Original scientific paper
EVALUATING THE TURKISH LANGUAGE CURRICULUM AT JAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY IN POLAND: A CASE STUDY
Fatih Yilmaz
; Jagiellonian University, Institute of Oriental Philology, UJ, Krakow, Poland
Abstract
Turkish is becoming more essential in education as well as in daily life due to the
vital role it plays in communication chains throughout the world. As the prevalence of the
Turkish language grows, Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language also grows as a field of
education. The Turkish language curriculum needs to meet the demands of the changing
world and teach Turkish effectively.
This study aims to evaluate the curriculum of Turkish language courses at Jagiellonian
University in Krakow by examining the students’ views about it. Evaluation means the
systematic collection and analysis of all relevant information necessary to promote the
improvement of the curriculum and to assess the effectiveness and weakness of foreign
language teaching. Students’ expectations and needs are a central consideration in designing
the course, so the curriculum should be developed according to the needs and the
expectations of the learners. If teachers do not know their students’ needs, developing a
curriculum becomes challenging, causing many problems in learning and teaching foreign
languages. The term "curriculum” denotes the principles and procedures for the planning,
implementation, evaluation, and management of an educational program. In this study, the
term "curriculum” refers specifically to the Turkish Language course.
In this case study, a Likert-scale questionnaire with four options was administered to 33
Polish university students learning Turkish as a foreign language. In analyzing the data, the
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS 11.5) was used. The data was analyzed using
descriptive statistical techniques, including frequencies and percentages. The study concludes
with recommendations for the instructors at Jagiellonian University regarding designing their
curriculum and syllabi and choosing their course materials. The recommendations of this
study will also help Turkish language program designers assess the effectiveness of the
current Turkish language curriculum.
Keywords
education; learning foreign language; curriculum; Turkish language
Hrčak ID:
71625
URI
Publication date:
10.6.2011.
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