Between December 12 and 20, 2018, Associate Professor of the Department of practical Kazakh language of the Philological faculty of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, candidate of Philological Sciences Gulbaira Otelbay visited the Federal Republic of Germany in the framework of the program “Ruhani zhangyru”. She visited language and Kazakh cultural centers in cities such as Berlin, Munich and Cologne and acquainted local residents with the current cultural and educational achievements of Kazakhstan and the Eurasian University.
Berlin. The business trip of G.T.Otelbay began with the Institute of Central Asian and African Sciences at the Humboldt Berlin University. A meeting was held with the head of the “Kazakhstan and the Kazakh language” lectorate, Gulsim Aldabergenkyzy Masakova, during which colleagues exchanged views and experiences. Lectorate was founded in 2011 with the aim of promoting the Kazakh language and culture, strengthening cooperation in historical, educational, cultural, educational and scientific fields. During the conversation, G.A. Masakova told that 6-8 students gather in one group and study Kazakh culture, traditions and customs, history and peculiarities of language use. In addition, new formats and techniques of teaching the Kazakh language and culture for the German audience were discussed.
On December 13, at the special invitation of the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Germany, G. T. Otelbay attended an official reception organized in honor of the 20th anniversary of the city of Astana and the 27th anniversary of Independence of Kazakhstan, where she presented the study manual "Kasachisch für Deutschen" ("Kazakh language for German audience ") to responsible persons. At the reception, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Germany Bolat Nusupov made a solemn speech and congratulated the guests on the Independence Day of Kazakhstan and wished success to the Kazakh-German international relations.
On the topic of the Kazakh language for the German audience, the author of the study manual, G. T. Otelbay, spoke in detail with the secretary on the cultural part of the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Germany, Dauren Tuleuov. Plans for the future joint release of textbooks and bilingual dictionaries for the German-speaking audience were discussed. The embassy reported that within the framework of “Ruhani zhangyru”, translation of books by Kazakhstani writers into German has already begun.
The reception was also attended by members of the German government, deputies of landtags and the Bundestag, heads of diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Berlin, representatives of German business circles, scientists and cultural figures, leading German politicians and journalists from the best German media, representatives of the Kazakh diaspora and Kazakhstani students. The solemn event was brightened with a concert of the Kazakh orchestra of national instruments named after D.Nurpeisova and the chamber choir of the Academy of Folk Music. During the festive reception, German colleagues noted that they especially appreciate the work of philologists in the cultural and spiritual relations between Kazakhstan and Germany.
On December 14, G.T.Otelbay visited the Muslim cemetery at the Sehitlik Moschee (Shekhit Mosque) in Berlin, where Mustafa Chokai, a fighter for the freedom of the Turkic peoples, is buried. Here, surahs from the Koran were read and prayers were said for the repose of the souls of the fighters for independence.
Munich. On December 16-17, the well-known public figure, journalist Abdulkayym Kesici and his wife Fatima met and invited to meeting with the Munich "Cooperation Group of Kazakh women." Sekine hanum, the spouse of the head of the Kazakh society Abdurahman Dogudurak, Merzie Savaș, Hanife Akdeniz, Ainur Naimen, Amina Tyigün, Ayșe Karebasar, Ayșe Kral, Dilek Ǜnalan, Gülizar Ferhih attended this meeting.
During acquaintance, the conversation touched on the topic of social status and the problem of the language of our compatriots. “We have fulfilled duty and have not forgotten our language and traditions. However, the problem of language is considered relevant since we do not live in our own country. For young people, it becomes very difficult and problematic to marry a Kazakh because there are few of us. Therefore, there are many cases when young people marry representatives of a different nationality. This leads to problems of the native language and makes us worry about its fate. The youth here is fluent in German. The manual “Kasachisch für Deutschen” would help young people not only to remember, but also to develop their native language,” noted Abdulkayym Kesici.
Ainur Naimen, a cousin younger sister of the widely known sports figure in Kazakhstan Mustafa Ozturk, added: “We do not know how to read Cyrillic, therefore we were very pleased to learn that Kazakhstan is moving to the Latin alphabet. We would be even happier if it looked like Turkish. The leader of the Kazakhs in the whole world, Elbasy Nursultan aga is the aksakal of the Turkic world. All young people use Latin letters. Variants of the new Kazakh alphabet with the addition of apostrophes and acutes seem to us troublesome and inconvenient to use. The next year in Kazakhstan is declared the “Year of Youth”. We would like Elbasy to take into account the opinions and suggestions of young people in the process of latinization, since the future of the new alphabet and the country depends on the younger generation.”
Cologne. The most interesting thing is that European Kazakhs call this city “Көлн” (Köln), making it convenient to pronounce. The heads of the Kazakh diaspora in this city were invited to the play “Mangurt”, presented at the Volksbühne am Rudolfplatz theater named after the once famous actor Willie Millovich. The Kazakh diaspora and Kazakhstani students in Cologne were given the chance to see the art of the collective of the Kazakh drama Theater after Makhambet of Atyrau city on the big stage and spiritually reunite with their native country. Germanic relatives warmly welcomed the enormous work of the director of the theater Berik Zhamenov, the main director Mukangali Tomanov, the main artist Temirbek Mukhtarov, the director-director Gulnaz Kamysbayeva, the art director Timur Koesov, the composer and the leader of the ensemble “Astana Sazy” Bauyrzhan Aktaev, and choreographer Anar Yesengaliyeva.
Before the performance, a meeting was held with the chairman of the Kazakh Cultural Center, Sadiye Surer, the German language teacher at AWO-Bildungs-Zentrum, Maral Zukhurnayeva, the elementary school teacher Marzhan Pishkinel, and other Kazakh representatives Mahmut and Ezey Ahi, Akilkan Gurip, Nesihe Taki, Murat Köse were acquainted with the study manual of G. Otelbay. Sadiye Surer noted, “I believe that the main connection between Kazakhstan and Germany is a cultural connection. For example, Turkey has established a good system in such relations. German Turks visit Turkey several times a year. Learn the native language, restore the roots. There are many textbooks on learning Turkish in German. The textbook "Kasachisch für Deutschen" by a scholar of the Eurasian University G. Otelbay is a valuable find for us." Maral Zukhurnayeva added: “I teach children German. I have long thought about developing a textbook on the Kazakh language. The work of Gulbaira apay "Kazakh language for the German audience" would contribute to my work. I would like to thank the author of this manual.”
The participants wished success in the development of the Kazakh language in European countries, namely in Germany and added that they believe and wait for the manual in the new editions.
