Comparison of Turkish, Norwegian and Danish primary English curriculum and English teacher training programs

The aim of the study is to determine the similarities and differences between Turkey, Norway and Denmark in terms of aims, content, education and testing cases of the primary English Language Teaching Program and the English teacher training programs of these countries. The conditions for access to programs for teacher training programs are also examined. In this comparative study, horizontal method was preferred and most of the data obtained through document review are documents obtained from official sources. According to the results obtained from the research, the English curriculum applied in Turkey is the most detailed, most comprehensive and centralised curriculum compared to Norway and Denmark. The program in Turkey gives the culture of the target language at minimum level when compared with the three programs. And there is a difference in teaching skills. In addition, the program in Turkey is based on a theme-oriented approach and teachers are not flexible in determining content. However, teachers in Norway and Denmark have the right to determine the content. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that teacher autonomy is higher in these two countries. In addition, the program in all three countries highlights spiral, student-centered and formative assessment. In Norway and Denmark, students are required to take a compulsory national exam for English course. In Norway and Denmark, unlike Turkey, the central examination is not applied, while Denmark is the only country conducts an interview in student selection. In Norway, the student's forensic status is monitored. Therefore, both countries take the personality traits of teacher candidates. The program consists of 240 ECTS (bachelor) in Turkey, 300 ECTS (master) in Norway and 240 ECTS (bachelor) in Denmark. In addition, programs in Turkey train expert teachers in 1 area, Norway and Denmark, up to 3 areas of teaching opportunities to train semi-expert teachers. There is also the possibility of specialization for two different age groups in Denmark and three in Norway. While writing a thesis in Norway and writing a project in Denmark are necessary, there is no obligation to present a product for scientific research skills in Turkey. In addition, the practice of teaching in both countries takes longer, starting in the early years.