DEVELOPING A LANGUAGE CURRICULUM FOR MULTICULTURAL CONTEXTS: INSIGHTS FROM INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP

Abstract

This study examines how the international internship program “500 Scholars” of the Bolashak Scholarship contributed to the revision of the Kazakh Language Course Curriculum (KLCC) through the first author’s participation in the Visiting Scholars Program at the College of Education and Human Development of the University of Minnesota (UMN). A sequential mixed-methods design–surveys (n=30 students; n=6 educators), follow-up interviews (n=8 students), and comparative curriculum analysis–addressed three research questions on learner needs, curriculum gaps, and transferable practices. Survey results indicate substantial dissatisfaction with the current KLCC (40% dissatisfied; 10% satisfied) and highlight preferred improvements: stronger real-world application (40%), deeper coverage of specific skills (20.6%), and more interactive methods such as hands-on tasks or group projects (16.6%). Beneficial elements included teaching approaches (23%), assessment procedures (20%), and practical relevance (17%), while 33% reported no beneficial aspects. Interview data elaborate these patterns, citing insufficient cultural content, limited interdisciplinary integration, and a lack of interactive learning opportunities. A comparative analysis between the KLCC at U-1 (name withheld for confidentiality) and the UMN English curriculum (Beginning Reading & Composition; Grammar; Oral Skills) reveals key structural differences: broader formative assessment, clearer scaffolding of literacy skills, and more explicit integration of cultural competence at UMN. These elements provide a chain of evidence for three pedagogical implications: 1) differentiated pathways for learners with and without Cyrillic literacy, 2) continuous assessment structures rather than summative-heavy models, and 3) expanded authentic communicative tasks grounded in cultural context.