The Impact of Contrastive Analysis on Turkish Linguistic Competence: An Empirical Investigation Among Students in Kazakhstan

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of contrastive analysis on the linguistic competence of Kazakh students. The study sample consisted of 66 basic-level Kazakh students studying Turkish as a foreign language at Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design, a quantitative research method, was utilized in the study.  The study included an experimental group that received contrastive analysis instruction and a control group that followed traditional teaching methods. Data were collected through the Turkish Level Test and Turkish Proficiency Exam, both developed by Gazi TÖMER, along with a personal information form to collect variables affecting outcomes. A mixed-design ANOVA was used to examine both between-group differences and within-subject changes over time. The results revealed a statistically significant interaction effect, showing that contrastive analysis had a positive impact on the students’ Turkish linguistic competence.  Based on these findings, it was concluded that contrastive analysis supported Kazakh students' acquisition of Turkish structures. Therefore, it is recommended that foreign language instruction—especially between typologically similar languages—integrate contrastive approaches and utilize the native language as a translanguaging resource.