Preparatory English Program

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10679/4362

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Open Access
Learning portfolio (LP) to enhance constructivism and student autonomy
(Elsevier, 2010) Büyükduman, İlke; Dülger, Selen Şirin; Preparatory English Program; BÜYÜKDUMAN, Ilke; DÜLGER, Selen Şirin
A learning portfolio (LP) can be broadly defined as a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student's efforts, progress and achievements (Smith & Tillema, 1998). At Preparatory Program at Ozyegin University (hereafter OzU), a new evaluation system is being implemented. This paper describes the components of LP practice at OzU, relating the process to the principles of constructivism and learner autonomy. Also the outcomes of a survey that was conducted to find out the perceptions of the students regarding the LP practice are presented and interpreted.
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‘Learning portfolio’ to enhance constructivism and student autonomy
(2010) Büyükduman, İlke; Dülger, Selen Şirin; Preparatory English Program; BÜYÜKDUMAN, Ilke; DÜLGER, Selen Şirin
At Ozyegin University (OzU), a new evaluation system is being implemented. In this talk, the components of LP practice at OzU will be presented, relating the process to the principles of constructivism and learner autonomy. The presenters will also share the outcomes of a survey that has been conducted to find out the perception of the students regarding the LP practice.
Open Access
Let your students speak: fun and effective ways to increase students’ confidence to speak
(2011-11-26) Zeydan, Sultan; Preparatory English Program; ZEYDAN, Sultan
In the communicative model of language teaching, we should help our students develop authentic practice for real-life communication situations since the main goal of English Language Teaching is to empower students to become independent learners. In order to do this, multi-sensory tasks requiring integrated skills should be offered to students. The teachers’ feedback reveals that creating real-life communication situations can enrich and foster in-class speaking and prevent students from misunderstandings and communication breakdowns. Drawings, headlines, diagrams and cards are excellent sources to make lessons more memorable and enjoyable.The main purpose of this presentation is to introduce a series of innovative and creative activities increasing students’ motivation and confidence to speak more voluntarily inside and outside class.
Open Access
Unveiling the mystery: investigating L2 reading motivation in an EFL classroom
(Middle East Technical University, 2012) Şirin, Petek; Sağlam, Aslı Lidice Göktürk; Preparatory English Program; GÖKTÜRK SAĞLAM, Aslı Lidice; Şirin, Petek; ŞİRİN, Petek
Research in L2 reading motivation has gained impetus and provided many insights into understanding the components of motivation and factors that affect L2 learners in terms of reading motivation. Although many studies can be found on L1 reading motivation, studies on L2 reading motivation seem to be relatively meager. Since action research encompasses a sequence of events and an approach to problem solving, the present study addressed to examine whether; (1) this sample of Turkish University students differ in terms of their intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation and (2) a change in methodology has an impact on the L2 reading motivation. Participants responded to a Motivation for Reading Questionnaire (MRQ) and took part in focus group interviews. Results revealed that L2 reading motivation was affected by extrinsic factors mostly and the changes in methodology and the instructional elements had a crucial effect on intrinsic and mostly extrinsic motivation, reading amount and performance. Results foreshadowed insightful methodological changes.
Open Access
Perceptions of in-service teachers regarding technology integrated English language teaching
(Anadolu University, 2012-01-07) Sağlam, Aslı Lidice Göktürk; Sert, Semih; Undergraduate English Program; Preparatory English Program; GÖKTÜRK SAĞLAM, Aslı Lidice; Sert, Semih; SERT, Semih
Technology is changing paradigms in education rapidly and teachers are caught unguarded due to lack of professional training in this aspect. This study reflects the perceptions of nine ELT instructors with M.A TEFL degrees and with over six years of professional experience. Despite the lack of formal professional training as part of their pre-service teacher education, these instructors need to cope with the demands of this transition in daily implementation. Data were collected through semi structured interviews, open-ended questionnaires and field notes. An inductive analysis approach was used to analyze the data and emergent patterns of data were used to develop coding categories. Results indicated that respondents held positive views about the role of educational technology for enriching language instruction. However, they also acknowledged the challenges faced and emphasised the need for ICT training not only for teachers but also for students. It is concluded that participants make use of technology to teach academic and linguistic skills in an integrated skills approach, encourage students to construct knowledge, expose students to life-long learning skills and strategies, cater for different students who have different learning styles, find and create teaching materials, develop skills through exposure to existing on-line sources and create a motivating environment that is conducive for learning.
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Revisiting the theme-based approach to assessment
(2012-10-12) Eyüboğlu, Gülseren; Tavalı, S.; Preparatory English Program; EYÜBOĞLU, Gülseren
The trend over the last few years has been towards an integrated approach to assessment. This session will explore the reasons why institutions prefer this approach and whether they achieve what they aim at. The session will also focus on the limits and possibilities of a theme-based approach and whether it should be used to assess the language performance of the learners in writing.
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The theme of alienation in two dystopian novels: brave new world and fahrenheit 451
(Güven Plus Grup A. Ş., 2013) Altuntaş, Eylem; Undergraduate English Program; ALTUNTAŞ, Eylem
Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 are both about how the influence of technology affected mankind. Brave New World depicts a future where people are produced scientifically. Fahrenheit 451 is about a future where firemen start fires instead of extinguishing them, in order to burn books. Huxley’s and Bradbury’s novels are above all about the theme of alienation and people that are affected by it. The aim of this paper is to analyse the theme of alienation in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 from sociological and psychological viewpoints and to present evidence that support the paper’s purpose.
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Using students’ evaluations to measure educational quality
(Elsevier, 2013-01-25) Sağlam, Aslı Lidice Göktürk; Preparatory English Program; GÖKTÜRK SAĞLAM, Aslı Lidice
This research study examined university students’ evaluation of teaching at an English preparatory school. Twelve students who participated in the study were chosen as a consequence of theoretical sampling because they repeated the intermediate level twice and were believed to give valuable information regarding the challenges encountered in the program. Aims of the study were to: (1) demonstrate quality assurance at program implementation level, (2) get feedback from students on the appropriateness of activities for their learning needs, (3) get students to reflect on their language skills development and identify what they still need to learn that could be useful for the improvement of teaching, (4) raise awareness and persuade students to engage with the opportunities for learning beyond classroom and (5) negotiate emphases for the remainder of the program. Participants were asked to comment on and evaluate the educational quality, course objectives, performance of their instructor, their learning, achievement and progress, course materials, learning support they received, role of information and communication technology, and assessment procedures. Data was collected by Students’ Evaluation of Educational Quality Instrument (SEEQ), focus group interviews and field notes. Findings revealed certain action points for the development of the English language teaching program.
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Exploring the factors that affect reading comprehension of EAP learners
(Elsevier, 2013-03) Nergis, Ayşegül; Preparatory English Program; NERGİS, Ayşegül
As far as academic reading comprehension is concerned, a network of linguistic skills and strategies operate in a complex and integrated matter. Since it is impossible to examine all the factors affecting reading comprehension all at once, it is more reasonable to compare and contrast the predictive effects of specific variables against each other and elicit the role of each of them in determining academic performance. For this reason, the present study aims to investigate whether specifically the depth of vocabulary knowledge, syntactic awareness or metacognitive awareness was a more powerful predictor of academic reading comprehension. 45 students from the English Language Teaching Department in an English-medium foundation university in Turkey participated in the study. The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that with a sample of homogenous first language (L1) background learners, depth of vocabulary knowledge was not a strong predictor of academic reading comprehension for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students. However, it was found that syntactic awareness was a significant predictor of academic reading comprehension in second language (L2) and of the investigated variables, metacognitive reading strategies have much to contribute to academic reading comprehension.
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Making the most out of vocabulary teaching with the wonders of the web
(IATED, 2014) Yılmaz, Beyza Nur; Preparatory English Program; YILMAZ, Beyza Nur
Are you looking for different ways to present new words to your students? Do you want them to learn vocabulary in meaningful contexts and remember them easily? Do you want your students to keep online or mobile vocabulary notebooks and work collaboratively? Vocabulary teaching plays a significant role in language learning and the number of tools and techniques to be used for vocabulary teaching has increased rapidly. Many students do not keep regular notebooks and vocabulary cards. In addition, they are very dependent on their mobile devices like tablets and smartphones. However, in many institutions they are not regarded as learning tools and students are unaware of the fact that they can use them for learning purposes. There are many available tools which can make vocabulary teaching learning fun and engaging. In this workshop, the participants will learn how to make vocabulary learning more meaningful and fun by using some Web 2.0 tools and mobile applications enabling collaboration and discovery .They will also have the chance to reflect upon their present use of vocabulary teaching techniques and how to incorporate educational technology into it.
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Silence in the EFL classroom
(International Organization Center Of Academic Research, 2014) Altuntaş, Eylem; Undergraduate English Program; ALTUNTAŞ, Eylem
Silence in the language classroom has been the experience of many teachers especially in speaking activities. Silence and its reasons have been investigated in a considerable number of studies in the field of foreign language teaching. The studies have shed light on such aspects as foreign language anxiety, culture, or previous education. This present study aims to explore the reasons why a group of Turkish EFL learners keep silent during the language classes. The study also presents some suggestions for language teachers as to help their students overcome the problem of silence in the language classroom. The study utilizes both qualitative and quantitative research designs. Data collection tools include learner diaries, semi-structured interviews, and a questionnaire.
Open Access
Using wikis to promote collaborative EFL writing
(University Hawai, 2014-02) Aydın, Zeliha; Yıldız, S.; Preparatory English Program; AYDIN, Zeliha
This study focuses on the use of wikis in collaborative writing projects in foreign language learning classrooms. A total of 34 intermediate level university students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) were asked to accomplish three different wiki-based collaborative writing tasks, (argumentative, informative and decision-making) working in groups of four. Student wiki pages were then analyzed to investigate the role of task type in the number of self and peer-corrections as well as form-related and meaning-related changes. In addition, focus-group interviews and questionnaires were conducted to find out how students would describe their overall experience with the integration of a wiki-based collaborative writing project in their foreign language learning process. The results revealed that the argumentative task promoted more peer-corrections than the informative and decision-making tasks. In addition, the informative task yielded more self-corrections than the argumentative and decision-making tasks. Furthermore, the use of wiki-based collaborative writing tasks led to the accurate use of grammatical structures 94% of the time. The results of the study also suggest that students paid more attention to meaning rather than form regardless of the task type. Finally, students had positive experiences using wikis in foreign language writing, and they believed that their writing performance had improved.
Open Access
The theme of alienation in two dystopian novels: brave new world and fahrenheit 451
(INT Organization Center ACAD Research, 2014-02) Altuntaş, Eylem; Undergraduate English Program; Uslu, F.; ALTUNTAŞ, Eylem
Brave New World and Fahrenheit 451 are both about how the influence of technology affected mankind. Brave New World depicts a future where people are produced scientifically. Fahrenheit 451 is about a future where firemen start fires instead of extinguishing them, in order to burn books. Huxley's and Bradbury's novels are above all about the theme of alienation and people that are affected by it. The aim of this paper is to analyse the theme of alienation in Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 from sociological and psychological viewpoints and to present evidence that support the paper's purpose.
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The impacts of portfolio learning on our program
(2014-04-02) Eyüboğlu, Gülseren; Ünlü, Gökçe; Preparatory English Program; EYÜBOĞLU, Gülseren; ÜNLÜ, Gökçe
One of the vital aspects of teaching a new language is encouraging learners to become autonomous, reflect on and plan their own learning. At Ozyegin University, Turkey, we enable our students to keep a learning portfolio to ensure that they document the progress they have made in the language, think critically and assess their own learning to plan further learning.
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Developing the vocabulary strand of an EAP program
(2015-04-13) Baykan, Özlem; Preparatory English Program; BÜLBÜL, Özlem Baykan
This talk will focus on a project carried out to develop the lexical syllabus of an EAP program. The aim is to explain how this project helped the program to define the lexical items needed for EAP studies, how these items can be classified into different proficiency levels, and how the lexical syllabus can be practiced through teaching materials.
Open Access
Pueblos silenciosos/silent comunities: within the grain, against the grain
(2016) Onay, Özge; Undergraduate English Program; ONAY, Özge
This assignment is an attempt to map in general sense the origins and development of the Chicano movement in The United States. The reason why a term like’’Chicano/-a’’ was coined and what it means politically, socially, economically is going to be discussed in depth. The term Chicano or Chicana (also spelled Xicano or Xicana) was coined to characterize Latinos as American born but originally based in Mexico. Filmed in 1987, the movie ‘’Born in East L.A.’’ is a cultural representation of Xicanos, that’s why this movie has become a great source for me to fill up5. the term ‘’Chicano/-a’’ to form the basis for my assignment and be able to be more open in terms of elucidating the new identity called ‘’chicano’’today. Keywords: Chicano Literature, minority studies, postcolonial era, border movies, Chicanos
Open Access
Colouring up your speaking lessons using videos
(2016-04-14) Çolak, Selin Tanrıverdi; Preparatory English Program; ÇOLAK, Selin Tanrıverdi
This presentation will focus on how to add variety to speaking activities by using videos in the classroom. Participants will be involved in a demo lesson in which they will play the roles of students describing movie scenes to each other in pairs. This activity can be adapted for use for an array of contexts, age groups and classroom environments.
Open Access
Turkish efl learners' perceptions of native english-speaking teachers and non-native english-speaking teachers in higher education
(Children's Research Center, 2016-09-27) Karakaş, A.; Uysal, H.; Bilgin, Selçuk; Bulut, T.; Preparatory English Program; BİLGİN, Selçuk
The question of what makes a good teacher of English has aroused researchers' interest for many years, and the existing studies comparing NESTs (native English-speaking teachers) and NNESTs (non-native English-speaking teachers) have focused mostly on students' perceptions of these teachers. The current study aims to explore in the first phase if there is a meaningful difference between Turkish EFL learners' perceptions of NESTs and NNESTs on their first encounter with them. The second phase explores whether any changes have occurred in students' preconceptions regarding NESTs within the course of time. The participants are 120 Turkish monolinguals from a private university. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires consisting of Likert-scale items in both phases. An interview session was added to the second phase to obtain more in-depth insights into students' perceptions. The findings showed that students had neutral perceptions of NESTs and NNESTs. However, in the second phase, the data analysed via qualitative content analysis demonstrated that students' perceptions were found to have positively changed for NESTs, particularly in terms of personality dimension. In both phases, students perceived NESTs in linguistic and professional dimensions, and NNESTs in pedagogical dimension rather positively.
Open Access
Takılmak, oyalanmak ve teknoloji geyiği yapmak
(Pegem Akademi Yayınclık, 2016-12) Thomas, D.; Brown, John S.; Bilgin, Selçuk
Günümüzde, değişim kaçınılmaz bir gerçek, öğrenme tarzındaki çeşitlilik de aynı şekilde. Bu kitapta, Doug Thomas ve John Seely Brown değişimin gücünü, birbiriyle ilişkili kavramlar olan ilham almayı, bireysel öğrenmeyi ve yeni ortaya çıkmakta olan öğrenme kültürünü bize tanıtıyorlar. Geleneksel anlamdaki kültür kavramını, öğrenme ortamındaki her türlü değişkene göre kendini geliştirme, değiştirme ve uyum sağlama olarak ele alıyorlar, öğrenmeyi ise işbirliği yapma, birlikte oluşturma ve durmayan değişim olarak tanımlıyorlar. Böylece değişimin bir parçası olmayı, çağımızın diline çevirmek gerekirse, teknoloji okuryazarı olmayı ön plana çıkartıyorlar. Günümüz şartlarında öğrenme olgusunu, betimleyici bir tarzda anlatan bu çalışmanın, uzun süreli ve sistemli bir gözlemin ürünü olduğu ortada...
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The integration of educational technology for classroom-based formative assessment to empower teaching and learning
(IGI Global, 2017-07-12) Sağlam, Aslı Lidice Göktürk; Preparatory English Program; GÖKTÜRK SAĞLAM, Aslı Lidice
As educational technology continues to change the face of educational contexts in the digital age, the way in which teachers can incorporate various existing online resources and applications within their everyday classroom activities deserves closer attention. In particular, it is important to explore how interactive Web 2.0 tools might be integrated into classroom-based assessment practices. This way, the efficacy of online tools and their ability to both facilitate teacher assessment practices and empower student learning can be adequately assessed. This chapter aims to explore, showcase and discuss how Web 2.0 tools can be integrated into teachers' classroom-based language assessment to get information that can be used diagnostically to adjust teaching and learning with reference to current literature, explore challenges and focus on suggestions and avenues for further research. Furthermore, examples of web tools that could be used for formative assessment will be briefly enlisted.

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