This language manual was designed to meet the specific needs of Peace Corps Volunteers learning Kyrgyz in Kyrgyzstan. The manual is based entirely on the norms of contemporary conversational Kyrgyz and upon the principles of the communicative competence approach to learning a language. The advantages of learning first the conversational language cannot be underestimated. Language learners who have mastered the elements of conversational language, including pronunciation and intonation, can easily learn the additional elements necessary for understanding the written language.
This manual contains the brief introduction to the Kyrgyz language stressing those points at which the Kyrgyz system differs from the English system. It also contains phonetic section, which introduces the sound system of the Kyrgyz language. Each of the lessons contains a number of meaningful phrases which can be used immediately in everyday communication.
