Language teaching encompasses pedagogical approaches and strategies that guide individuals in the process of acquiring a new language. In an academic context, this process relies on the balanced development of grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills. Language teaching approaches have evolved based on linguistic, sociocultural, and cognitive theory foundations. Current research highlights the effectiveness of interactive methods and technology-supported learning in enhancing students’ language proficiency. Additionally, the importance of contextual learning reinforces the idea that language should be taught in alignment with real-life situations.

Teaching Turkish to foreigners requires a special pedagogical approach due to the complexity of the language and its varied cultural contexts. In this field, communicative language teaching methods stand out for enhancing learners' ability to use Turkish in daily life. Particularly, instead of memorizing grammar rules, encouraging the use of language in meaningful contexts facilitates more effective learning. Furthermore, the use of audiovisual materials and digital tools contributes to the development of the four core language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—for learners of Turkish. Emphasizing cultural elements in the teaching process also strengthens the relationship between language and culture, enriching the learning experience. 

In this study, 220 master’s theses on teaching Turkish to foreigners, approved by the National Thesis Center of the Council of Higher Education between 2010 and 2024, were evaluated. These theses were analyzed based on their topics, years, universities, research methods and designs, data collection tools, data analysis methods, number of sub-hypotheses, and samples. Descriptive analysis and document analysis methods were employed. The collected data were converted into numerical form using frequency/percentage. The results indicated that the four core language skills received limited attention. Specifically, speaking skills were addressed in only 3 theses. In terms of topics, book/text analysis appeared as the most studied subject. Regarding the distribution over the years, the highest number of theses were completed in 2019. Document analysis emerged as the most commonly used research method and design.

Teaching Turkish as a foreign language, master's thesis, language