Language Groups Research Articles

Cognitive Control Performance as Measured by Clustering and Switching in Nepali – English Bilingual Verbal Fluency Task

Verbal fluency task is a simple yet powerful neuropsychological tool for measuring linguistic and cognitive processing. In this research article we report the clustering and switching, as identified by Troyer and colleagues (1997), as cognitive control measured through semantic and phonetic verbal fluency task. We tested 25 Nepali (L1) - English (L2) bilingual adults with mean age of 22 years on f, a, s for English phonemic fluency, s, k, d for Nepali phonetic fluency and animals, cloths, vegetables, fruits and flowers for semantic fluency in both Nepali and English. The participants performed better in L2 phonetic fluency compared to L1 phonetic fluency, whereas, there was mixed results in semantic output in both the languages. They exhibited more clusters in phonetic fluency compared to semantic fluency in both L1 and L2 which indicates participants needed to disengage from the previous strategy or subcategory and move on to the next strategy or subcategory, thus, reflecting more cognitive demand imposed by the phonetic fluency compared to semantic fluency. This is the first such study with Nepali – English bilinguals. This study may further be extended to include more diversified population in terms of age, language family, typicality and ethnicity as independent variables.

Sociolinguistic Investigation of Euphemisms in Yorùbá and Ẹ̀dó

Euphemisms are an essential lubricant and catalyst for interpersonal communication, used by individuals to deliver complex and somewhat provocative messages in a more placid and thoughtful manner. Therefore, they play a crucial role in social interactions and daily conversations. This study investigates the sociocultural nuances that influence the use of euphemisms among Yorùbá and Ẹ̀dó speakers, as well as how the speakers employ the rewording system to navigate or manage intricate social relationships in culturally sensitive environments, and sustain harmony within their communities. Unlike previous research focusing broadly on African and Nigerian languages, this research uniquely compares the nuanced use of euphemisms among speakers of these specific cultural and linguistic groups. Drawing from Politeness Theory (Brown & Levinson, 1987) and the Connotative Theory of Meaning (Trask, 1999), the study employs an eclectic framework. Qualitative data, gathered through recordings and transcriptions of interviews with adult native speakers, were thematically analyzed. The findings reveal that both Yorùbá and Ẹ̀dó languages feature euphemisms characterized by shared traits, yet they also exhibit distinct differences in composition and semantic features. In Yorùbá discourse, euphemisms often take the form of indirect references or metaphors, particularly when discussing sensitive subjects like sexuality, death, or social misconduct. Conversely, Ẹ̀dó speakers tend to employ more direct and straightforward euphemistic expressions. Despite these differences, both cultures share a common emphasis on social hierarchy and respect, using euphemisms as a culturally sanctioned means to delicately broach diverse topics. In all, both cultures prioritise social hierarchy and respect, and euphemisms provide a culturally accepted means of discreetly discussing diverse topics. Overall, This study highlights the significance of euphemisms in facilitating effective communication and nurturing interpersonal relationships within linguistically diverse communities. It enriches our understanding of how language choices reflect and uphold cultural norms, offering insights that contribute to broader discussions on communication strategies and cultural sensitivity.

When the second language becomes the first: family language policies in Polish return migrant families from English-speaking countries

ABSTRACT The study focuses on Polish families returning from migration to English-speaking countries and their family language policies in a language-shift situation. It aims to discover what language(s) parents and children associate their identities with and how they navigate through their development. The data for the project comes from content analysis of 4 interviews with selected families. The results show a discrepancy between parental ideologies and their adolescent children’s linguistic identities. While parents aim to maintain and develop the heritage language, Polish, abroad and on return, the children’s primary identity is associated with English, which causes their difficulties in reintegration into the Polish school environment on return. Additionally, the age of return matters: young adolescents (aged 10-15) continue to seek ties with English-speaking communities and plan to return to the country of their childhood while younger children (their siblings) who returned at the time of onset of Polish school time managed to adapt to the new situation. The study’s findings should be relevant to parents, teachers and psychologists who wish to aid the children in developing harmonious bilingualism.

A Strategic Study on the Infiltration of Life Experience in the Teaching of Assignments in the Upper Primary School Language Group

With the deepening of education reform and the needs of education development, more and more attention is being paid to students' language writing ability. Language writing is an important means to cultivate students' comprehensive language use ability and an important way to improve their comprehensive literacy. In order to better promote the construction and development of primary school language courses, nowadays, in the process of teaching primary school writing, teachers should stand on the children's position, pay active attention to the children's real life status, carefully plan and construct the students' life experience system, so that the students can complete the construction of the main body of the framework of the content of the assignment in the real and intentional life experience, and guide the students to pay attention to the life, awakening experience, accumulation of rich materials, so that the assignment will be more effective. Rich material, so that the content of the work of words and real sense, get rid of false, big, empty unrealistic sky, get rid of the "set work", fixed template of the undesirable phenomenon. Let the students' work content close to real life, full of real emotions, learn to choose the right life materials, build the structure of the composition, can think hard from different perspectives to express creatively. Let the assignments have something to say, let the assignments have a method to say, let the assignments have a character to say. This study focuses on students' writing in the fifth and sixth grades of primary school, focusing on life experience. The important value and significance of life experience in the teaching of language assignments in the upper primary grades helps teachers to update the concept of teaching assignments in a timely manner, improves primary school students' enjoyment of assignments, and then promotes the construction and development of primary school language assignments education.

Influences of early and intense L2 exposure on L1 causal verb production: Comparison of 5-, 7-, and 9-year-old bilingual and monolingual children

This study investigates the influences of early and intense L2 exposure on children’s L1 causative verb production, assessed by an experimental causative verb production task. Turkish expresses causality by morphological and lexical means, whereas English does so by periphrastic and lexical means. Learning L2 English might enhance L1 Turkish causative verb production by highlighting the parallels and contrasts in causal expressions between the languages, which may result in an enriched L1 causative use. Five-, 7 -, and 9-year-old L1-Turkish L2-English bilingual ( n = 80) and L1-Turkish monolingual ( n = 80) children participated in the study in L1-Turkish. Results indicated that language group differences only emerged for the use of morphological causative verbs in favor of 5-year-old bilinguals compared with monolingual peers. Age group differences occurred only for the monolingual group and only for morphological verbs. Specifically, monolingual 7- and 9-year-olds performed better than monolingual 5-year-olds. Causative verb-type differences were only seen for 5-year-old monolinguals, who performed better for lexical than morphological verbs; in contrast, 5-year-old bilinguals performed equally well on the two types of causatives, and better than 5-year-old monolinguals on morphological causatives. Overall, these findings indicate that learning an L2 with structural similarities and differences compared with L1 might enhance children’s awareness and correct use of causal linguistic structures.

Sound change versus lexical change for subgrouping

Abstract This article focuses on languages of the Kwilu-Ngounie subbranch within a branch of the Bantu language family known as West-Coastal Bantu. Within Kwilu-Ngounie, B70 and B80 languages emerge as paraphyletic in the most comprehensive lexicon-based phylogeny of the branch. We assess whether the impossibility to group them into lexicon-based monophyletic subgroups can be bypassed by using the phonological innovation of word-final loss of Proto-Bantu *ŋg as diagnostic of a new subgroup. It is hard to tell whether this new subgroup is a clade by descent or instead a taxon resulting from a contact-induced innovation affecting related varieties. The unconditioned reflexes of *ŋg across varieties signal that both language-internal lexical diffusion and contact-induced crosslinguistic spread of phonological innovation thwart the Neogrammarian axiom of flawlessly regular sound change. Beyond its relevance for low-level Bantu subgrouping, this article contributes to the methodological issue of conflicting lexical and diachronic phonological evidence for internal classification.

Family Language Policies for Maintaining Arabic as a Home Language in Italy: The AHLI Project

The AHLI Project, focusing on Arabic as a Home Language in Italy, explores family language policies among Arabic-speaking communities. Employing an interdisciplinary approach and a mixed-method design, the research reveals a complex linguistic spectrum. It uncovers the dynamic interplay between language maintenance and shift, the desire to transmit Arabic, attitudes, and family choices. While highlighting the significant presence of Arabic in linguistic repertoires, disparities between practices and beliefs emerge. The findings bear theoretical and practical implications for promoting democratic plurilingual education and guiding language policy actions at both micro and macro levels.

Multilingualism and English: how does L1 affect language attitudes at a trilingual university?

ABSTRACT This study investigates attitudes towards multilingualism and the role of English at the trilingual Free University of Bozen-Bolzano in South Tyrol, Italy. South Tyrol is unusual in that the local minority language, German, holds significant international prestige. This study thus contributes to the literature by filling a gap in studies examining multilingual contexts where the minority language is an important international language beyond the local setting. The research investigates results of a questionnaire yielding 1538 responses administered to students, academic staff and administrative staff, considering in particular how respondents’ L1 influences their responses. The analysis reveals widespread support for English and multilingualism at unibz, consistent with the institution’s longstanding multilingual policy. However, significant differences in support for English are observed across language groups, particularly among speakers of local minority languages, who exhibit comparatively lower levels of support, highlighting a nuanced relationship between language identity and perceptions of language policy. The exception was for responses to questionnaire items addressing multilingualism holistically, which did not vary in a statistically significant way according to the first language. This study contributes to the understanding of language attitudes in multilingual contexts, considering both attitudes to an individual language and to multilingual policies as a whole.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Arabic convergence insufficiency symptom survey (Arab-CISS) in Saudi Arabia

Background: Convergence insufficiency (CI) is a common binocular vision disorder characterized by difficulty maintaining close visual focus. The Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) is widely used to assess the presence and severity of CI symptoms, yet its applicability across different linguistic and cultural groups requires validation. This study aimed to translate, validate, and culturally adapt the CISS for Arabic-speaking populations, focusing on a sample from Saudi Arabia. Methods: Following established guidelines for questionnaire adaptation, the CISS was translated into Arabic and back-translated to ensure accuracy. The Arab-CISS underwent rigorous validation processes, including expert review and pre-testing. A sample of 104 participants from Qassim University, aged 18–40 years, was recruited with a Best-Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) of 0.1 (20/25) or better in both eyes. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha, and test–retest reliability was assessed through the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC). Results: The Arab-CISS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.88) and test–retest reliability (ICC = 0.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.69–0.97). The Bland–Altman analysis supported these findings, showing minimal mean difference between test and retest scores (−0.1 ± 1.51), indicating stable and consistent responses over time without significant bias. Conclusion: The Arab-CISS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing CI symptoms among Arabic-speaking individuals. Its introduction is a significant step toward improving the diagnosis and management of CI in Arabic-speaking populations.

Inherent linguistic preference outcompetes incidental alignment in cooperative partner choice

Abstract An important quality to assess in others is their cooperativeness. We hypothesized that people use linguistic markers in their partners’ speech as a proxy of their cooperativeness in other tasks: specifically, we predicted that participants would prefer syntactically similar conversation partners as cooperation partners in a monetary game. We found that, indeed, participants preferably selected syntactically similar conversation partners as cooperation partners, but only when the participants could communicate using their naturally preferred constructions. In contrast, when participants were forced to communicate using dispreferred constructions, they rather cooperated with those partners that matched their natural preference than with those that matched their overt linguistic use. This pattern of results was likely driven by participants valuing representational alignment (i.e., being aligned on both linguistic features and their mental representations) more than incidental behavioral alignment (i.e., superficial convergence on similar linguistic features during interaction). This is because representational alignment is a potential indicator of group membership and may be associated with in-group benefits such as reputation, reciprocity and normative behavior. Those benefits may outweigh the benefits of simple behavioral alignment, which could be a potential indicator of others’ willingness to cooperate. This has important implications for communication in intercultural settings where members of diverse linguistic groups negotiate cooperative actions.

Association between preferred language and use of mental health services among home care recipients with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders: A retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada, 2010 to 2015

Language is an important demographic factor that may impact patients’ interactions with the healthcare system. This may become more apparent for individuals with a mental illness. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether individual language was associated with the use of inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services among home care recipients with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders. We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using health administrative data. The study population included all individuals aged 18–105 with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, identified via a validated algorithm, who were receiving home care in Ontario, Canada between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2015. Home care data was used to identify patients’ primary language, categorized as Anglophone, Francophone, or Allophone. Mental health service use was evaluated over a one-year period following their first home care assessment in the study period and included the rate of outpatient psychiatrist visits and mental health-related emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations. Multivariable regression evaluated the association between primary language and mental health service use. The cohort consisted of 9,436 patients (85.8% Anglophones, 3.3% Francophones, 11.0% Allophones). Mental health service use was low among all linguistic groups during the one-year study period, with 53.4% with no outpatient psychiatrist visits and 83.3% and 83.0% with no mental health-related hospitalizations or ED visits, respectively. Francophones had a higher rate of mental health-related hospitalizations compared to Anglophones (adjusted relative risk = 1.36, 95% confidence interval 1.02–1.80), with no differences in hospitalization rates between Allophones and Anglophones. Language was not associated with the rate of outpatient psychiatrist visits or mental health-related ED visits. Mental health service use among homecare patients with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders was low. While Francophones had a higher hospitalization rate than Anglophones, language was otherwise not associated with mental health service use.

Using Automated Procedures to Score Educational Essays Written in Three Languages

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to describe and evaluate a multilingual automated essay scoring (AES) system for grading essays in three languages. Two different sentence embedding models were evaluated within the AES system, multilingual BERT (mBERT) and language‐agnostic BERT sentence embedding (LaBSE). German, Italian, and Czech essays were holistically scored using the Common European Framework of Reference of Languages. The AES system with mBERT produced results that were consistent with human raters overall across all three language groups. The system also produced accurate predictions for some but not all of the score levels within each language. The AES system with LaBSE produced results that were even more consistent with the human raters overall across all three language groups compared to mBERT. In addition, the system produced accurate predictions for the majority of the score levels within each language. The performance differences between mBERT and LaBSE can be explained by considering how each language embedding model is implemented. Implications of this study for educational testing are also discussed.

Forensic Characterization, Genomic Variability and Ancestry Analysis of Six Populations from Odisha Using mtDNA SNPs and Autosomal STRs.

Located on India's eastern coast, Odisha is known for its diverse tribes and castes. In the early days of genome sequencing technology, researchers primarily studied the Austroasiatic communities inhabiting this region to reconstruct the ancient origins and dispersal of this broad linguistic group. However, current research has shifted towards identifying population and individual-specific genome variation for forensic applications. This study aims to analyze the forensic efficiency and ancestry of six populations from Odisha. We assessed the SF mtDNA-SNP60™ PCR Amplification Kit by comparing it with PowerPlex® Fusion 6C System, a widely used autosomal STR (aSTR) kit, in an Indian cohort. Although the mtDNA SNP kit showed low discriminating power for individuals of a diverse population, it could identify deep lineage divergence. Also, we utilized mitochondrial and autosomal variation information to analyze the ancestry of six endogamous ethnic groups in Odisha. We observe two extremities-populations with higher West Asian affinity and those with East Asian affinity. This observation is in congruence with the existing information of their tribal and non-tribal affiliation. When compared with neighbouring populations from Central and Eastern India, multivariate analysis showed that the Brahmins clustered separately or with the Gopala, Kaibarta appeared as an intermediate, Pana and Kandha clustered with the Gonds, and Savara with the Munda tribes. Our findings indicate significant deep lineage stratification in the ethnic populations of Odisha and a gene flow from West and East Asia. The artefacts of unique deep lineage in such a diverse population will help in improving forensic identification. In addition, we conclude that the SF mtDNA-SNP60 PCR Amplification Kit may be used only as a supplementary tool for forensic analysis.

Syntactic engagement of new words: The garden-path method applied to track sensitivity to structural ambiguity

This article proposes an innovative approach to examining garden-path (GP) effects in sentence processing. It applies GP effects as a method to a new domain, specifically to syntactic engagement of recently learned verbs. We tested twenty-seven English native speakers and twenty Spanish learners of English to verify method validity. Three main components characterise the method, namely training of new word meaning through definitions and example sentences, eye-tracking while reading plausible and implausible GP sentences after sleep consolidation, and a meaning recall test. We also examined if participants’ phonological working memory and vocabulary size play a role in how they syntactically engage new words. Results showed that recently learned verbs can elicit syntactic engagement in both native and nonnative readers. Both vocabulary size and phonological working memory capacity could predict ambiguity reprocessing, irrespective of language group. These results indicate that garden pathing can reliably signal effort to detect and resolve subject-object ambiguities in both first language (Frazier & Rayner, 1982; Pickering & Traxler, 1998) and second language readers (Chen et al., 2021, Jegerski, 2012). This feasibility study is a pioneering attempt to map new vocabulary knowledge as a window into emergent structural representations. The significance of this method lies in its potential to track syntactic engagement of new lexis, while accounting for individual differences, and following the principle that to know a word entails knowing its form, meaning, as well as its grammatical use (Nation, 2001).

Joint attention and maternal attention across varying dyadic interactions for autistic children

BackgroundJoint attention (JA) is an area of delay associated with autism. Individual differences in JA are shown to relate to language development. The present study examined JA initiations (IJA) and responses to JA (RJA) of autistic children in structured and unstructured contexts with their mothers to examine the relation between mother attention and JA. MethodForty-two autistic children (ages 2.5 to 5.5 years) and their mothers engaged in 15 m interactions in three social contexts (competing demands, teaching, free play). Children were categorized by language level into limited language (N = 20) and verbal (N = 21) groups based on ADOS-2 module to assess group and contextual differences. Contingency analyses assessed bi-directional temporal relations between observed child JA and mother attention in lagged intervals. ResultsRate of children’s IJA and maternal attention differed depending on the context of their interaction. Child IJA and mother attention showed a bi-directional temporally contingent association such that child IJA predicted subsequent maternal attention, and maternal attention predicted subsequent child IJA. RJA was unrelated to maternal attention in contingency analyses. Post-hoc analyses indicated a language level group by receptive communication, and group by expressive communication interaction on the contingency between child IJA and subsequent mother attention such that a stronger contingency emerged for dyads wherein children had limited language. ConclusionsThe present study illustrates the important role that children’s social communication behaviors may have within mother-child social interactions, and how children’s verbal ability, as well as the context of the social interaction may influence bi-directional social attention.

English Language Education in North and East Syria “Rojava” Today: Challenges and Opportunities

The focus of this study is to investigate the challenges that English as Foreign Language (EFL) learners in Rojava face in learning English language and the opportunities to overcome the challenges. To this end, a qualitative inquiry was used to collect the data via a face-to-face interview with four experienced English language teachers and one language policy maker from the Ministry of Education. The study found that there are a series of factors that make learning English challenging including lack of English teachers, lack of motivation and family non-involvement in schooling, to name a few. Moreover, a number of formal and informal opportunities are being promoted to overcome these challenges. The opportunities were around preparing English language teaching staff, motivation and family support. Limitations and future research suggestions are discussed in the end of this article.

SPEECH DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES FOR UKRAINIAN CHILDREN IN FORCED MIGRATION: THE ROLE OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOCIAL CONTEXTS

This article explores the speech development challenges encountered by Ukrainian children in forced migration, with a focus on the influential roles of primary and secondary social contexts. The study delves into how these contexts shape early multilingualism, emphasizing the complex dynamics within the family and educational settings. In the primary society, we investigate family language policies, examining how language education strategies are implemented within families. In many cases, bilingualism arises by default due to the presence of both Ukrainian and Russian in the linguistic repertoire of parents and close relatives. This often leads to natural code-switching and a bilingual development pattern among children. Through survey data, we analyze the first language and home language usage of Ukrainian children, providing a detailed understanding of their initial linguistic environment. The study highlights how family-driven language policies contribute to the maintenance and development of both Ukrainian and Russian languages, despite the challenges posed by displacement. In addition to the primary societal influences, the article scrutinizes the impact of the Polish-speaking educational environment, representing the secondary society. The integration of Ukrainian children into Polish pre-schools introduces a new linguistic dimension, fostering the development of active trilingualism. We examine how exposure to Polish, alongside Ukrainian and Russian, influences the children’s speech development and cultural adaptation. The findings underscore the intricate relationship between home and educational environments in shaping the linguistic trajectories of Ukrainian children in forced migration. By navigating through familial bilingualism and the demands of the Polish educational system, these children develop unique multilingual capabilities.

Family linguistic ecology in Chinese American diasporas: migrants’ heritage language planning and discursive ethnolinguistic identity in-between

ABSTRACT Heritage language maintenance is a challenge faced by many immigrant parents. Previous studies on Chinese immigrant families and inheritance of the mother tongue privileged a pedagogical perspective focusing on second-language acquisition and literacy developments. Little attention has been paid to the nuanced understanding of how Chinese immigrant parents help their children construct language resilience of (un)belongingness across home and host contexts and how children negotiate fluid hybrid identity construction. Through questionnaires, semi-constructed interviews, and home visits with four Chinese immigrant families in the United States, this linguistic ethnography study probes the linguistic ecology, (in)visible language planning, and discursive identity construction in Chinese American diaspora families. The findings suggest migrant parents’ congruence and conflict in explicit and implicit family language ideology, management, and practice. Children negotiate fluid discursive identity construction and mediate hybrid culture characterised by the diversity of pathways of language learning as a (dis)continuum. The findings highlight the significance of a linguistic ecological niche in emergent bilingual immigrants’ heritage language maintenance and development. This research illuminates how parents can foster a greater sense of possibility for transitional children’s journeys of being and becoming bilinguals or multilinguals.

Reconceptualising multilingualism on African radio: a multilingual accommodation theory

ABSTRACT Media organisations in radio broadcasting are gradually fine-tuning to accommodate multilingual socio-cultural identities. Africa presents unique challenges of lingual diversity which some of the media, particularly public radio have struggled to accommodate. This article advocates for multilingual accommodation on radio to foster more liberating and inclusive ways for multilingual speakers. It is a conceptual paper informed by the Afrikology perspective which we find more useful in tackling African issues from a more realistic perspective. Using radio as a medium of ethnic lingualism, we argue that Africans should tackle their own multilingualism issues. We chose radio because it is the most used medium of communication in Africa, reflective of grassroots social identities. We cite cases of multilingualism in Southern Africa to propose what we refer to as multilingual accommodation in radio broadcasting. The article argues that majority languages in Africa are not monolingualism but family languages of numerous dialects reflecting the co-existence of diverse ethnolinguistics in the pre-colonial era. We define multilingualism as abilities of co-existence in African contexts and the reflection of this co-existence in radio broadcasting. By multilingual accommodation, we suggest sustenance of multilingual programmes by radio hosts, guests and participants in both minoritised and majorised indigenous languages.

Socio-Linguistic Analysis of The Problems of Vulnerable and Critically Endangered Turkic Languages in Kazakhstan

The main goal of the article is to reveal the importance of preserving the use of native Turkic-speaking languages that are endangered such as Crimean Tatars, Tuvan, Balkars, Kumyks, Karachay, Nogai, Gagauz, Sakha and Khakass in Kazakhstan to pass the linguistic practices to the future generation before these ethnic groups disappear. The war times, the period of Great Famine, Stalin's repressions, deportation, all these events had their toll not only on Kazakhs, but also on all the Turkic peoples in general. The Turkic peoples who inhabited the Kazakh land during those hard times still live in our country. The state language of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the Kazakh language. Despite the fact that Kazakhstan is multi-ethnic, there are no obstacles for representatives of the ethnic minorities as to use their native tongues. These ethnic groups have less representation demographically as a reason their linguistic usage and practice is vulnerable. In this regard, the results of the national population census of 2021 in the Republic of Kazakhstan Statistical collection demonstrates the changes of the ethnic group from 2009 to 2021 (https://stat.gov.kz/national/2021/). The population has changed drastically. The problems of the vulnerable and critically endangered Turkic languages spoken by relevant ethnic minorities in Kazakhstan have been considered in this article.This article provides a general overview of how the oldest family classification affected the endangered Turkic languages in Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, systematic grouping can be started by works of Arat. Arat proposes classifying a group of Turkic languages as “dialects” and “sub-dialects”, using the term “Turkic dialects” for modern Turkic languages from 1947 to 1951. But Arat's own classification of Turkic languages and subsequent classifications have not yet been consistently discussed in a comparative context. The article also provides an overview of the main works of such famous Turkologists as Talat Tekin’s “New classification of Turkic languages”, Benzing’s “Classification of the Turkic Languages” based on Samoilovich's classification and Karl Menges’s “Turkic languages and peoples”.The current state of the Turkic languages, the main problems of the vulnerable and critically endangered Turkic languages spoken by ethnic minorities has been considered in the article and also a socio-linguistic study of the situation in Kazakhstan, being the subject of research, has been conducted. The percentage based indicators and frequency analysis were performed by collecting data during the study using both qualitative and quantitative analytical methods. Hence, a 14 questions questionnaire was prepared with purpose of data gathering on the usage of the language and its application on day today life. The questionnaire was distributed in 2020 to collect data from 150 participants in ethnic groups. The data collected was found to be insufficient thus an alternative research method was applied to process the data. Interviews were conducted to analyze the qualitative aspects of the research. Audio recordings have been made during the interviews and recordings have been analyzed in the article. Regarding the research analyses, a concept has been formulated as to vulnerable and critically endangered Turkic languages spoken by relevant ethnic minorities in Kazakhstan.As a result of the analysis, the article discloses the similarity and differences of endanger Turkic languages in phonetic, morphological, syntactic and semantic terms, determining the level and scope of the use of native languages in Kazakhstan by Turkic ethnic communities.