Sociolinguistic Concepts of the Scholar-Sociolinguist Aman Abasilov

Abstract

Globalisation and the processes of linguistic decolonisation compel post-Soviet societies to rethink language policy on a new scholarly and theoretical basis. The aim of this article is to systematise the fundamental sociolinguistic concepts of Professor Aman Abasilov and to determine their significance for contemporary Kazakh linguistics and for the Turkic world. The scholarly value of the study lies in the fact that his concepts are analysed for the first time as an integral paradigm, while its practical value lies in the direct applicability of his proposals to state language-policy programmes. The work rests on theoretical analysis and synthesis as well as on descriptive, comparative, contextual and legal methods of analysis; the empirical base consists of the scholar’s monographs, textbooks, methodological guidelines and analytical articles published between 2002 and 2026. As a result, his concepts were systematised within twelve thematic areas, and it was demonstrated that they resonate with J. Fishman’s theory of language vitality while differing from B. Spolsky’s model through their decolonial orientation and linguo-economic pragmatism (the “language of income”). It was established that his ideas on alphabet reform and on the “re-marking” of space constitute a universal model applicable to sociolinguistic research across the Turkic world. The value of the study lies in enriching the theoretical apparatus of Kazakh linguistics with such notions as “linguistic independence”, “linguistic schizophrenia” and “decolonised onomastics”. The practical significance of its conclusions is expressed in concrete applied proposals: integrating the teaching of professional Kazakh at universities with the Qaztest system and redirecting state funding for language development from “holding events” towards “creating products”.