant eligibility on your general CLI program application.
The State Department's Gilman Scholarship provides awards of up to $5,000 for students in financial need to study abroad, including in CLI overseas programs. Gilman applications require certification of the program by your institution's study-abroad office. If you apply for Gilman support, please contact [email protected] for assistance in getting the required information to your institution.
Gilman summer study applications are accepted from August to October and January to March. Students interested in this opportunity should apply for the early competition, if possible, since applicants to the later competition will not learn their award status until after the deadline to commit to CLI study. Please contact [email protected] for details on timing your Gilman application.
An external application is required to apply for this funding opportunity.
The Department of State's Title VIII program funds graduate students with U.S. citizenship to study less commonly taught languages.
Students who apply for an online-only program may receive up to $5,500. Students who apply for an online program with a 4-week abroad extension may receive up to $10,500. Students who apply for an 8-week study abroad program through CLI may receive up to $10,500.
Past CLI Title VIII fellows can be awarded the fellowship up to two more times, for a maximum of up to 3 fellowship awards, as long as they maintain their graduate student eligibility.
