What language do people speak? Will English be enough?

Kazakh is the state language and Russian is very widely used in daily life, especially in Astana. English is common among younger people, in tech circles and in international-facing businesses, but it is not a safe assumption with taxi drivers, older shopkeepers or officials. You will get by on English inside the community and with translation apps outside it. Learning a handful of Russian or Kazakh courtesies goes a disproportionately long way, and offline translation on your phone is worth setting up before you arrive.

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