The Importance of Integrating Literature and Communicative Approaches in Teaching Uzbek to Foreign Students

This study examines the importance of integrating literature, storytelling, and communicative approaches in teaching Uzbek as a foreign language. Modern foreign language education increasingly emphasizes not only grammatical competence but also communicative, cultural, and emotional competence. In this regard, literary texts, narratives, and authentic communication environments play a significant role in developing speaking skills among foreign students learning Uzbek. The article highlights that classical Eastern scholars such as Abu Ali ibn Sina recognized the importance of language and communication in human relationships. Today, these ideas are reflected in communicative language teaching and narrative-based pedagogy, which encourage students to express personal experiences, emotions, and cultural understanding through language. The study discusses the role of literature in expanding vocabulary, improving intercultural competence, strengthening communicative confidence, and reducing speaking anxiety among foreign learners. Narrative and communicative approaches allow students to move beyond memorizing grammatical rules and engage in meaningful interaction in real-life contexts.