Abstract:

This study aims to determine the relationship between cultural interaction and language in teaching Turkish as a foreign language and reveal its contribution to the learning process. Therefore, in this study, the cultural exchange of a Lebanese international student studying at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University was evaluated in the context of language learning performance. The narrative research design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The primary purpose of narrative research is to examine individuals' lifestyles through the stories they produce. In this study, the student's social environment, school, and friendship relations were taken into account. His daily life's contributions to language skills, academic life, and social relations were tried to be measured. The target language has been observed in the cultural life experienced by the international student. Thus, through narrative research, the student's cultural world was entered as a language learning experience.  In the study, the student's vocabulary learning, communication skills, and the ability to use language in academic life were emphasized. The semi-structured interview method was used as a data collection tool in the study. After deciphering each interview, attention was paid to ensure that the data obtained were sufficiently clear. The descriptive analysis method was applied to the collected data. As a result, it has been observed that international students who learn Turkish as a foreign language hugely benefits from cultural interaction in their foreign language proficiency, communication skills, and non-verbal behavior. It has been determined that international students behave pragmatically while communicating and classify words semantically in this process. It has been remarked that vocabulary learning, and pronunciation skills develop faster in cultural life, and their anxiety states decrease as they move away from the classroom setting. It was also understood in the study that different language families affect language acquisition. Besides, it has been determined that students who have difficulties comprehending language logic experience some degree of delay in their speaking skills.

Keywords: