The impact of graded readers on Kazakh language acquisition: Quasi-experimental evidence

This study explores the effectiveness of modified Kazakh literary texts in teaching Kazakhs as foreign languages. Using a quasi-experimental design, 36 university students were divided into two groups: teacher-modified texts were provided to the experimental group and the control group used the original versions. The experimental group showed markedly greater improvements in reading speed and test results. A quarter of the experimental group participants reported experiencing greater motivation toward reading and forming daily reading habits, which was not observed in the control group. The graded readers were rated as having suitable difficulty by 33.3% of the experimental group, whereas 38.9% of the control group found the original text too difficult. The results indicate that there is a need for a uniform process to create graded readers for minority languages such as Kazakhs. This study focuses specifically on second-language learners in Kazakhs and does not include first-language speakers.