Proverbs and Sayings in Mahmud al-Kashgari’s Dictionary for Developing Communicative Competence

Abstract

A valuable heritage, gathering both oral and written literary traditions characteristic of Turkic peoples, is found in the written monuments that reflect the life, national identity, worldview, and ethical values of the people. These monuments serve as a core of spiritual culture, carrying essential knowledge. One of the main forms of communicative expressions that preserve cultural and spiritual information is proverbs and sayings. Proverbs, which encompass cumulative, communicative, and aesthetic functions, are found in Mahmud al-Kashgari’s famous work Divanü Lügati’t-Türk, which preserves the common proverbs of the Turkic peoples organized into semantic categories. Proverbs and sayings, according to their nature, are indispensable tools in the educational and teaching process for improving students’ speaking skills through their communicative function. As a productive form of linguistic interaction, proverbs help bring thoughts to light in a clear, impactful, expressive, and emotionally charged manner, thus facilitating the speaker’s success in achieving their intended communicative goals. In this article, the significance of developing communicative competence through language interaction is discussed in detail, and ways to enhance communicative skills through the proverbs and sayings found in the Divanü Lügati’t-Türk are explored. The research highlights the crucial role of Mahmud al-Kashgari’s written legacy in Turkic spirituality and its influence on the field of linguistics. It also analyzes various theoretical frameworks of communication proposed by different scholars, revealing the depth of the communicative competence concept and its relevance to modern society’s communication needs. Additionally, the article examines traditional and modern teaching technologies used in teaching the Kazakh language in senior classes, proposing methods for integrating these approaches into speaking activities when teaching Mahmud al-Kashgari’s proverbs. Practical examples of applying modern technologies through speaking, listening, reading, and writing tasks are provided as part of the teaching methodology for proverbs and sayings.