Investing in English Private Tutoring to Achieve an Ideal Multilingual Self: Evidence from Post-Soviet Kazakhstan

This chapter reports on a mixed-methods study to explore Grade 6 (age 11–12) students’ experiences with the English private tutoring (EPT) they had received in Kazakhstan. Data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire, focus group interviews and students’ drawings. The quantitative data showed that 52.75% of participants (336 out of 637) had sought EPT, mainly to help them understand the English subject better and prepare for a high-stakes exam to attend one of the highly selective schools in Kazakhstan. Most parents (74% of fathers and 83% of mothers) who organised EPT for their children were holders of university degrees and had the economic means to invest in more and better EPT, so their children had a greater chance of gaining a place at the highly selective schools. The qualitative data showed that many participants acted as proactive agents by explaining how the investment in EPT could help them master English and visualise their ideal end state in relation to professional, cultural and academic achievements, like visualising themselves going overseas to study or work and having meaningful interaction with people from different cultures. Pedagogical implications and areas for ongoing research are suggested, especially since research on EPT is still a relatively under-researched area.