Determining and Systematizing the Grammatical Minimum Required for a Lexicogrammatical Dictionary of the Kazakh Language

Abstract

This article examines the theoretical and methodological foundations for identifying the grammatical minimum to be included in a lexico-grammatical dictionary designed for teaching Kazakh as a foreign language. The study is grounded in the communicative needs of foreign language learners (non-native speakers) and adopts frequency, structural simplicity, and cultural-cognitive significance as the key criteria for selecting grammatical material. The grammatical categories of the main parts of speech in Kazakh (nouns, verbs, adjectives, numerals, pronouns, adverbs, particles, and interjections) are systematized and presented through a contrastive analysis with English. Grammatical forms are introduced not through direct translation but via functional explanation and descriptive equivalents. Grammatical units that lack direct equivalents are explained through examples that reveal their semantic and pragmatic functions. The results demonstrate that presenting lexis and grammar as an integrated system enhances learners’ communicative competence and increases the practical value of the dictionary. The article provides a theoretical foundation for instructional and lexicographic works aimed at teaching agglutinative languages as foreign languages.