Takashi Ninomiya, visiting professor of the Department of the Far East, took part in the regional seminar "Youth of Kazakhstan: state language policy and society", held in Pavlodar

Takashi Ninomiya, an associate professor and invited professor at the Department of Far Eastern Studies, Faculty of Oriental Studies, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, went to Pavlodar City on October 06, 2023 to participate in the regional seminar "Youth of Kazakhstan: state language policy and society." The main participants and themes of the seminars organized by the Ministry of Education in Kazakhstan were as follows: Мұқан Шыңғыс Жұмабекұлы (Chairman of the "Мазмұндама" public fund) lectured on "The development of Kazakhstan depends on the development of the Kazakh language"; Жұмабай Мақпал Құрманжанқызы (Laureate of the state "Daryn" youth award) lectured on "Digitizing Language: Opportunities and Initiatives"; Takashi Ninomiya lectured on "Effective ways to learn the national language." Ninomiya explained how he studied Kazakh language at the Faculty of the Preparatory at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and how he uses Kazakh language in his daily life. Ninomiya said, "I am surprised that Kazakhs are able to use and speak two completely different languages, Russian and Kazakh, but Kazakhs are surprised to see me speaking only Kazakh." Also, he explained that those who do not speak Kazakh well should also learn a little Kazakh, and those who speak Kazakh fluently should not stress by telling those who do not speak Kazakh well that "your Kazakh is not good."