Learner-centered study finds that learning Kazakh, Karakalpak, and Kyrgyz together can hinder language acquisition, indicating a need for sequential learning approaches.
This study examines cross-linguistic interference arising from the simultaneous self-directed acquisition of three closely related Kipchak Turkic languages -Kazakh, Karakalpak, and Kyrgyz. The research draws on the direct personal experience of the first author, a student specializing in English and German at the Uzbekistan State World Languages University, who undertook independent study of all three languages concurrently over two months using online platforms. Contrary to initial expectations, the structural proximity of the three languages -particularly Kazakh and Karakalpak -generated persistent interference rather than facilitating transfer. The study documents specific divergences in progressive tense constructions, third-person pronouns, numeral systems, and phonological features, with particular attention to the vowel sound absent from the learner's primary languages. The findings suggest that simultaneous acquisition of genetically proximate languages may impede rather than accelerate learning, and that a sequential approach may be more effective for learners whose first languages belong to an unrelated family.
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Norboyevich et al. (2026) studied this question.
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