Problems in teaching Turkish as a foreign language in Jordan

Turkish is a significant world language, both culturally and communicatively, due to its deep-rooted history, rich vocabulary, and extensive geography. Consequently, the discipline of teaching Turkish to foreigners has gained considerable importance. In today's globalised world, the interaction between languages and the rise of multilingualism are becoming increasingly significant. Teaching Turkish as a foreign language has attracted growing interest, particularly in Middle Eastern countries, with Jordan being one of the focal points of this interest. The demand for learning Turkish in Jordan is escalating daily. This study highlights the importance of teaching Turkish as a foreign language in response to the increasing need for multilingualism in a globalising world. It aims to examine the challenges encountered in this process within Jordan thoroughly. The research employs phenomenology, a qualitative research design, and involves semi-structured in-depth interviews with 11 instructors of Turkish as a foreign language working in Jordan. The growing demand for the Turkish language in Jordan can be attributed to several factors, including Turkey's relations with Middle Eastern countries, the popularity of Turkish TV series and films, the increase in tourism activities, and the interest in Turkish universities. This surge in demand has led to the widespread teaching of Turkish in the country. However, various challenges have been identified, such as differences in language structure, insufficient teaching materials, a shortage of teachers, and low student engagement.