The relationship between Turkish as a second language learners' assertiveness and speaking self-efficacy levels

Throughout second language teaching, educators and linguists have mainly focused on materials, how engaging these materials are, and curriculum adjustments. Psychological characteristics of learners, lead from individual differences, have a significant impact on the learns' second language acquisition process. In the light of this, the foundation of this study is to examine the impact of assertiveness, one of the psychological attributes, on learners' self-efficacy level on their speaking skills. The aim of the study is to identify the relationship between how learners of Turkish as a second language use the target language and their individual levels of assertiveness. The secondary objectives of the study are determining the assertiveness levels of the learners via Rathus Assertiveness Scale (Rathus, 1973) and determining the self-efficacy levels of the learners via Speaking Self-Efficacy Scale (Sallabaş, 2013) The survey of this research consists of three parts: initially, demographic information such as learners' gender, age, education level, and Turkish proficiency level is gathered qualitatively. In the second section, learners' assertiveness levels are determined quantitatively according to the Rathus Assertiveness Inventory using a six-point Likert scale. Lastly, the Speaking Self-Efficacy Scale on a seven-point Likert scale is used to detect learners' general and formal speaking levels. The experimental group consists of learners of foreign origin who have come to Turkey to learn Turkish. These learners receive education at universities' language centers such as TÖMER and DİLMER. The final data was analyzed by comparing the responses these active target language users provided on the two scales, leading to a comprehensive evaluation of the study. This evaluation will contribute pedagogically and psychologically to the training of future teachers of Turkish as a foreign language. The findings of this thesis are expected to be considered in the preparation of future materials and curricula, as well as in the training of instructors for Turkish as a foreign/second language. Recommendations regarding learners' personal characteristics will be made for future instructors teaching Turkish as a foreign/second language. Keywords Teaching Turkish as a Second Language, Learning Turkish as a Second Language, Assertiveness, Speaking Skills, Self-Efficacy