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Phraseology and National Identity: Teaching Cultural Symbolism of Kazakh Idioms to University Students
This article presents an empirical study of the effectiveness of a training module aimed at teaching Kazakh idioms as cultural-symbolic units in a university course. The theoretical basis is the concept of symbolic competence, according to which phraseology is considered not only as lexical and semantic material but also as a carrier of cultural memory, values, and social norms. The study design is mixed (explanatory sequential mixed-methods) and includes a quasi-experiment (pretest/posttest with a control group) and a qualitative stage (interviews and reflective texts). The study involved 133 students (experimental group n = 67, control n = 66) of the educational program «6B1701 – Training of Teachers of Kazakh Language and Literature» at Zhanibekov University; the module was implemented over 6 weeks (12 lessons of 50 minutes). Quantitative instruments included a phraseological competence test (meaning knowledge, correct context selection, productive use), a national-cultural identity scale, and a cultural awareness/symbolic competence scale. Results showed that, compared with the control group, the experimental group achieved significantly higher gains in the overall idiom competence test score, with the greatest changes observed in the contextual appropriateness and productive use components. Statistically significant increases were also found in the national-cultural identity and cultural awareness scores. Qualitative analysis revealed three key themes: (1) awareness of cultural values through the figurative basis of idioms, (2) rethinking belonging and cultural pride, and (3) difficulties in interpreting symbols without context and cultural commentary. The findings substantiate the pedagogical feasibility of integrating cultural-symbolic interpretation, contextualization, and reflective writing into the teaching of phraseology in higher education and propose a replicable module for the training of future Kazakh language teachers.
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Topics in Linguistics (2025), 26(1), pp. 92−118 10.17846/topling-2025-0005 The development of research competence in postgraduate foreign language students using project-based methods
This article is aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of developing research competence in postgraduate foreign language students, enhancing their scientific and research skills, enabling independent problem-solving in their professional field, and improving their academic training through project-based methods. Today’s educational paradigm puts students themselves at the centre of the educational process, their needs, characteristics and talents and their development; the need for a teacher to master research competence is obvious. One of the most effective ways to form specialists with creative thinking is to involve postgraduate foreign language students in research activities. With research competence, a specialist is able to actively and productively analyse evidence, and develop and apply new, more efficient algorithms, resources and technologies, instead of being limited to using ready-made, sometimes outdated solutions. The authors of this study highlight that while postgraduate foreign language students understand the concept, goals, and objectives of research, they often lack the motivation and skills required for independent work, information analysis, and research competence development. To address this challenge, research competence must be systematically cultivated from the early stages of postgraduate education.