American Councils is excited to offer an innovative overseas Kazakh immersion program in Almaty, Kazakhstan as part of the Eurasian Regional Language Program (ERLP).
Through intensive language instruction, homestays with Kazakh families, cultural activities, internships and volunteer work, and regular meetings with conversation partners, ERLP participants enjoy the unparalleled opportunity to immerse themselves fully in a Kazakh-language environment while residing in Kazakhstan's cultural and educational capital. Expert, native speakers of Kazakh conduct intensive language classes in small groups or tutorials for participating students at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty.
Courses are designed to engage students at all proficiency levels, ranging from beginners to advanced and heritage speakers. In addition to intensive instruction in Kazakh language and culture, the program provides students with a rich understanding of Kazakh history and mentality.
Almaty combines the best of city life with stunning natural beauty. Nestled at the base of the Tian Shan Mountains, it provides easy access to a wide range of outdoor activities, including hiking, skiing, and horseback riding in some of the world’s most beautiful landscapes, ranging from vast steppes to the shores of scenic lakes to snow-capped mountain peaks. As Kazakhstan’s commercial and artistic capital, Almaty also offers a rich range of music venues, restaurants, theaters, and cultural activities, including folk festivals, outdoor markets, local crafts fairs, and celebrations of nomadic heritage.
Through activities such as these, our program participants connect with Kazakhstan’s history and people, enriching both academic and personal growth while being immersed in the Kazakh language.
The ERLP academic program is designed to improve students' oral, listening, and reading proficiency in Kazakh. Course work typically includes classes in grammar, conversation, reading, and writing. Language courses also cover topics in literature, history, politics, culture, mass media, and area studies.
Language classes are conducted in either small groups of two to five students or in tutorials. Students receive approximately 20 hours per week of in-class contact hours. All classes are conducted by multilingual expert faculty who have extensive experience teaching foreign students in Kazakh.
Programming in multiple languages or dialects (example: Kazakh + Russian) may be available upon request for semester and academic year participants.
Participants receive academic credit through Bryn Mawr College, an institutional partner of American Councils.
EURA 320 | Advanced Conversation: Kazakh | 1 Unit/4 Credits
EURA 330 | Advanced Grammar: Kazakh | 1 Unit/4 Credits
EURA 350 | Advanced Conversation: Kazakh | 1.5 Unit/6 Credits
EURA 360 | Advanced Grammar: Kazakh | 1.5 Unit/6 Credits
EURA 314 | Readings in Eurasian History and Culture | 1 Unit/4 Credits
EURA 352 | Advanced Conversation: Kazakh | 1.5 Unit/6 Credits
EURA 362 | Advanced Grammar: Kazakh | 1.5 Unit/6 Credits
EURA 315 | Readings in Eurasian History and Culture | 1 Unit/4 Credits
EURA 515 | Advanced Conversation: Kazakh | 1 Unit/5 Credits
EURA 525 | Advanced Grammar: Kazakh | 1 Unit/5 Credits
EURA 550 | Advanced Conversation: Kazakh | 1 Unit/5 Credits
EURA 560 | Advanced Grammar: Kazakh | 1 Unit/5 Credits
EURA 513 | Readings in Eurasian History and Culture | 1 Unit/5 Credits
EURA 552 | Advanced Conversation: Kazakh | 1 Unit/5 Credits
EURA 562 | Advanced Grammar: Kazakh | 1 Unit/5 Credits
EURA 514 | Readings in Eurasian History and Culture | 1 Unit/5 Credits
Program participants live with local Kazakh host families. Living with a host family provides valuable cultural experience to complement the academic program. Host families expose participants to authentic, everyday life in Kazakhstan while also providing a supportive environment for students to practice their growing language skills. While staying with a host family, participants are provided with a private room, two meals per day, and keys to the apartment or house. All host families are screened, selected, and monitored by local staff at the American Councils office in Almaty.
As part of the program, participants engage in a number of excursions and cultural activities. Activities outside the classroom are designed to give participants a deeper understanding of life, culture, and history in Kazakhstan. While excursions and activities vary from year to year and by location, past participants have enjoyed excursions to places such as museums, churches, schools, research centers, and theaters. Towards the middle of the semester, resident directors arrange extended regional field studies trips outside of the host city. For summer participants, these regional field studies take place at the end of the program.
Visit museums, monuments, and heritage sites.
Experience traditions through festivals, performances, and authentic community interactions.
Tour local museums to learn deeply about Kazakhstan’s history.
Travel beyond Almaty to discover unique regional landscapes and culture.
To aid cultural integration and support academic learning, participants have the opportunity to meet with Kazakh conversation partners for two hours per week. Conversation partners introduce participants to local people, accompany participants on sightseeing tours, organize cultural activities (cinema, museum, etc.), and provide students with academic support. The conversation partners are expected to speak only the target language to provide extra language immersion.
Founded in 1933, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) is one of Central Asia’s oldest and most prestigious universities, offering degrees to more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students in over 140 academic fields, including the humanities, social sciences, law, medicine, and engineering. The 2022 QS World University Rankings lists KazNU as 175th among the world’s top institutions of higher education. RLASP Almaty participants attend classes on KazNU's downtown campus at the Department of International Relations, conveniently located in the heart of Almaty, while the sprawling, main campus is located in the southern part of the city, adjacent to Almaty's famous Botanical Gardens.
Multiple sources of funding are available to support participants in paying for programs abroad. Participants are encouraged to apply for private scholarships, federal aid and grants, college/university scholarships, and American Councils fellowships and scholarships.
Summer participants attend a two-day orientation program on site immediately upon arrival in country (where they are met at the airport by AC Staff). All semester participants must attend a mandatory pre-departure orientation before the program begins. Sessions cover health and safety, academic culture, host-family life, culture shock, and strategies for maximizing language learning. Students meet resident directors, peers, and alumni, with lodging and meals provided.
While abroad, participants receive 24/7 emergency support from in-country American Councils staff, which includes both local professionals and U.S. expatriates. Local offices coordinate academic placements, cultural excursions, housing, and medical assistance. The AC Study Abroad Team in Washington, D.C. maintains regular contact with overseas staff, partner universities, and families to ensure ongoing support and program quality.
Participants are covered by Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) for the full duration of the program. The policy provides up to $250,000 in medical coverage per accident or illness, as well as complete coverage for emergency medical evacuation. Enrollment is automatic and included in program costs.
American Councils provides visa support for participants for the duration of the program in the host country, if applicable. Students are responsible for obtaining any additional visas required by their travel plans. Visa instructions and forms are provided after acceptance.
