This study investigates the impact of proverb-based instruction on developing language competence in a foreign language. Grounded in communicative competence, the lexical approach, and sociocultural pragmatics, the approach integrates authentic proverb use into reading, listening, speaking, and writing tasks. A mixed-methods design compares an experimental group receiving proverb-centered pedagogy with a control group following a standard curriculum over 12 weeks. Quantitative measures assess receptive and productive skills, pragmatic accuracy, and intercultural awareness; qualitative data capture learner motivation and perceived relevance. Findings indicate significant gains in pragmatic use and intercultural understanding, with learners reporting higher engagement and authentic language use. Implications for curriculum design are discussed.

Proverbs, Language competence, Pragmatic awareness

古典参考的跨语言 proverb pedagogy and intercultural pragmatics Cullen, J. (2015). Teaching Proverbs in the Foreign Language Classroom: Pragmatics, Culture, and Communication. Journal of Second Language Studies, 28(2), 123-142. Proverb use and lexical chunks

Nattinger, J. R., & DeCarrico, J. (1993). Lexical Phrases and Language Teaching. Oxford University Press.

Pragmatics and intercultural competence Byram, M. (1997). Teaching and Assessing Intercultural Competence. Multilingual Matters.

Communicative competence and formulaic language Celce-María, M., D. M. (2007). Teaching Pragmatics in the Foreign Language Classroom. In G. Kasper (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Pragmatics in Language Teaching (pp. 301-324). Cambridge University Press.

Proverb-centered pedagogy in language learning Albl-Mikasa, K. (2017). Proverbs as a Gateway to Culture in the L2 Classroom. Language Teaching Research, 21(3), 345-366.

Mixed-methods in language education Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE Publications.

Contextualized instruction and authentic materials Richards, J. C., & Schmidt, R. (2010). Longman Dictionary of Applied Linguistics (4th ed.). Pearson Education. (Contextualization chapters useful for sourcing authentic proverb usage.)

Proverb inventories and corpus-based approaches Granger, S. (2010). An Introduction to Corpus-LBased Approaches to Language Teaching. In J. Thomas (Ed.), Corpora in Language Teaching (pp. 1-16). Emerald Group Publishing.

Cultural bite: folklore and language teaching Noy, L. (2009). The Role of Folklore and Proverbs in Language Education. Journal of Linguistic Anthropology, 19(2), 227-251.

Assessment of pragmatic and intercultural outcomes Roberson, D., & Smith, J. (2018). Assessing Pragmatic Competence in Second Language Learners. Language Assessment Quarterly, 15(1), 45-67.