Kuanysh Agaidarov – English here and now and in the future (English, Russian, Kazakh)

All Student Stories, International Policy and Development

Story taken from interview with Kuanysh Agaidarov, IPD, ’18; Written by K. Throgmorton

Growing up in Kazakhstan, most of Kuanysh’s language learning happened in university, supplemented by his study in the English as a Second Language program at the Institute last year. He grew up speaking Kazakh and Russian, his studies at school and university were also in Kazakh and Russian; as a result, he has a strong command of those languages.

Learning English was a secondary concern but served him well during his time working for the Kazakh embassies as a consular officer in Thailand and Norway. During that time, he used English only to perform necessary functions while serving his fellow Kazakh citizens and foreigners in various parts of the world.kuan

Kuanysh had the opportunity to come to Monterey to study English in 2015. He speaks very highly of the program on campus, touting the skills of his teachers and professors and their wide range of teaching techniques that allowed him to learn a lot in a very short amount of time. He calls them ‘the most efficient teachers’ with their own methodology that is effective in teaching English to students quickly. An additional benefit of studying in this environment is the English-speaking friends Kuanysh made during that year of intensive study. Practicing what he was learning in the classroom with friends on campus made the experience in the ESL program all the more enriching and exciting. Now Kuanysh is in the International Policy and Development program at MIIS and learning about the world of international development in English, his third language!

Kuanysh describes the ESL program as ‘kindergarten’ and the master’s program as ‘the working world.’ In ‘kindergarten’, teachers look out for students and hold their hands while helping them navigate through the world, a necessity for any foreign language student. kuan-photoTeachers in the ESL program were as parents who were always next to their children to love, teach, and protect them from the outside world. A master’s program is not like that. Not only in the subject matter more difficult, but professors also expect a lot more from students and treat them as equals instead of pupils. Kuanysh is now working very hard to keep up with the class materials because his studies directly relate to what he will do when he leaves Monterey. After his time here, Kuanysh will continue his journey working with the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which requires a strong command of English. His future career objectives require a high professional level of language skills, a challenge beyond all previous experiences.

Making the leap from studying English as a ‘kindergartener’ to working in English is huge. Kuanysh will be prepared to face new challenges and navigate an international world after just a couple of short years of study in Monterey. Taking what he learns here, in the classroom and from his peers, Kuanysh will be ready for what life brings as a government official.

In addition, Kuanysh notes that language is an integral part of life on this campus. He has friends who come from all over the world and speak different languages. Some of his friends have taught him basic phrases in French, Arabic, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese and Korean.  He has learned enough to have short conversations with them when he sees them on campus, feeling confident exchanging pleasantries. Building these skills and being exposed to such a variety of languages, he says, will help him in his future career. Learning English for Kuanysh is not something that will stop when he leaves this campus – it will continue to be a part of his life in the future.