Social Language Function and Identity Recognition in University Volunteer Service Education: A Case Study of China and Kazakhstan

Authors

  • Tongyang Wei

    Faculty of Foreign Languages, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan 523000, China

    Department of Pedagogy and Educational Management, Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
  • Chengxiang Ma

    Faculty of Foreign Languages, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan 523000, China
  • Bulatbayeva Aigul

    Department of Pedagogy and Educational Management, Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
  • Karimov Damir

    Department of Philosophy, Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan
  • Huihua Zheng

    Faculty of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan 523000, China
  • Xiaochun Li

    Faculty of Foreign Languages, Guangdong University of Science and Technology, Dongguan 523000, China

    Graduate School, Phranakhon Si Ayutthaya Rajabhat University, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya 13000, Thailand
  • Issakulova Sabina

    Department of Pedagogy and Educational Management, Faculty of Philosophy and Political Science, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11383
Received: 3 August 2025 | Revised: 13 August 2025 | Accepted: 28 August 2025 | Published Online: 21 October 2025

Abstract

This study investigates the role of language as a social function and identity marker within the framework of volunteer service education at universities in China and Kazakhstan. Set against the backdrop of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequality), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), the research explores how sociolinguistic approaches can illuminate the intersection between language use and identity formation among university student volunteers. By employing comparative case study methodology and drawing on survey and interview data, the study identifies both convergences and divergences in how volunteer participants in China and Kazakhstan experience and negotiate their social roles through language. Language not only mediates communication but also serves as a means of identity building and intercultural comprehension embedded within the framework of global citizenry that falls within the SDG global citizenship agenda. In both countries, the use of multiple languages—especially English and national/local languages— played a pivotal role in shaping volunteers' perceptions of themselves and others. The sociolinguistic analysis further reveals that the institutional context and national language policies significantly influence students' linguistic behavior and their perceived identity in volunteer roles. The present study contributes to this debate through its argument for the application of a sociolinguistic approach in service learning programs offered in universities. It provides policy and pedagogical guidelines on creating more inclusive, culturally sensitive, and linguistically competent volunteer programs that meet the Sustainable Development Goals at the global level.

Keywords:

Sociolinguistics; Volunteer Service Education; Sustainable development; Identity recognition; China; Kazakhstan

References

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How to Cite

Wei, T., Ma, C., Aigul , B., Damir, K., Zheng, H., Li, X., & Sabina, I. (2025). Social Language Function and Identity Recognition in University Volunteer Service Education: A Case Study of China and Kazakhstan. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 7(11), 633–648. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v7i11.11383

Issue

Vol. 7 , Iss. 11 (November 2025): In progress

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Article

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Copyright © 2025 Tongyang Wei, Chengxiang Ma, Bulatbayeva Aigul , Karimov Damir, Huihua Zheng, Xiaochun Li, Issakulova Sabina

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.