Teaching English in International Contexts - Case Study Example

A CASE STUDY OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT {Insert university’s name} {Insert instructor’s name} {Insert student’s name} December 9, 2011. Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 A CASE STUDY OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT 3 Introduction 3 Map of Turkey illustrating possible areas in which English language is being taught 4 Background information in teaching English language in Turkey 6 Status of English in Turkey 7 An overview of teaching English in Turkey 7 Culture of teaching English in Turkey 10 Problems facing English teaching in Turkey 10 Size of the classes 11 Heavy workload on the teachers 11 Programs are overloaded in nature 11 Mismatched assessment and curriculum programs 12 Students have poor communication abilities 12 Opportunities for English language teachers and professional development in Turkey 13 Conclusion 14 References 15 A CASE STUDY OF TEACHING ENGLISH IN AN INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT Introduction English is a language that is used all over the world. It is also the lingua franca in fields such as technology, business, education and politics among others. In Turkey the language is a foreign language (Cortazzi, & Jin, 1999, p. 78). Moreover, Turkish government and the society as a whole regard it as one of the key skills that every individual need to acquire in order to be successful. This has made Turkish universities to expand their departments so that they can accommodate and train more English teachers to cater for the increased demand (Acar 2004, p. 56). Map of Turkey illustrating possible areas in which English language is being taught A map showing locations where EFL is taught in Turkey (Acar 2004, p. 56). In 1997, the curriculum of Turkish education system was redesigned an aspect that resulted into language policy in Turkey to be changed. This was speeded up with the fact that Turkish wanted to join the European Union (Cortazzi, & Jin, 1999, p. 45). Hence in order for MONE to meet the requirements set up by EU, there was need for the MONE to make drastic changes in the existing curriculum. This made primary education to take up to eight years while the secondary one had to take three years. Nonetheless, based on the latest reforms on Turkish education system, secondary education is four years. Role of the English native speaking teacher in relation to local English teachers Teachers who are native speakers of English are essential in teaching English as a foreign language. This is due to the fact that learners are likely to imitate their teachers. Therefore, due to the fact that lexical, phonology, phonetics, syntax and other aspects of grammar of native speakers meet the international standards of English language, learners are likely to attain high level of proficiency if they are taught by teachers who are native speakers of English. According to Dede & Emre, (1988, p. 71 local teachers can impact negatively on the language skills of the learners. This is because they make inter-lingual errors either consciously or unconsciously which can result into negative transfer. Role of materials and the textbook According to research carried out by Dede & Emre, (1988, p. 71) a higher percentage of teaching materials and textbooks used by teachers in teaching English as a foreign language include cultures of either America or Britain rather than Turkish culture. Moreover, English teaching in turkey is majorly based on textbooks and other teaching materials. According to Acar (2004, p. 56) these textbooks and teaching materials have negatively impacted not only on the learning process but also on the process of learning. In the university education, textbooks and course books are perceived as the only available materials for teaching English language. Furthermore Cortazzi, & Jin (1999, p. 67) point out that if there is poor selection of textbooks and other teaching materials, teachers are likely not to implement the course successfully. Consequently, there are limited in-house training materials for the teachers in addition to the text-books not being analyzed effectively (Acar 2004, p. 56). Nonetheless, teaching English as a foreign language in Turkey has gone through various transformations thus impacting on approaches and methods used in teaching English as a foreign language. Additionally, new textbooks are being released on a yearly basis with an aim of making the learning process to be effective by putting in use efficient learning strategies (Cortazzi, & Jin, 1999, p. 67). Furthermore, the fact is that there are no textbooks or teaching materials that can meet the need of all learners, schools and even teachers of EFL. Hence, it is important that the teachers are informed accordingly on way to select and tailor the textbooks so that the needs of students are met. This is because problems that are associated with teaching EFL are linked to the process of selecting teaching materials. According to Cortazzi, & Jin (1999, p. 67) teachers of EFL do not make any effort in evaluating the effectiveness of the teaching materials. Moreover, the need to modify the existing curriculum to meet the need of the learners is not always put into consideration (Acar 2004, p. 56). Consequently, the role that should be played by the textbooks and other language teaching materials is still unclear for higher percentage of teachers teaching English as a foreign language. Additionally, Turkey students have little opportunity to make use of English language in their daily activities. This is because textbooks and other teaching materials take central role as they provide students with the opportunity to function and practice the foreign language. Background information in teaching English language in Turkey Turkey is a country which is located in the existing intersection between Europe and Asia. Additionally, Turkey is near to Africa and Middle East region an aspect that has enabled it to play a vital role in building not only stability but also peace in the region. Moreover, Turkey is geopolitically located making it to act as a cultural bridge between west and east thus making the process of learning English to be of great significant in the region. Nonetheless, there are a number of political reasons why individuals in Turkey are so eager to learn English language an aspect has made it possible for the need for English teaching in the region (Dede & Emre, 1988, p. 71). The need for Turkey population to learn English dates back to 1952 when the nation became a member of the NATO an act that made it to commence on official negotiations. Two decades later the Nation attained full membership in the EU. This has made Turkish government not only to promote and support the learning of English language but also to promote its teaching. Additionally English language is gaining status in Turkey and it is currently regarded as the official language. Hence, the government has put in policies that encourage learning and teaching English language within turkey (Dede & Emre, 1988, p. 71). Status of English in Turkey English has become the medium of instruction in addition to being the official language that is used in all educational institutions. Presently, English language is regarded as the only foreign language in Turkey which is taught as a compulsory subject from the elementary level to the university level (Chown, 2000, p. 7). Nonetheless, there other foreign languages like French and German which are only provided as elective subjects in a small percentage of schools. An overview of teaching English in Turkey It is important to have a clear understanding of Turkish education before examining the institutions in which English language is being provided. According to () English language was introduced in the Turkish system during the period of Tanzimat which also marked inclusion of westernization elements in the Turkish education system. The aforementioned period was followed by the Republican Turkey which is ultimately the years 1923 to 1997. However, the major milestone in the English language teaching history within Turkey is the period which started in 1997 which was characterized by a number of educational reforms Chown (2000, p. 7). These reforms resulted into both new developments and emergence of drastic changes in the Turkish educational system and more specifically in learning and teaching English language as a foreign language. As from 1923 to 1997, the education system in Turkey had compulsory primary education which took five years while the secondary education was divided into two programs: 3 year middle school and 3 year high school program totaling up to six years of secondary education Chown, 2000, p. 67). Nonetheless, English is not taught as a preparatory program. The schools are further divided as either private or public. Anatolian schools which were also categorized as public schools had distinct status as compared to schools which were state owned. Additionally, students were required to take entrance examinations which were centralized before they gained admission in the Anatolian high schools (Dede & Emre, 1988, p. 71). According to Chown (2000, p. 7) the Anatolian schools were established by government and thus given the name to distinguish them from other public schools. However, these schools could be compared to the private schools had year which entitled preparatory English in addition to using the language as a medium of communication. These schools were founded with an aim of meeting the increasing demands of parents who wanted their children to learn English as a foreign language but were not in a position to attain the same due to the fact that private schools were expensive in nature. Education in Anatolian schools took four years with the first year was characterized by intensive training in English (Medgyes, 1992, p. 711). However, in the remaining three years, English language was used as a medium of instruction in teaching subjects such as science and mathematics. Nonetheless, immediately after 2002, MONE recommended that Turkish to be used as a medium of instruction in teaching subjects such as science and mathematics. This was due to the fact that the number of qualified teachers to do so in English was minimal (Chown, 2000, p. 97). This made the graduates from these particular schools to be disadvantaged as they were not in a position to excel in university entrance examination which was centralized in nature (Dauer, 2005, p. 50). Additionally, it is important to point out that globalization process has impacted on Turkish education system. English is regarded as business language which is essential in communicating with others in social, economic and political fields. English has become the key means through which individuals interact for individuals who take part in international communication and Turkey is not an exception. Therefore, just as Dogancay-Aktuna, (1998, p. 76) pointed out the spread of English in Turkey is linked to the aspect of globalization. Additionally, it is evident that the status of English has changed considerably in Turkey and it is now regarded as international English, lingua franca, global English and world English making it to have a number of varieties. Drawing from the study carried out by Dauer, (2005, p. 15). English is a sine qua non which is essential for individuals who want to excel in their careers regardless of the field. Therefore, a higher percentage of Turkish parents have desired for their children to learn English language for the same purpose. Since 1980s, there have been increases in the number of schools that use English language as a medium of instruction. Additionally, the curriculum of Anatolian schools was similar as those of Robert College. According to study carried out by Chown (2000, p. 112) Anatolian schools were first established in 1955. These schools have been successful and this is attributed to selection of appropriate textbooks, entrance examination which was competitive in nature, qualified English teachers in addition to one year of teaching English language intensively to the whole population. Culture of teaching English in Turkey The popularity of English language has greatly increased in Turkey an aspect that can be attributed to economic integration, technological development globalization (Medgyes, 1992, p. 71). Additionally, varieties of English in Turkey have been influenced by presence of America movies, increased tourism and increased number of television channels. A study carried out by Dede & Emre, (1988, p. 71pointed out that most nations have different political and social position regarding English by ensuring that the language is not included in national affairs domains (Dauer, 2005, p. 20) However, Turkey has proven to be an exceptional case by using English language not only in secondary level of education but in all levels of education. Problems facing English teaching in Turkey According to study carried out by Dauer (2005, p. 37) there are a number of problems that face English teaching in Turkey. These problems include students having poor communication skills, existing mismatch between methods of assessment and curriculum. Other problems include large classes and wide programs that need to be covered (Davies, 1991, p. 17). Size of the classes Medgyes (1992, p. 71) further pointed out that large classes hinder the process of learning English as a foreign language. This is due to the fact that teachers are not in a position to put students into groups to facilitate the learning process. Additionally, the learning process especially in state owned schools is hindered by classroom setting which have fixed tables and chairs that hinder movement of the same. Celik (2008, p. 5) added that large classes hindered the learning process as teachers were not in a position to attend to every learner individualized attention. Heavy workload on the teachers According to study carried out by Cook (1999, p. 40) on teaching English as a foreign language in Turkey, teachers of English as a foreign language in Turkey have too much work at their hands resulting into inefficiency. According to Celik (2008, p. 18) these teachers also have other responsibilities apart from teaching which make them not to be in a position to concentrate on their work. Further, English teachers are forced to teach for more than 30 hours in a week in addition to teaching all levels in the secondary curriculum. Additionally, most teachers teach more than one class (Dauer, 2005, p. 50). Programs are overloaded in nature Another problem that faces EFL in Turkey is that the programs are overloaded. This is because teachers are needed to teach a number of language items within limited time. Overloaded programs result into teachers not covering programs that could result into productive language programs such as writing and speaking (Cook, 1999, p. 101). Mismatched assessment and curriculum programs A study carried out by Celik (2008, p. 98) proved that there is a mismatch between the curriculum and the assessment programs. This is due to the fact that the assessments do not reflect what is actually on the curriculum which is used as a guide for teaching EFL. For instance the national curriculum which was most used by the teachers was designed by MONE and focuses on communicative language (Dauer, 2005, p. 50). Nonetheless, the standardized tests majorly aim at testing both vocabulary and grammatical knowledge of the learners. However, these tests fail to evaluate both writing and listening skills of the students despite the programs having comprehensive reading sections (Davies, 1991, p. 77). Additionally, Turkish education is exam oriented in nature an aspect that encourages individual learning style as learners are usually in competition with one another (Dauer, 2005, p. 50). Students have poor communication abilities Lack of communication abilities in students is another problems affecting English language teaching in turkey. A study carried out by Canagarajah (1999, p. 26) indicated that teachers still apply traditional teaching methods in teaching English language despite the emergence of new approaches in doing so. Hence, this problem is caused by the existing bonds between traditional methods and teaching English language. Moreover, Turkish English language teachers have not been trained on current approaches which can facilitate learning English as a foreign language (Dauer, 2005, p. 80). This makes them not to adapt and then adopt new ways of teaching. Additionally, the few who are highly trained on new methods of teaching an aspect that makes them to have problems with different ways of testing, the curriculum, Classroom materials which are of low quality and lack of motivation among the learners (Canagarajah, 1999, p. 56). The aforementioned elements further results into teachers losing interest. Furthermore according Alptekin (2002, p. 45) this makes teachers not to stressed the necessity of teaching language for communicative purposes during the process of teaching. Additionally, students lack the opportunity to apply what they have learned in class (Erling, 2005, p. 32). Opportunities for English language teachers and professional development in Turkey For the past decades, Turkish education curriculum designers have desired to transform ways in which English language is being taught (Dauer, 2005, p. 79). This is because despite students at secondary level are taught English for four years, they have failed to attained proficiency level. Therefore, Turkish government should focus on increasing the number of teachers in addition to the number of schools resulting into reduced sizes of classes that can facilitate the process of learning (Davies, 1991, p. 17). However, research carried out by Alptekin (2002, p. 99) indicated that even though there are opportunities for professional development of English in Turkey, there is no institutional support an aspect that makes them not to receive from learning institutions on how to teach English as a foreign language. Additionally due to the fact that higher percentage of English teachers in Turkey teach for approximately 20 or more hours on a weekly basis, they lack the opportunity for professional growth (Canagarajah, 1999, p. 56). This is because at the end of it they usually feel worn out to concentrate on teaching as they have to take part in other activities such managing their own personal lives and counseling students. Factors that need to take into consideration in planning and implementing relevant culturally sensitive English programs. In order to put in place cultural sensitive English program, the textbooks and other teaching materials should use Turkish culture and not American and British cultures (Alptekin, 2010, p. 23). Additionally, students should be provided with an appropriate environment that will facilitate learning and make them acquire skills that will enable them to apply the same and increase their thinking abilities (Erling, 2005, 43). English language teachers should also make sure that students not only memorize the skills but are also productive (Canagarajah, 1999, p. 56). According to study carried out by Acar (2004, p. 56) emphasized that there is need to ensure that students are productive and independent in classes and textbooks should be designed in such a manner that reflect the same. Moreover, the standardized entrance examinations should be eliminated has they have the process of teaching and assessing English language in turkey to be ineffective Bhatt, 2001, p. 78). Conclusion Based on the aforementioned aspects, it is essential that Turkish students learning English to be familiar with emerging cultural norms which are associated with globalization. This is due to the fact that this is the only way in which they will be in a position to participate in intercultural societies (Canagarajah, 1999, p. 77). However, it is essential to point out that inner-circle culture should also be put into consideration. Therefore, Turkish teachers teaching English as a foreign language should include materials from both the inner and the outer cycles. 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