LANGUAGE ECOLOGY AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF KARAKALPAKSTAN: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

This paper examines the language ecology of secondary schools in Karakalpakstan and its implications for English language teaching (ELT). Karakalpakstan is  a multilingual autonomous republic within Karakalpak, Uzbek, Russian, and English are used across different educational, social, and family contexts. The coexistence of these languages creates a complex linguistic environment for English language education, which may not be fully addressed by national approaches to ELT. The study adopts a mixed- methods design. combining a questionnaire on language use among secondary school students, semi-structured interviews with English teachers, and classroom observations in urban and rural schools across Karakalpakstan. Quantitative questionnaire data are analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data from the interviews and classroom observations are analyzed thematically. The study focuses on challenges such as the limited availability of Karakalpak- medium learning materials, teachers’ reliance on translation, and differences in students’ linguistic and English proficiency. It also examines opportunities associated with students’ cross-linguistic awareness and teachers’ use of informal translanguaging practices. The paper argues that ELT in Karakalpakstan should take the republic’s multilingual language ecology into account when developing teaching practices and educational policies. A more context-sensitive approach may help align English language education with the linguistic realities of secondary school students in Karakalpakstan.