A POLITICAL FACTOR IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE ACQUISITION ON THE EXAMPLE OF UZBEKISTAN (The periods analyzed: Uzbek SSR; 1991-2016; 2016-currently)

The current paper investigates the role of state politics in learning a foreign language, analyzing the language policy which existed in the USSR and Uzbekistan after the Independence as an example. When establishing political and economic relationships with a country or becoming a member of any world organization, a government starts creating conditions for learning languages to make its citizens ready for and aware about new connections. Although, the Bolsheviks fostered foreign language learning, especially, German and French, and later English, in reality, no conditions were created to practice them anywhere throughout the fifteen republics, including the Uzbek Socialist Republic. The Independence, however, became a starting point of reforms in every sphere; language was no exception. Uzbekistan has achieved success in keeping the balance between the state language (the Uzbek language) and foreign languages, which were taught not only for structures, but for being acquired and effectively used further. Based on the comparative research method, we have investigated the external affairs conducted by the USSR and Uzbekistan after the Independence, which reflected upon the language policy they led. Hence, the attitude to learning a foreign language in Uzbekistan will be shown within three periods: the Uzbek SSR, Uzbekistan from 1991 to 2016 and Uzbekistan from 2016 and currently.