A qualitative exploration of Turkish as a foreign language learners' awareness regarding gender discourse in Turkish literature classics

Informal education which is an essential component of life-long learning is generally considered as a complementary part of formal education. In the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language, informal education helps transfer theoretical knowledge into practice and provides supplementary learning activities. However, the current literature in the field is specifically more focused on the formal dimension of education. Therefore, the current study aims to highlight the role and advantages of informal education in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language. To that end, 10 novels from classical Turkish literature were purposefully selected and analyzed in terms of gender discourses using content analysis. In addition to content analysis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with five purposefully selected learners of Turkish as a foreign language to understand their awareness of gender discourse in the selected works. The findings indicated that the learners engaged in informal learning were highly aware of gender discourses in the selected works and proficient in Turkish. Hence, it is essential that foreign language teachers integrate informal learning activities into their teaching practices to increase learners' cultural awareness and improve their language skills. Implications of the study for the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language are also included.