Speaking with a former inhabitant from Turkmenistan brought an immediacy to the tug of war between government and population. It is one matter to read that Turkmenistan is the 6th least free country in the world, and another to hear the tale of someone's life who had to flee for fear of torture and imprisonment. Hearing Shokhrat's experience with English, his limited resources for learning English both under the USSR and under the Turkmen government, showed how at odds the personal desire of individual Turkmens, the desire to better economic and international opportunities, and the desires of the government are. It also revealed the seemingly less offensive, at least to the government, Turkish influence, and the Turkmen identity as one bound to or related to Turkey.
It is also interesting to consider how Turkmenistan's reaction toward the USSR upon gaining freedom varied from its neighbors. Rather than embracing English and welcoming the freedom for international interaction, which they did not have before under the USSR, Turkmenistan chose to retreat, and continue to hide itself. Seeing Turkmenistan burned by forced Russian culture and the USSR's trampling of Turkmen culture, Niyazov and Berdimuhamedow latched onto and twisted the recovery of Turkmen culture into an instrument of power through fear.
It seems uncertain what future English will have in Turkmenistan. Perhaps the desire of the people and the ubiquity of media will ultimately break any political, linguistic restrictions. Perhaps government control through language will continue, intact for decades.
It is also interesting to consider how Turkmenistan's reaction toward the USSR upon gaining freedom varied from its neighbors. Rather than embracing English and welcoming the freedom for international interaction, which they did not have before under the USSR, Turkmenistan chose to retreat, and continue to hide itself. Seeing Turkmenistan burned by forced Russian culture and the USSR's trampling of Turkmen culture, Niyazov and Berdimuhamedow latched onto and twisted the recovery of Turkmen culture into an instrument of power through fear.
It seems uncertain what future English will have in Turkmenistan. Perhaps the desire of the people and the ubiquity of media will ultimately break any political, linguistic restrictions. Perhaps government control through language will continue, intact for decades.