Proverbs and idioms are among the cultural elements that reflect the way of thinking, emotions, and lifestyle of each society. From this perspective, they assume a highly significant role in foreign language teaching. Since one of the main objectives of language instruction is the transmission of culture, proverbs and idioms must be taught in appropriate contexts and in the correct manner.

The teaching of proverbs and idioms can only be considered successful when they remain memorable in the minds of students. It is important that learners are able to use these expressions accurately and appropriately, expressing themselves fluently in both speaking and writing. Within this process, the aim is to encourage students, through an innovative and sustainable approach, to use proverbs and idioms creatively across different language skills.

This paper aims to demonstrate how proverbs and idioms can be utilized in innovative and sustainable ways in teaching Turkish as a foreign language. Examples will be provided from courses conducted in the Turkish Language Department of the University of Jordan, illustrating through concrete activities how students employ proverbs and idioms in both speaking and writing. In this way, it will be shown that oral cultural elements are not only memorized but also retained in students’ memory and used functionally within cultural contexts. Furthermore, a website has been developed to facilitate students’ and teachers’ easy access to Turkish proverbs and their Arabic equivalents, with plans to transform this site into an artificial intelligence-supported mobile application.

Keywords: Turkish proverbs and idioms, innovation, sustainability, education, artificial intelligence

​