Turkish language acquisition/learning and sociocultural, academic adaptation process of non-Turkish speaking international students at Trakya University

The aim of this study is to comprehensively examine the Turkish language acquisition/learning processes, as well as the sociocultural and academic adaptation experiences, of international students at Trakya University whose native language is not Turkish. The study evaluates how various individual, social, educational, and environmental factors influence the students' level of adaptation. A quantitative method was utilized, and questionnaires were used as the main data collection tool. The study group consists of 30-34 international students from 14 different countries who were enrolled at the Turkish Language Teaching and Research Center (TÖMER) at Trakya University during the 2023–2024 academic year. To assess the students' adaptation processes from multiple perspectives, three distinct questionnaires were administered: "Sociocultural Adaptation," "Attitudes Towards Learning Turkish," and "Acculturation." The obtained data were analyzed using statistical methods, revealing significant findings regarding students' language learning and their adaptation to life in Türkiye. Since the students were still in the process of learning Turkish, the questionnaires were administered in the classroom environment to ensure that no misunderstandings occurred and to facilitate better data collection process. To enhance comprehension and enable accurate responses, the questionnaires were prepared in three different languages as Turkish, English, and Russian. In this context, demographic variables such as age, gender, length of stay in Türkiye, academic level, and country of origin were also examined in detail to understand their influence on both the language learning process and the students' sociocultural and academic adaptation. Key words: Academic Adaptation, Acculturation, Attitude Towards Learning Turkish, Sociocultural adaptation