Pedagogical approaches in intra-language dialect teaching: A study on non-native instructors

This qualitative research examines the pedagogical and linguistic challenges faced by non-native speakers of the target dialect in teaching Turkish to learners of different Turkish dialects, such as Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkmen and Azerbaijani. The study was designed with a phenomenological approach; data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 30 instructors working at a university in Kazakhstan. The findings show that linguistic proximity between dialects facilitates vocabulary learning and oral communication; however, misleading similarities such as “false equivalence” lead to ambiguities and conceptual errors. Phonetic and grammatical differences create significant difficulties, especially in listening and writing skills. Instructors’ perception of inadequacy in the target dialect causes them to prefer textbook-dependent and controlled teaching practices. The strategies developed by the instructors are grouped under four main themes: inter-dialect transfer, structured guidance, realistic goal setting and conservatism in the use of materials. While common language roots support teaching, structural and phonological differences necessitate learner-centered and flexible approaches. This study offers original contributions to the literature by focusing on the role of non-native instructors in intra-dialect teaching contexts. It highlights the importance of pedagogical flexibility, cultural sensitivity and comparative language strategies. Accordingly, the study seeks to answer the following research questions: (1) What are the linguistic and pedagogical difficulties and conveniences encountered by non-native instructors? (2) Which dialects are found most difficult in terms of language features? (3) Which language skills are most challenging? (4) What are the instructors’ self-efficacy perceptions? (5) What strategies do they employ?