Description of Sites
ABANT IZZET BAYSAL UNIVERSITY
Abant Izzet Baysal University (AIBU) is located in Bolu, Turkey, about 150 miles northeast of Ankara. Bolu is a convenient and scenic location. It lies just off the highway that joins Ankara and Istanbul, and the campus is set on top of a hill overlooking the small town of Bolu, several lakes, and pine forests. The total student population at AIBU is approximately 20,000. The English Language Teaching (ELT) department, founded in 1994, currently has a total enrollment of 180 students including day and evening sections. There are 8 instructors and 2 research assistants in the ELT department, many of whom have international experience. A small MA program in ELT exists; this year 7 new students joined the program. The English Language Fellow posted at AIBU is responsible for teaching several academic content courses (Psycholinguistics, Testing and Evaluation, Methodology) and several skills courses (Speaking, Listening and Pronunciation) to undergraduates. http://www.ibu.edu.tr/
CUKOROVA
Çukorova University ranks as one of Turkey’s 10 most prominent universities and is the leading university in the southeast region. The ELT Department in the Faculty of Education trains approximately 1,000 students to become teachers of English and works with local teachers to support in-service training. The Research and Application Center for Teaching Foreign Language Preparatory Program is for undergraduate and graduate students. Çukorova University has 10 faculties, 3 colleges, 7 vocational colleges, 2 graduate institutes, 26 research and application centers and 1,903 teaching staff. http://www.cu.edu.tr/Content/Asp/English/index.asp
GAZIANTEP UNIVERSITY
Gaziantep University is of the leading universities in eastern Turkey. Gaziantep University was founded in 1973 and has a current student population of 13,472. The main campus is located at Gaziantep with its extention campuses situated in the neighbouring cities and districts of Adiyaman, Kilis, Nizip, Oguzeli, Besni and Gölbasi. It has seven different faculties, each one housing several departments, and three graduate schools. A large majority of the over 200 students in the English department complete a full year of intensive English language study before beginning their coursework. During the B.A. program, students take several courses in literature (Classical Greek Drama, Medieval, Victorian, Modern American Fiction, etc.), literary theory and criticism, translation, EFL methodology, German, and cultural studies. Graduates go on to teach English language, literature, and culture, or continue their studies at the graduate level. http://www.gantep.edu.tr/
Ministry of Education, The General Directorate of Educational Technologies
The General Directorate of Educational Technologies is one of the 44 units of the Turkish Ministry of National Education, which serves over 42,000 schools throughout Turkey. It is responsible for adapting and applying the most recent technologies into the Turkish education system. It provides teachers and students with the latest technological developments, setting an effective learning environment. The General Directorate of Educational Technologies also conducts research, evaluation, and develops implementation plans to establish an efficient relationship between formal education and open-distance learning. It processes official placement and graduation exams as well as enables data processing through central and regional offices of the Ministry of National Education. http://egitek.meb.gov.tr/index.asp
MUGLA
Founded in 1992, Muğla University in southwestern Turkey already has more than 20,000 students. The ELT faculty, established in 2000, has four teachers and 250 students and works in collaboration with the Faculty of Letters with an additional four teachers. The department issues a BS in Education that integrates a research-based program with practical applications of pedagogy and methodology. Students learn classroom action research, and have three semesters of observation/practice teaching in local schools. The program was adopted after extensive study and observation of American schools of education.
The Higher School of Foreign Languages has 70 teachers and 880 students. As students take English full time for a year, the School of Foreign Languages is striving to align its testing and curriculum to the Common European Framework (CEF) and set the standards and expectations for the student’s study for their following four years.
Muğla university endeavors to become one of the technical education leaders in Turkey with campuses spread over a wide area including Ula, Ortaca, Milas, Dalaman, Fethiye and Yatağan. www.mu.edu.tr
SELCUK
Selcuk University is the second largest university in Turkey with more than 70,000 students, 3,100 teachers, 2 campuses, 2 medical schools with 2 research hospitals, the Rectory Administration Offices and 25 regional vocational schools. Located in the middle of a vast Anatolian plain, Konya was once the capital of the mighty 11th century Selcuk Turkish Empire which gives the university its name. Today Konya is a thriving and conservative city where ancient ruins from the beginning of civilization blend with modern trams, shopping centers and world famous whirling dervishes. Founded in 1975, Selcuk University has 1,000 students in the English Language Teaching Department and is a widely respected teacher training institute throughout Turkey. The ELT graduates are generally expected to become English teachers. The distinguished Faculty of Letters has 600 students who are developing literary appreciation from the best of English literature. Selcuk University is in the process of developing American Studies curriculum with a broad focus on culture, literature, drama and poetry. Selcuk University offers a wide variety of sporting, cultural, scientific and technological activities to a vibrant student population. The potential and enterprise of this university will be realized in coming days. http://www.selcuk.edu.tr/
TAA Ankara
Founded in 1951, the Turkish-American Association is the bi-national center in Ankara associated with the American Embassy. The TAA's English program includes 28 teachers and approximately 600 students. A wide range of courses are offered - English courses for children and adults, Turkish courses, and the English TEFL Centre's EFL Teaching Certification course. TAA is the official testing center for TOEFL, GRE, GMAT and SAT and offers preparation courses for these exams. In addition to an excellent general library, there is also a Teacher Resource Center which provides the Ankara English teaching community with a wide selection of teacher development books and regular teacher training sessions. The TAA is also the home of the Access Program, which is administered in 8 cities throughout Turkey. See http://exchanges.state.gov/education/engteaching/access.htm
Regular cultural events, including theater and musical productions, art exhibitions, lectures, conferences, cultural orientation seminars, American holiday celebrations, dancing, patchwork quilting, and an international play group for toddlers are held in support of the TAA's mission of cultural exchange between Turkey and the United States. To further this exchange of culture and language, in November 2006, two new TAA Language Program franchises will open in Konya and Cayyoglu. http://www.taa-ankara.org.tr
Info Resource Center
English Language
Curriculum Development
List of Titles
EL Fellows for 2007-2008
