The Language of Memory and Pedagogical Discourse: Representing Nuclear Testing in School Curricula of the USA and Kazakhstan

Abstract

This article presents a discourse-oriented and pedagogical-linguistic analysis of how nuclear testing is represented in school textbooks, focusing on the comparative contexts of the United States and Kazakhstan. The study investigates how nuclear-related content is linguistically constructed and pedagogically communicated in secondary education, with particular attention to discourse structures, lexical choices, and task types. A content analysis of Kazakhstani history textbooks, especially those addressing the Semipalatinsk Test Site, revealed a predominance of descriptive and fact-based language that limited students' interpretive engagement. In contrast, an examination of U.S.-based resources, including materials from the National WWII Museum, the Bradbury Science Museum, and the Columbia AFE Project, demonstrated the use of multimodal representations, problem-oriented tasks, and inquiry-driven narratives that foster critical reflection. The methodological framework combined discourse analysis, genre-based pedagogy, and a comparative review of textbook language to highlight how narrative modes, rhetorical strategies, and evaluative lexis influence the construction of nuclear literacy. The findings indicate that U.S. educational discourse tends to integrate argumentative and reflective strategies, whereas Kazakhstani materials remain largely expository. The article argues that enriching Kazakhstan's history education with discourse-rich and genre-aware practices—emphasizing multimodal design, the pragmatic functions of historical narratives, and text-mediated learning—would enhance students' capacity for critical engagement with complex historical phenomena.