Coursebooks are among the most significant components of EFL classes. The primary purpose of this... more Coursebooks are among the most significant components of EFL classes. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the validity and reliability of a 'Coursebook Dependency Questionnaire' developed in the current study. It further aims to study how dependent English language teachers are on coursebooks and whether there are any relationships between teachers' coursebook dependency levels and their genders, experiences, and academic backgrounds. Data collected from 324 language teachers working in She has been working as an EFL HOW Özlem Özen Tosun and Emrah Cinkara secondary and tertiary-level EFL programs revealed that the scale is a valid and reliable instrument with five sub-scales to measure the dependency construct; the majority of the participants were medium dependent while high and low dependent teachers comprised less than half of the participants in total.
Purpose: A coursebook is ranked among the fundamentals of language teaching, which directly affec... more Purpose: A coursebook is ranked among the fundamentals of language teaching, which directly affects the success of classroom activities. Therefore, investigations into the nature and efficiency of this relationship should yield invaluable insights to improving language teaching. In this regard, this study aims to investigate EFL teachers' views regarding the necessity of such software, its actual use in teaching, and its perceived advantages. Methods: In this study, a mixed research design was used, in which qualitative and quantitative research methods were used together.
Topic familiarity is an important issue for oral assessment. There may be factors (such as readin... more Topic familiarity is an important issue for oral assessment. There may be factors (such as readinesss through in-class activities or background knowledge of the students) that affect students’success. Furthermore, familiarity with the ‘speaking exam’ topics before the exams may contribute to this issue. Therefore, this study investigated if students’ familiarity with the ‘speaking exam’ topics before the exams has a positive effect on students’ speaking scores or not. The study was conducted at Gaziantep University School of Foreign Languages with 245 students and 25 interviwers. The data was collected by means of interviews in three stages. The first and second stages were to examine the difference between two different implementations about students’speaking topic familiarity. The third stage was to investigate the opinions of the students about the implementation. The results revealed that the students’ un/familiarity with the speaking topics before the exams made no difference o...
Dil becerilerinin olculmesi ve degerlendirilmesi egitim ogretim calismalari kapsaminda onemli bir... more Dil becerilerinin olculmesi ve degerlendirilmesi egitim ogretim calismalari kapsaminda onemli bir alandir ve egitim ogretim sureclerini de sekillendiren onemli sonuclara sahiptir. Sinava girecek ogrenciler icin olumlu ve motive edici bir ogrenme ve sinav ortami olusturmak hem sinav gorunus gecerligi kavraminin temeli hem de sinavi hazirlayanlarin amaclarindan bir tanesidir. Bu amacla, bu calismada sinava giren ogrencilerin, sinavi hazirlayan ve derse giren ogretim elemanlarinin sinavdaki maddelerin hazirlanma amaclari ile ilgili gorusleri arastirilmistir. Bu calismada Gaziantep Universitesi Yabanci Diller Yuksekokulu Ingilizce hazirlik sinifinda ogrenim goren 38 ogrenci, ayni birimden yedi ogretim elemani ve dort sinav hazirlama komisyonu uyesi yer almistir. Cevap kodlama formu ve bire bir gorusme yontemleri kullanilarak nicel ve nitel veri toplanmistir. Arastirma sonuclarina gore sinav hazirlayanlar ile derse giren ogretim elemanlarinin sinav sorularinin amaclarini eslestirmede ort...
The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Iraqi high-school teachers and students... more The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Iraqi high-school teachers and students towards teacher written feedback in writing classes in Suleymaniyah and Erbil. A quantitative method was conducted in this study. Two different instrumentswereusedinthestudy;whichareteacherquestionnaireandstudentquestionnaire. Atotalof100teachers (50 males and 50 females) and 200 students (100 males and 100 females) participated in filling the questionnaire then the collected data were analyzed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings showed that teachers' written feedback generally plays a significant role in improving students' writing skills. The study also showed that students are encouraged and improved, when English teachers provide them with optimistic and constructive written feedback. It was also observed that students show high preference of specific written feedback to facilitate the correction of mistakes. The findings showed that teachers' positive written feedback on their daily assignments and paper tests was highly preferred by students. Additionally, the study showed that teachers' written feedback in its time has a powerful impact on students' writing skills. A t-test analysis indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between male and female teachers and also students towards teacher written feedback.
Article History: Purpose: A coursebook is ranked among the fundamentals of language teaching, whi... more Article History: Purpose: A coursebook is ranked among the fundamentals of language teaching, which directly affects the success of classroom activities. Therefore, investigations into the nature and efficiency of this relationship should yield invaluable insights to improving language teaching. In this regard, this study aims to investigate EFL teachers' views regarding the necessity of such software, its actual use in teaching, and its perceived advantages. For these purposes, three different data collection tools were employed throughout this study: a) a survey, b) classroom observations, and c) post-observation interviews. First, a total of 74 participants were surveyed, and then 14 of them were observed while teaching and were interviewed afterwards. Findings: Coursebook software was most commonly utilized within listening tasks and least commonly utilized in writing tasks. Active use time was observed to be 143 minutes, which is 20% of the total teaching time. The passive use time of the tool was calculated to be 511 minutes (73.5%), and the digital tool was turned off for a duration of 46 minutes (6.5%). Semi-structured interviews revealed three main themes: attractive presentation of the content, effective teaching, and classroom management. Implications for Research and Practice: It is crucial to equip EFL teachers with the skills needed to employ the digital components of coursebooks effectively. The availability of classrooms equipped with ICT tools—including a computer with internet connection, a projector, and speakers for audio, as well as in-service training on the effective use of ICT tools at the host institution—promote positive attitudes towards ICT among the teachers; therefore, these facilities should be made available to EFL teachers.
The study investigated Syrian students' resilience, the ability to bounce back from some form of ... more The study investigated Syrian students' resilience, the ability to bounce back from some form of disaster, disruption, stress, or change. The situation in Syria caused thousands of deaths and millions of refugees, which is the main source of disaster and Syrian students need to recover from this. According to UNHCR, Turkey welcomed around 2.523.554 refugees, 314.917 of whom are located in Gaziantep, which constitutes about 20 % of total population of the city. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of L+ (Turkish and/or English) learning in resilience of Syrian students studying at Gaziantep University intensive Turkish and English language programs. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale and interviews. The results suggested that our participants had a medium level of resilience and L+ Turkish and English have different roles in building resilience among Syrian refugee students.
Two main opposing approaches exist regarding the impact of first-language (L1) use in the teachin... more Two main opposing approaches exist regarding the impact of first-language (L1) use in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language: the monolingual and bilingual approaches. Some linguists assume that students' L1 should be banished from their English classes, whereas others assert that it facilitates the process of learning a target language. The purpose of this study was to investigate learners' attitudes towards the use of L1 in their English classes, both by the students themselves and by their teachers. The current study also determined which factors caused the learners to switch from the TL to their L1. This study was conducted at Salahaddin University, Erbil, at the end of the first semester of the 2016-2017 academic year. It employed a mixed-method approach of data collection and analysis. Two hundred and fifty-eight EFL learners participated in the quantitative data collection, by completing a questionnaire and the qualitative data were collected via face-to-face semi structured interviews with eight EFL learners. The findings revealed that participants had a slightly positive attitude towards the use of their L1 in the facilitation of their TL learning. By referring to current theories of TL acquisition and reviewing recent literature, it can be inferred that learners' L1 has a necessary and facilitating role in acquiring a foreign language under certain conditions.
Özet Bu çalışmanın amacı, Gaziantep Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi İngilizce Öğretmenliği Bölümü ö... more Özet Bu çalışmanın amacı, Gaziantep Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi İngilizce Öğretmenliği Bölümü öğrencilerinin İngilizce öğretmenliğine yönelik metaforlarının incelenmesidir. Çalışmanın verileri 102 öğrencinin İngilizce öğretmeni ile ilgili yazdıkları kompozisyonlardan elde edilmiştir. Toplanan veriler içerik analizi ile incelenmiş ve kullanılan metaforlar, ve metaforları içeren cümlelerdeki fiil, sıfat ve zarflar belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen verilen nicel ve nitel olarak analiz edilmiştir. Toplanan verilerdeki metaforlar insan, nesne, eylem ve hayvan metaforları olarak gruplandırılmıştır. Benzer şekilde sıfatlar ve zarflar ise kendi odaklı ve diğer odaklı olarak belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen veriler, istatiksel olarak incelenmiş ve yüzdelikleri hesaplanmıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: İngilizce öğretmenliği, metafor, içerik analizi Abstract This study aims to investigate EFL teacher candidates' metaphors regarding English language teachers. The data was collected through 102 teacher candidates' essays written on their views of being an EFL teachers and teaching. The metaphors were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Content analysis of the essays revealed a total of 134 metaphors categorized in four groups: people, objects, actions and animals. The verbs, adjectives and adverbs in the host statements of metaphors were also investigated and were categorized into two groups, namely focus on self-development and focus on other-development. Percentages were calculated and given for metaphors, verbs, adjectives and adverbs in each category.
Özet Mentörlük uygulaması öğretmenlerin mesleki gelişimi için yaygın olarak kullanılan daha deney... more Özet Mentörlük uygulaması öğretmenlerin mesleki gelişimi için yaygın olarak kullanılan daha deneyimli ve bilgili bir kişinin daha az tecrübeli ve bilgili meslektaşına mesleki anlamda gelişimine yardımcı olmak amacıyla destek sağlaması sürecidir. Bu çalışma kapsamında Gaziantep Üniversitesi Yabancı Diller Yüksekokulunda görevli 50 İngilizce okutmanı 4-5 kişilik gruplar halinde bir mentör eşliğinde belirli gündemlerle grup toplantıları yapmıştır. Veri toplamak amacıyla oluşturulan anket uygulaması yapılmış ve elde edilen bulgulara göre odak grup belirlenerek 5 okutman ile bire-bir görüşme yapılmıştır. Anket uygulaması ve elde edilen sonuçlara göre yapılan görüşme kayıtları ile hem nicel hem de nitel veri toplanmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre, mentörlük uygulaması İngilizce okutmanlarının mesleki gelişimine olumlu katkı sağladığı belirlenmiştir. Bu bağlamda okutmanların mentörlük ile ilgili paylaşımları sonucunda uygulamanın mesleki gelişim ve kişisel gelişim olarak iki kategoride etkinliği belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca, uygulanan bu programın faydalarının sadece mentörlük alan kişi ile sınırlı olmadığı aynı zamanda mentörün ve kurumun da gelişimine katkıda bulunduğu belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak geliştirilen bu mentörlük uygulamasının olumlu sonuçları ortaya çıkartılmıştır. Abstract Mentorship has been described as a process during which a more experienced and knowledgeable person provides support, encourages learning and reflection with another less experienced and knowledgeable person in order to help that person's professional development. In this study, we designed a mentorship programme in which 50 EFL instructors at Gaziantep University School of Foreign Languages participated on voluntary basis. 10 participants were selected as mentors and the rest were mentees. Data collected through a custom questionnaire, and interviews with 5 participants. The results suggested a positive impact of the program on not only the mentees, but also the mentors and the institution. The programme was found to be efficient in terms of providing support and role modelling as
Reflective practices have been shown to improve the effectiveness of learning and teaching proces... more Reflective practices have been shown to improve the effectiveness of learning and teaching processes. In this study, video-stimulated recall technique was employed as a method of motivating language learners to reflect on their oral production tasks. In this experimental study, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was administered to control and treatment groups before and after an eight-week module during which video-stimulated recall interviews were conducted with students in the treatment group. Statistical analyses revealed that pre- and post-test FLCAS scores differed within the treatment group but not within the control group. The results also suggested that stimulated recall is an effective reflective tool which assists students in noticing and reflecting upon the symptoms and causes of anxiety in the classroom.
Mentoring, a main constituent of teacher education, has taken new shape in recent years, with edu... more Mentoring, a main constituent of teacher education, has taken new shape in recent years, with educators incorporating technology and social media into their practices. This study investigated the use of a Facebook group as a form of informal mentoring among teachers with reference to qualitative and quantitative data collected from the entries, responses and comments of group members. Findings included a list of mentoring topics along with the number of comments and words for each entry. In this way, we were able to analyse quantitatively the contents of each mentoring topic and provide as qualitative evidence clear examples from member comments and exchanges. The findings revealed that EFL teachers shared experiences and knowledge on various topics such as pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, content knowledge, resources and career development.
Task-based pedagogy states that learning is the outcome of an interaction between the student, th... more Task-based pedagogy states that learning is the outcome of an interaction between the student, the teacher, and the activity. Therefore, for the learner to be successful, the teacher must have full command of this interaction and be able to modify the activity in the best interest of students. In our experiences and observations of classrooms, we have noticed that the level of this interaction and modifications vary among language teachers. The present ethnographic study attempts to identify potential sources of EFL teachers’ activity modifications by exploring the teachers’ perceptions of the natures, aims, and requirements of a given language-learning activity. The knowledge of potential sources of mismatch between teacher intentions and the natures of activities help to inform EFL teachers about language-learning activities at hand; as a result, the desired outcomes of teaching activities are achieved. To guide this study, three research questions were constructed regarding a) the types of activity modifications in EFL classes, b) the number of modifications and its relationship to the number in years of teaching experience, and c) the themes behind the reasons for modification. For these purposes, EFL teachers’ classroom activity modifications were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. Six in-service language teachers of a university-level preparatory class were visited and their activity modifications were recorded on the Activity Modification Sheet. Later they were interviewed to discuss these modifications. The results of the current study reveal the types of modifications made in language classes and suggest four major themes pertaining the reasons for activity modifications: clarification, time management, student feedback, and professional collaboration. However, the results also demonstrate the lack of a statistically significant relationship between the participants’ numbers of modification and their numbers in years of teaching experience.
Recent studies show that proficiency or success in a subject might correlate with some other subj... more Recent studies show that proficiency or success in a subject might correlate with some other subjects. For example; if a student is good at math, s/he tends to be successful in physics or chemistry. Starting from this point and based on our own observations, an interest about the possible relationship between success in English as a foreign language learning and mathematics emerged. Therefore, the intend of present study was to examine the link between the freshman students’ success in foreign language learning (Leng 101 course) and mathematics (Math 151 course) at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Gaziantep in relation with some variables namely; their gender and departments they studied. The results revealed significant relation between Leng 101 and Math 151 final grades (p<0,01) and a significant difference among the departments in terms of success in foreign language (p<0,01). Moreover, an independent samples test revealed a significant difference in English as a foreign language success between genders (p<0,01).
This study intended to investigate the self-efficacy of EFL students enrolled at Gaziantep Univer... more This study intended to investigate the self-efficacy of EFL students enrolled at Gaziantep University"s School of Foreign Languages (GUSFL). More specifically, the aim was to explore EFL self-efficacy level of the students in relation to their academic success in English. In addition, demographic variables such as students" age and gender were studied in relation to their self-efficacy. This study was conducted in the spring semester of 2007-2008 academic years. One hundred seventy five preparatory students at GUSFL (60 females and 115 males) participated in the study with the mean age of 19.7. The data were collected through the English as a Foreign Language Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (EFL-SEQ). The analysis of the EFL self-efficacy survey revealed that EFL learners at GUSFL had high sense of self-efficacy in language learning tasks. Therefore, selfefficacy was disclosed to be an influential aspect in students" success in English language learning.
ABSTRACT
Online teaching has long been a key area of interest recently in every field of educat... more ABSTRACT
Online teaching has long been a key area of interest recently in every field of education as well as English language teaching. Numerous hardware tools, such as, mp3 players, mobile devices, and so on; and software applications, such as, podcasts, wikis, learning management systems, and so on, have been used in distance and online instruction and they have proved to be useful in facilitating learning individually (Finger, Sun, & Jamieson-Proctor, 2010). Learning management systems (LMS) provide a virtual environment and various tools to support learning. The current institution where the researchers work deliver two 2-credit online English courses for a specific group of learners at a state university in south-eastern Turkey by using Modular Object Oriented Distance Learning Environment (MOODLE). Moodle is an open code LMS which provides teachers and course developers with numerous online tools to enhance distance learning/teaching environment. The course has both a synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Synchronous and asynchronous instructions are associated with the delivery of content in campus-based environments; however, their role differs in off the campus environments as they solve the problems of distance learners. Universities, colleges, and other education institutions are integrating online learning into every aspect of higher education. Many teachers and faculty members at higher education institutions who already run face-toface courses have a website to post lecture notes or slide presentations as well as other course material. There is no doubt that these are effective strategies to expand teaching efforts. Still, there are other educators who design and teach totally online classes. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate learners’ attitudes towards these online language courses, and there are two objectives of this research. The first one is to discover learners’ attitudes towards the online English course; and the second purpose is to evaluate and correlate learners’ attitudes with their success determined with their end-of-the-year grades. For the unique purpose of this study, an Online Language Learning Attitude Test (OLLAT) has been constructed and distributed to about 7000 learners who were invited to complete this task online. 3516 of these learners took the OLLAT voluntarily and 1783 were successfully completed the test and were included in this study. The findings showed that there is a statistically significant positive correlation between learners’ OLLAT scores and their course success.
Keywords: Attitudes, online language learning, success
Gaziantep Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi, Tıp Fakültesi ve Turizm Meslek Yüksekokulu öğrencil... more Gaziantep Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi, Tıp Fakültesi ve Turizm Meslek Yüksekokulu öğrencilerinin lisans eğitimine başlamadan önce genel İngilizce becerilerine sahip olmaları gerekmektedir. Özellikle Mühendislik Fakültesi öğrencilerine verilen eğitimin İngilizce olması bu bölümlere kayıt yaptıran öğrencilerin hazırlık eğitimi almalarını gerektirmektedir. 2007/2008 Öğretim yılında Mühendislik Fakültesinde dört bölüm için ikinci öğretim programı başlatılmıştır. İkinci öğretim bölümlerine kayıt yaptıran 234 öğrenci "YDYO" İngilizce hazırlık sınıfında öğrenime başlamıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Gaziantep Üniversitesi YDYO'da ilk defa uygulanan ikinci öğretim hazırlık sınıfı programında öğrenim gören öğrencilerin hazırlık sınıfı ikinci öğretim programına karşı tutumlarını ve bu program dahilinde karşılaştıkları sorunları ortaya çıkartmaktır. Bu amaçla 30 kişilik bir öğrenci gurubuyla yapılan görüşmeler sonunda Hazırlık sınıfı ikinci öğretim programı öğrenci sorunları anketi oluşturulmuştur. Hazırlanan bu anket tüm ikinci öğretim öğrencilerine uygulanarak elde edilen veriler istatistiki olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Sonuçlar, hazırlık sınıfı ikinci öğretim öğrencilerinin ikinci öğretim derslerine, dersi veren öğretim elemanına ve üniversitenin sağladığı sosyal ve kültürel faaliyetlere karşı tutumlarını ortaya koymuştur. Elde edilen bulgular ışığında, derslerin akşam saatlerinde olmasından dolayı; öğrenciler dil becerileri edinimlerinin olumsuz yönde etkilediğini düşünmektedir; konsantrasyon ve motivasyon sorunu yaşamaktadırlar; ulaşım ve sosyal etkinliklere katılımla ilgili sorunlar yaşamaktadırlar. Bunların yanı sıra; öğrenciler derslerin üç farklı öğretim elemanı tarafından verilmesinin başarılarını olumsuz yönde etkilediğini düşünmektedirler.
Coursebooks are among the most significant components of EFL classes. The primary purpose of this... more Coursebooks are among the most significant components of EFL classes. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the validity and reliability of a 'Coursebook Dependency Questionnaire' developed in the current study. It further aims to study how dependent English language teachers are on coursebooks and whether there are any relationships between teachers' coursebook dependency levels and their genders, experiences, and academic backgrounds. Data collected from 324 language teachers working in She has been working as an EFL HOW Özlem Özen Tosun and Emrah Cinkara secondary and tertiary-level EFL programs revealed that the scale is a valid and reliable instrument with five sub-scales to measure the dependency construct; the majority of the participants were medium dependent while high and low dependent teachers comprised less than half of the participants in total.
Purpose: A coursebook is ranked among the fundamentals of language teaching, which directly affec... more Purpose: A coursebook is ranked among the fundamentals of language teaching, which directly affects the success of classroom activities. Therefore, investigations into the nature and efficiency of this relationship should yield invaluable insights to improving language teaching. In this regard, this study aims to investigate EFL teachers' views regarding the necessity of such software, its actual use in teaching, and its perceived advantages. Methods: In this study, a mixed research design was used, in which qualitative and quantitative research methods were used together.
Topic familiarity is an important issue for oral assessment. There may be factors (such as readin... more Topic familiarity is an important issue for oral assessment. There may be factors (such as readinesss through in-class activities or background knowledge of the students) that affect students’success. Furthermore, familiarity with the ‘speaking exam’ topics before the exams may contribute to this issue. Therefore, this study investigated if students’ familiarity with the ‘speaking exam’ topics before the exams has a positive effect on students’ speaking scores or not. The study was conducted at Gaziantep University School of Foreign Languages with 245 students and 25 interviwers. The data was collected by means of interviews in three stages. The first and second stages were to examine the difference between two different implementations about students’speaking topic familiarity. The third stage was to investigate the opinions of the students about the implementation. The results revealed that the students’ un/familiarity with the speaking topics before the exams made no difference o...
Dil becerilerinin olculmesi ve degerlendirilmesi egitim ogretim calismalari kapsaminda onemli bir... more Dil becerilerinin olculmesi ve degerlendirilmesi egitim ogretim calismalari kapsaminda onemli bir alandir ve egitim ogretim sureclerini de sekillendiren onemli sonuclara sahiptir. Sinava girecek ogrenciler icin olumlu ve motive edici bir ogrenme ve sinav ortami olusturmak hem sinav gorunus gecerligi kavraminin temeli hem de sinavi hazirlayanlarin amaclarindan bir tanesidir. Bu amacla, bu calismada sinava giren ogrencilerin, sinavi hazirlayan ve derse giren ogretim elemanlarinin sinavdaki maddelerin hazirlanma amaclari ile ilgili gorusleri arastirilmistir. Bu calismada Gaziantep Universitesi Yabanci Diller Yuksekokulu Ingilizce hazirlik sinifinda ogrenim goren 38 ogrenci, ayni birimden yedi ogretim elemani ve dort sinav hazirlama komisyonu uyesi yer almistir. Cevap kodlama formu ve bire bir gorusme yontemleri kullanilarak nicel ve nitel veri toplanmistir. Arastirma sonuclarina gore sinav hazirlayanlar ile derse giren ogretim elemanlarinin sinav sorularinin amaclarini eslestirmede ort...
The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Iraqi high-school teachers and students... more The aim of this study was to investigate the attitudes of Iraqi high-school teachers and students towards teacher written feedback in writing classes in Suleymaniyah and Erbil. A quantitative method was conducted in this study. Two different instrumentswereusedinthestudy;whichareteacherquestionnaireandstudentquestionnaire. Atotalof100teachers (50 males and 50 females) and 200 students (100 males and 100 females) participated in filling the questionnaire then the collected data were analyzed through Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings showed that teachers' written feedback generally plays a significant role in improving students' writing skills. The study also showed that students are encouraged and improved, when English teachers provide them with optimistic and constructive written feedback. It was also observed that students show high preference of specific written feedback to facilitate the correction of mistakes. The findings showed that teachers' positive written feedback on their daily assignments and paper tests was highly preferred by students. Additionally, the study showed that teachers' written feedback in its time has a powerful impact on students' writing skills. A t-test analysis indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between male and female teachers and also students towards teacher written feedback.
Article History: Purpose: A coursebook is ranked among the fundamentals of language teaching, whi... more Article History: Purpose: A coursebook is ranked among the fundamentals of language teaching, which directly affects the success of classroom activities. Therefore, investigations into the nature and efficiency of this relationship should yield invaluable insights to improving language teaching. In this regard, this study aims to investigate EFL teachers' views regarding the necessity of such software, its actual use in teaching, and its perceived advantages. For these purposes, three different data collection tools were employed throughout this study: a) a survey, b) classroom observations, and c) post-observation interviews. First, a total of 74 participants were surveyed, and then 14 of them were observed while teaching and were interviewed afterwards. Findings: Coursebook software was most commonly utilized within listening tasks and least commonly utilized in writing tasks. Active use time was observed to be 143 minutes, which is 20% of the total teaching time. The passive use time of the tool was calculated to be 511 minutes (73.5%), and the digital tool was turned off for a duration of 46 minutes (6.5%). Semi-structured interviews revealed three main themes: attractive presentation of the content, effective teaching, and classroom management. Implications for Research and Practice: It is crucial to equip EFL teachers with the skills needed to employ the digital components of coursebooks effectively. The availability of classrooms equipped with ICT tools—including a computer with internet connection, a projector, and speakers for audio, as well as in-service training on the effective use of ICT tools at the host institution—promote positive attitudes towards ICT among the teachers; therefore, these facilities should be made available to EFL teachers.
The study investigated Syrian students' resilience, the ability to bounce back from some form of ... more The study investigated Syrian students' resilience, the ability to bounce back from some form of disaster, disruption, stress, or change. The situation in Syria caused thousands of deaths and millions of refugees, which is the main source of disaster and Syrian students need to recover from this. According to UNHCR, Turkey welcomed around 2.523.554 refugees, 314.917 of whom are located in Gaziantep, which constitutes about 20 % of total population of the city. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of L+ (Turkish and/or English) learning in resilience of Syrian students studying at Gaziantep University intensive Turkish and English language programs. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected through the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale and interviews. The results suggested that our participants had a medium level of resilience and L+ Turkish and English have different roles in building resilience among Syrian refugee students.
Two main opposing approaches exist regarding the impact of first-language (L1) use in the teachin... more Two main opposing approaches exist regarding the impact of first-language (L1) use in the teaching and learning of English as a foreign language: the monolingual and bilingual approaches. Some linguists assume that students' L1 should be banished from their English classes, whereas others assert that it facilitates the process of learning a target language. The purpose of this study was to investigate learners' attitudes towards the use of L1 in their English classes, both by the students themselves and by their teachers. The current study also determined which factors caused the learners to switch from the TL to their L1. This study was conducted at Salahaddin University, Erbil, at the end of the first semester of the 2016-2017 academic year. It employed a mixed-method approach of data collection and analysis. Two hundred and fifty-eight EFL learners participated in the quantitative data collection, by completing a questionnaire and the qualitative data were collected via face-to-face semi structured interviews with eight EFL learners. The findings revealed that participants had a slightly positive attitude towards the use of their L1 in the facilitation of their TL learning. By referring to current theories of TL acquisition and reviewing recent literature, it can be inferred that learners' L1 has a necessary and facilitating role in acquiring a foreign language under certain conditions.
Özet Bu çalışmanın amacı, Gaziantep Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi İngilizce Öğretmenliği Bölümü ö... more Özet Bu çalışmanın amacı, Gaziantep Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi İngilizce Öğretmenliği Bölümü öğrencilerinin İngilizce öğretmenliğine yönelik metaforlarının incelenmesidir. Çalışmanın verileri 102 öğrencinin İngilizce öğretmeni ile ilgili yazdıkları kompozisyonlardan elde edilmiştir. Toplanan veriler içerik analizi ile incelenmiş ve kullanılan metaforlar, ve metaforları içeren cümlelerdeki fiil, sıfat ve zarflar belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen verilen nicel ve nitel olarak analiz edilmiştir. Toplanan verilerdeki metaforlar insan, nesne, eylem ve hayvan metaforları olarak gruplandırılmıştır. Benzer şekilde sıfatlar ve zarflar ise kendi odaklı ve diğer odaklı olarak belirlenmiştir. Elde edilen veriler, istatiksel olarak incelenmiş ve yüzdelikleri hesaplanmıştır. Anahtar Kelimeler: İngilizce öğretmenliği, metafor, içerik analizi Abstract This study aims to investigate EFL teacher candidates' metaphors regarding English language teachers. The data was collected through 102 teacher candidates' essays written on their views of being an EFL teachers and teaching. The metaphors were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Content analysis of the essays revealed a total of 134 metaphors categorized in four groups: people, objects, actions and animals. The verbs, adjectives and adverbs in the host statements of metaphors were also investigated and were categorized into two groups, namely focus on self-development and focus on other-development. Percentages were calculated and given for metaphors, verbs, adjectives and adverbs in each category.
Özet Mentörlük uygulaması öğretmenlerin mesleki gelişimi için yaygın olarak kullanılan daha deney... more Özet Mentörlük uygulaması öğretmenlerin mesleki gelişimi için yaygın olarak kullanılan daha deneyimli ve bilgili bir kişinin daha az tecrübeli ve bilgili meslektaşına mesleki anlamda gelişimine yardımcı olmak amacıyla destek sağlaması sürecidir. Bu çalışma kapsamında Gaziantep Üniversitesi Yabancı Diller Yüksekokulunda görevli 50 İngilizce okutmanı 4-5 kişilik gruplar halinde bir mentör eşliğinde belirli gündemlerle grup toplantıları yapmıştır. Veri toplamak amacıyla oluşturulan anket uygulaması yapılmış ve elde edilen bulgulara göre odak grup belirlenerek 5 okutman ile bire-bir görüşme yapılmıştır. Anket uygulaması ve elde edilen sonuçlara göre yapılan görüşme kayıtları ile hem nicel hem de nitel veri toplanmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre, mentörlük uygulaması İngilizce okutmanlarının mesleki gelişimine olumlu katkı sağladığı belirlenmiştir. Bu bağlamda okutmanların mentörlük ile ilgili paylaşımları sonucunda uygulamanın mesleki gelişim ve kişisel gelişim olarak iki kategoride etkinliği belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca, uygulanan bu programın faydalarının sadece mentörlük alan kişi ile sınırlı olmadığı aynı zamanda mentörün ve kurumun da gelişimine katkıda bulunduğu belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak geliştirilen bu mentörlük uygulamasının olumlu sonuçları ortaya çıkartılmıştır. Abstract Mentorship has been described as a process during which a more experienced and knowledgeable person provides support, encourages learning and reflection with another less experienced and knowledgeable person in order to help that person's professional development. In this study, we designed a mentorship programme in which 50 EFL instructors at Gaziantep University School of Foreign Languages participated on voluntary basis. 10 participants were selected as mentors and the rest were mentees. Data collected through a custom questionnaire, and interviews with 5 participants. The results suggested a positive impact of the program on not only the mentees, but also the mentors and the institution. The programme was found to be efficient in terms of providing support and role modelling as
Reflective practices have been shown to improve the effectiveness of learning and teaching proces... more Reflective practices have been shown to improve the effectiveness of learning and teaching processes. In this study, video-stimulated recall technique was employed as a method of motivating language learners to reflect on their oral production tasks. In this experimental study, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) was administered to control and treatment groups before and after an eight-week module during which video-stimulated recall interviews were conducted with students in the treatment group. Statistical analyses revealed that pre- and post-test FLCAS scores differed within the treatment group but not within the control group. The results also suggested that stimulated recall is an effective reflective tool which assists students in noticing and reflecting upon the symptoms and causes of anxiety in the classroom.
Mentoring, a main constituent of teacher education, has taken new shape in recent years, with edu... more Mentoring, a main constituent of teacher education, has taken new shape in recent years, with educators incorporating technology and social media into their practices. This study investigated the use of a Facebook group as a form of informal mentoring among teachers with reference to qualitative and quantitative data collected from the entries, responses and comments of group members. Findings included a list of mentoring topics along with the number of comments and words for each entry. In this way, we were able to analyse quantitatively the contents of each mentoring topic and provide as qualitative evidence clear examples from member comments and exchanges. The findings revealed that EFL teachers shared experiences and knowledge on various topics such as pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, content knowledge, resources and career development.
Task-based pedagogy states that learning is the outcome of an interaction between the student, th... more Task-based pedagogy states that learning is the outcome of an interaction between the student, the teacher, and the activity. Therefore, for the learner to be successful, the teacher must have full command of this interaction and be able to modify the activity in the best interest of students. In our experiences and observations of classrooms, we have noticed that the level of this interaction and modifications vary among language teachers. The present ethnographic study attempts to identify potential sources of EFL teachers’ activity modifications by exploring the teachers’ perceptions of the natures, aims, and requirements of a given language-learning activity. The knowledge of potential sources of mismatch between teacher intentions and the natures of activities help to inform EFL teachers about language-learning activities at hand; as a result, the desired outcomes of teaching activities are achieved. To guide this study, three research questions were constructed regarding a) the types of activity modifications in EFL classes, b) the number of modifications and its relationship to the number in years of teaching experience, and c) the themes behind the reasons for modification. For these purposes, EFL teachers’ classroom activity modifications were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed. Six in-service language teachers of a university-level preparatory class were visited and their activity modifications were recorded on the Activity Modification Sheet. Later they were interviewed to discuss these modifications. The results of the current study reveal the types of modifications made in language classes and suggest four major themes pertaining the reasons for activity modifications: clarification, time management, student feedback, and professional collaboration. However, the results also demonstrate the lack of a statistically significant relationship between the participants’ numbers of modification and their numbers in years of teaching experience.
Recent studies show that proficiency or success in a subject might correlate with some other subj... more Recent studies show that proficiency or success in a subject might correlate with some other subjects. For example; if a student is good at math, s/he tends to be successful in physics or chemistry. Starting from this point and based on our own observations, an interest about the possible relationship between success in English as a foreign language learning and mathematics emerged. Therefore, the intend of present study was to examine the link between the freshman students’ success in foreign language learning (Leng 101 course) and mathematics (Math 151 course) at the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Gaziantep in relation with some variables namely; their gender and departments they studied. The results revealed significant relation between Leng 101 and Math 151 final grades (p<0,01) and a significant difference among the departments in terms of success in foreign language (p<0,01). Moreover, an independent samples test revealed a significant difference in English as a foreign language success between genders (p<0,01).
This study intended to investigate the self-efficacy of EFL students enrolled at Gaziantep Univer... more This study intended to investigate the self-efficacy of EFL students enrolled at Gaziantep University"s School of Foreign Languages (GUSFL). More specifically, the aim was to explore EFL self-efficacy level of the students in relation to their academic success in English. In addition, demographic variables such as students" age and gender were studied in relation to their self-efficacy. This study was conducted in the spring semester of 2007-2008 academic years. One hundred seventy five preparatory students at GUSFL (60 females and 115 males) participated in the study with the mean age of 19.7. The data were collected through the English as a Foreign Language Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (EFL-SEQ). The analysis of the EFL self-efficacy survey revealed that EFL learners at GUSFL had high sense of self-efficacy in language learning tasks. Therefore, selfefficacy was disclosed to be an influential aspect in students" success in English language learning.
ABSTRACT
Online teaching has long been a key area of interest recently in every field of educat... more ABSTRACT
Online teaching has long been a key area of interest recently in every field of education as well as English language teaching. Numerous hardware tools, such as, mp3 players, mobile devices, and so on; and software applications, such as, podcasts, wikis, learning management systems, and so on, have been used in distance and online instruction and they have proved to be useful in facilitating learning individually (Finger, Sun, & Jamieson-Proctor, 2010). Learning management systems (LMS) provide a virtual environment and various tools to support learning. The current institution where the researchers work deliver two 2-credit online English courses for a specific group of learners at a state university in south-eastern Turkey by using Modular Object Oriented Distance Learning Environment (MOODLE). Moodle is an open code LMS which provides teachers and course developers with numerous online tools to enhance distance learning/teaching environment. The course has both a synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Synchronous and asynchronous instructions are associated with the delivery of content in campus-based environments; however, their role differs in off the campus environments as they solve the problems of distance learners. Universities, colleges, and other education institutions are integrating online learning into every aspect of higher education. Many teachers and faculty members at higher education institutions who already run face-toface courses have a website to post lecture notes or slide presentations as well as other course material. There is no doubt that these are effective strategies to expand teaching efforts. Still, there are other educators who design and teach totally online classes. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate learners’ attitudes towards these online language courses, and there are two objectives of this research. The first one is to discover learners’ attitudes towards the online English course; and the second purpose is to evaluate and correlate learners’ attitudes with their success determined with their end-of-the-year grades. For the unique purpose of this study, an Online Language Learning Attitude Test (OLLAT) has been constructed and distributed to about 7000 learners who were invited to complete this task online. 3516 of these learners took the OLLAT voluntarily and 1783 were successfully completed the test and were included in this study. The findings showed that there is a statistically significant positive correlation between learners’ OLLAT scores and their course success.
Keywords: Attitudes, online language learning, success
Gaziantep Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi, Tıp Fakültesi ve Turizm Meslek Yüksekokulu öğrencil... more Gaziantep Üniversitesi Mühendislik Fakültesi, Tıp Fakültesi ve Turizm Meslek Yüksekokulu öğrencilerinin lisans eğitimine başlamadan önce genel İngilizce becerilerine sahip olmaları gerekmektedir. Özellikle Mühendislik Fakültesi öğrencilerine verilen eğitimin İngilizce olması bu bölümlere kayıt yaptıran öğrencilerin hazırlık eğitimi almalarını gerektirmektedir. 2007/2008 Öğretim yılında Mühendislik Fakültesinde dört bölüm için ikinci öğretim programı başlatılmıştır. İkinci öğretim bölümlerine kayıt yaptıran 234 öğrenci "YDYO" İngilizce hazırlık sınıfında öğrenime başlamıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Gaziantep Üniversitesi YDYO'da ilk defa uygulanan ikinci öğretim hazırlık sınıfı programında öğrenim gören öğrencilerin hazırlık sınıfı ikinci öğretim programına karşı tutumlarını ve bu program dahilinde karşılaştıkları sorunları ortaya çıkartmaktır. Bu amaçla 30 kişilik bir öğrenci gurubuyla yapılan görüşmeler sonunda Hazırlık sınıfı ikinci öğretim programı öğrenci sorunları anketi oluşturulmuştur. Hazırlanan bu anket tüm ikinci öğretim öğrencilerine uygulanarak elde edilen veriler istatistiki olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Sonuçlar, hazırlık sınıfı ikinci öğretim öğrencilerinin ikinci öğretim derslerine, dersi veren öğretim elemanına ve üniversitenin sağladığı sosyal ve kültürel faaliyetlere karşı tutumlarını ortaya koymuştur. Elde edilen bulgular ışığında, derslerin akşam saatlerinde olmasından dolayı; öğrenciler dil becerileri edinimlerinin olumsuz yönde etkilediğini düşünmektedir; konsantrasyon ve motivasyon sorunu yaşamaktadırlar; ulaşım ve sosyal etkinliklere katılımla ilgili sorunlar yaşamaktadırlar. Bunların yanı sıra; öğrenciler derslerin üç farklı öğretim elemanı tarafından verilmesinin başarılarını olumsuz yönde etkilediğini düşünmektedirler.
Coursebooks are among the most significant components of EFL classes. The primary purpose of this... more Coursebooks are among the most significant components of EFL classes. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the validity and reliability of a ‘Coursebook Dependency Questionnaire’ developed in the current study. It further aims to study how dependent English language teachers are on coursebooks and whether there are any relationships between teachers’ coursebook dependency levels and their genders, experiences, and academic backgrounds. Data collected from 324 language teachers working in secondary and tertiary-level EFL programs revealed that the scale is a valid and reliable instrument with five sub-scales to measure the dependency construct; the majority of the participants were medium dependent while high and low dependent teachers comprised less than half of the participants in total.
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Papers by Emrah Cinkara
The study also showed that students are encouraged and improved, when English teachers provide them with optimistic and constructive written feedback. It was also observed that students show high preference of specific written feedback to facilitate the correction of mistakes. The findings showed that teachers' positive written feedback on their daily assignments and paper tests was highly preferred by students. Additionally, the study showed that teachers' written feedback in its time has a powerful impact on students' writing skills. A t-test analysis indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between male and female teachers and also students towards teacher written feedback.
Online teaching has long been a key area of interest recently in every field of education as well as English language teaching. Numerous hardware tools, such as, mp3 players, mobile devices, and so on; and software applications, such as, podcasts, wikis, learning management systems, and so on, have been used in distance and online instruction and they have proved to be useful in facilitating learning individually (Finger, Sun, & Jamieson-Proctor, 2010). Learning management systems (LMS) provide a virtual environment and various tools to support learning. The current institution where the researchers work deliver two 2-credit online English courses for a specific group of learners at a state university in south-eastern Turkey by using Modular Object Oriented Distance Learning Environment (MOODLE). Moodle is an open code LMS which provides teachers and course developers with numerous online tools to enhance distance learning/teaching environment. The course has both a synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Synchronous and asynchronous instructions are associated with the delivery of content in campus-based environments; however, their role differs in off the campus environments as they solve the problems of distance learners. Universities, colleges, and other education institutions are integrating online learning into every aspect of higher education. Many teachers and faculty members at higher education institutions who already run face-toface courses have a website to post lecture notes or slide presentations as well as other course material. There is no doubt that these are effective strategies to expand teaching efforts. Still, there are other educators who design and teach totally online classes. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate learners’ attitudes towards these online language courses, and there are two objectives of this research. The first one is to discover learners’ attitudes towards the online English course; and the second purpose is to evaluate and correlate learners’ attitudes with their success determined with their end-of-the-year grades. For the unique purpose of this study, an Online Language Learning Attitude Test (OLLAT) has been constructed and distributed to about 7000 learners who were invited to complete this task online. 3516 of these learners took the OLLAT voluntarily and 1783 were successfully completed the test and were included in this study. The findings showed that there is a statistically significant positive correlation between learners’ OLLAT scores and their course success.
Keywords: Attitudes, online language learning, success
The study also showed that students are encouraged and improved, when English teachers provide them with optimistic and constructive written feedback. It was also observed that students show high preference of specific written feedback to facilitate the correction of mistakes. The findings showed that teachers' positive written feedback on their daily assignments and paper tests was highly preferred by students. Additionally, the study showed that teachers' written feedback in its time has a powerful impact on students' writing skills. A t-test analysis indicated that there were no statistically significant differences between male and female teachers and also students towards teacher written feedback.
Online teaching has long been a key area of interest recently in every field of education as well as English language teaching. Numerous hardware tools, such as, mp3 players, mobile devices, and so on; and software applications, such as, podcasts, wikis, learning management systems, and so on, have been used in distance and online instruction and they have proved to be useful in facilitating learning individually (Finger, Sun, & Jamieson-Proctor, 2010). Learning management systems (LMS) provide a virtual environment and various tools to support learning. The current institution where the researchers work deliver two 2-credit online English courses for a specific group of learners at a state university in south-eastern Turkey by using Modular Object Oriented Distance Learning Environment (MOODLE). Moodle is an open code LMS which provides teachers and course developers with numerous online tools to enhance distance learning/teaching environment. The course has both a synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Synchronous and asynchronous instructions are associated with the delivery of content in campus-based environments; however, their role differs in off the campus environments as they solve the problems of distance learners. Universities, colleges, and other education institutions are integrating online learning into every aspect of higher education. Many teachers and faculty members at higher education institutions who already run face-toface courses have a website to post lecture notes or slide presentations as well as other course material. There is no doubt that these are effective strategies to expand teaching efforts. Still, there are other educators who design and teach totally online classes. The main purpose of this paper is to evaluate learners’ attitudes towards these online language courses, and there are two objectives of this research. The first one is to discover learners’ attitudes towards the online English course; and the second purpose is to evaluate and correlate learners’ attitudes with their success determined with their end-of-the-year grades. For the unique purpose of this study, an Online Language Learning Attitude Test (OLLAT) has been constructed and distributed to about 7000 learners who were invited to complete this task online. 3516 of these learners took the OLLAT voluntarily and 1783 were successfully completed the test and were included in this study. The findings showed that there is a statistically significant positive correlation between learners’ OLLAT scores and their course success.
Keywords: Attitudes, online language learning, success