GENDER FACTORS IN ENGLISH ACQUISITION AT A KAZAKH UNIVERSITY

Abstract

This study examines how gender-related factors shape English language acquisition in a multilingual Kazakhstani university context. Drawing on contemporary evidence that gender gaps in second-language outcomes are often small, skill- and context-dependent, and mediated by psychosocial mechanisms rather than “ability” per se, the study focuses on how gendered expectations, stereotype threat, self-efficacy, classroom emotions, and willingness to communicate (WTC) are experienced and negotiated by learners and instructors.  The research is presented as conducted at Qoryqyt Ata Kyzylorda University (Qoryqyt Ata KSU), Kazakhstan, using qualitative reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and two-week learning diaries.  Because primary data were not provided for this commissioned manuscript, the empirical material is explicitly based on a simulated but contextually plausible dataset that mirrors what could be collected at Qoryqyt Ata KSU. The assumed sample includes 24 undergraduates (12 women, 12 men) across non-linguistic majors and 6 English instructors (4 women, 2 men). Thematic analysis yielded five themes: (1) gendered language-learning identities and “feminine domain” stereotypes; (2) evaluation anxiety, face-saving, and emotional self-protection; (3) gendered participation and communication risk in speaking; (4) self-regulation and digital learning ecologies; and (5) teacher agency and classroom climate as moderators. Findings are discussed in relation to meta-analytic evidence on gender gaps in L2 proficiency, gender stereotyping and self-efficacy pathways, and emotion–WTC dynamics, with locally grounded implications for pedagogical design in Kazakhstan’s evolving educational landscape