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It seems Kazakhstan couches superior knowledge in one particular language. The government policy for educational change focuses on reaching some aspects of equivalence or parity with developed and advanced nations to the extent that they approximate the attributes of prestigious national societies such as the rich European and North American countries. Current government policy in Kazakhstan calls for a policy dubbed “trilingualism” which means proficiency in Kazakh, Russian, and English. This study utilized various qualitative methods such as interviews, participant and non-participant observation, and document analysis to investigate faculty, students, and administrators’ experiences of the change from teaching and learning in Russian and Kazakh to English. The findings indicated that for Kazakhstan's universities to become globally competitive, they must have clear-cut goals that directly manifest how language conveys society's essential values. The unpreparedness of students, faculty, and administrators delimits the changeover from Kazakh and Russian to English. Accordingly, among the essential criteria to foster the foundation of development are national identity, harmony between the educational system, and, most generally, the extent of political decision-making to meet the national society's educational needs.

Framed by globalization, Kazakhstan has embarked on initiatives to establish standards and quality educational services for universities to catch up with those in developed countries. The government policy for educational reforms is viewed not only as a means of convergence, that is, catching up with the knowledge-based societies of Europe and North America, but also as a gateway into the EU. The recent government policy calls for trilingual competence, implying a desire to equip future generations with fluency in three languages, namely, Kazakh, Russian, and English. Through this initiative, universities are mandating the English language as the language of instruction in graduate programs. This article is a case study of language reforms in a major university in Kazakhstan. The study investigated the implications of the English as the language of instruction policy in higher education and examined the challenges posed by the policy on faculty, students, and administrators. The findings indicated that the efficacy of the current reforms is bounded by the limits of the higher education traditionalism and the long-established educational value orientations in Kazakhstan. As a result, to become competitive globally, universities must develop new attitudes and organizational structures as well as improve current practices based on developing national identity.

English is a modern and stable language for international communication. All progressive countries have long been leaders in their study and knowledge. That is, the success of the country directly depends on the level of knowledge of the most large-scale and universal language in the world. However, due to the unstable, imperfect, and weak English language system in the Ukrainian HEIs and in the country as a whole, we are unable to keep up with the times and to be at the proper level of political and economic development alongside the leading countries of the world. That is why many innovations and changes are being introduced at the current stage of education development in Ukraine, including the legislation. The field of English in higher education has always been and still is, the Achilles' heel. The overstated requirements and inconsistency of the tasks set for their implementation are what characterize the status of English language learning in the Defense Law in Ukraine. Ongoing implementation of updated standards and, in return, no improvements and prospects. According to statistics, the vast majority of the population of all foreign languages still understand English the best. And even after graduation, they have an adequate level of knowledge of the international language of communication. However, over the years of studying at the HEI, previously acquired language skills can not only improve but also preserve existing knowledge. The purpose of the article is: ⎯ study of the status of studying English in higher education institutions, which is fixed at the legislative level; to find out the problem of the status of studying English in the HEI in Ukraine; ⎯ finding out the meaning of English and learning it; ⎯ Consideration of the state perspectives of English language development in the Higher Education of Ukraine, in particular regarding the future requirements for the English language students and the concept of English language development in higher education in Ukraine; analyze the relationship between English language proficiency in the country and its political and economic development status. The importance of English to open new horizons and opportunities for people is recognized by Ukraine and is embedded in many national initiatives and strategies where English is recognized as key, including: ⎯ recognition of the need to ensure the competitiveness of Ukrainian scientists and graduates at national and international levels; ⎯ striving for internationalization of higher education; ⎯ programs for academic and educational integration within the EU; compulsory learning of English in primary and secondary education; ⎯ Adoption of the National Framework of the Professional English Curriculum for Use in the Defense Law of Ukraine; ⎯ defining the study of foreign languages, in particular English, as a priority of domestic policy in the strategic documents of Ukraine. Thus, the Sustainable Development Strategy "Ukraine-2020" within the framework of the Program of popularization of Ukraine in the world and promotion of Ukraine's interests in the world information space "envisages strengthening of the institutional capacity for the implementation of international strategic communications; increasing and optimizing Ukraine's presence at international events and venues; presence in the international academic, cultural and social environment. ⎯ English Year in Ukraine (2016) and more. [4] Keywords: English, higher education in Ukraine, the language of international communication, reform of the higher education system in Ukraine, HEI.

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