https://doi.org/10.1177/1362168819895253 Language Teaching Research 1–21 © The Author(s) 2020 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/1362168819895253 journals.sagepub.com/home/ltr LANGUAGE TEACHING RESEARCH The practicability of proverbs in teaching Arabic language and culture Abed el-Rahman Tayyara Cleveland State University, USA Abstract This empirical case study has two objectives. First, it reports on the pedagogical applicability and practicability of proverbs in teaching Arabic language and culture at the novice level and up according to guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Second, it examines how the use of proverbs in teaching inspires active learning and stimulates students’ intercultural perception. The empirical activities presented in this article demonstrate that the constructive integration of Arabic proverbs in language teaching helps improve learners’ linguistic competency, intercultural awareness, and cross-cultural communication. The article also shows that proverbs constitute an important repository of authentic materials that can provide educators with new instructional ideas and strategies in teaching Arabic as a foreign or second language. The study’s findings also mirror ongoing pedagogical discussions about teaching Arabic as a foreign and strategic language. Such is the case with approaches and theories, textbooks, the role of culture in learning, the use of authentic materials, and Arabic diglossic disposition. Keywords active learning, authentic materials, diglossia, intercultural competence, language acquisition, novice, proverbs, teaching Arabic as a foreign language I Introduction Culture is an inseparable feature of language instruction and plays an essential role in turning the application of the communicative approach in the classroom into a more lively and functional space. This method of teaching has become the most commonly accepted paradigm in Western high school and university language programs. With their comprehensive nature, proverbs constitute a significant repository of cultural values and Corresponding author: Abed el-Rahman Tayyara, Cleveland State University, 2121 Euclid Avenue, Rhodes Tower, 1606, Cleveland, OH 44115, USA. Email: a.tayyara@csuohio.edu 895253LTR 0 0 10.1177/1362168819895253Language Teaching ResearchTayyara research-article 2020 Article