Sustainability in Turkish Language Teaching: A Conceptual Framework Developed Through an Integrative Literature Review

This study aims to develop a conceptual framework for integrating sustainability into Turkish language teaching through the synthesis of relevant academic literature and policy documents. Although the intersection of language education and sustainability has been expanding globally, its application within the specific context of Turkish language education remains insufficiently examined. To address this gap, a qualitative integrative literature review was adopted, enabling the analytical synthesis of diverse theoretical and policy sources to generate new conceptual insights and a coherent framework, rather than merely aggregating or descriptively summarizing existing findings. The findings indicate that integrating sustainability into Turkish language teaching may enhance students’ sustainability awareness and global citizenship while also supporting motivation by providing meaningful, real-world contexts for language use. The analysis further suggests that effective integration requires structural alignment among curriculum design, pedagogical approaches, teacher competencies, instructional materials, and assessment processes. The study also highlights the importance of targeted professional development for teachers in addressing challenges such as limited pedagogical knowledge and workload constraints. Overall, the study proposes a conceptual framework that contributes to ongoing theoretical discussions on integrating sustainability into Turkish language teaching.