In the system of foreign language education in Kazakhstan,English is a priority at all levels of education. English is the language which is chosen by parents as a foreign for their children in preschool age. This article is devoted to the study of the status and current issues of teaching English in Kazakhstan. It is based on the results of a practical survey of eighth grade students of some secondary schools, as well as on observation of the educational process. During a visit to English classes and after conversations with school teachers, the problematic aspects of the learning process were identified. The article provides an overview of modern methods and principles of classes’ organization, contains recommendations for solving theidentified problems. The authors of the article also tried to find out the desire of students to learn not only English, but also other foreign languages, because according to the state regulatory documents, students at school have the right to choose a foreign language, which they want tolearn. The desire to communicate in a foreign language, readiness for foreign language communication, the role ofEnglish language in the student’s life, the main activities in foreign language lessons were some of the key issues, that were considered in this scientific work.